Chapter 149: Blaine, You're Not Involved with Team Rocket… Right?
Blaine twitched when he saw Asahi's notepad.
Even though he had been out of touch with the outside world, he had heard about what happened to Cerulean Gym.
Clearly, he had just been recorded.
Seeing Blaine's expression, Asahi smirked.
"Don't worry, Blaine. Cerulean Gym was restructured because its Gym Leader was too weak."
"From what I've gathered, even though Cinnabar Gym has been closed, you've still issued badges to some trainers. With your skills, you should be fine."
Just as Blaine was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Asahi continued:
"The real reason the League sent me to evaluate the gyms isn't just to test strength—it's to weed out any Team Rocket infiltrators."
"Both Koga and Lt. Surge were investigated and arrested due to their ties to Team Rocket."
"As long as you have no connections to Team Rocket, you have nothing to worry about."
Asahi gave him a friendly smile.
"You don't have any connections to Team Rocket… right, Blaine?"
Blaine forced a stiff laugh. "H-Haha, of course not! How could I be involved with Team Rocket…?"
Despite his words, his emotions were in turmoil.
No connection to Team Rocket?
Not only did he have connections, but he had played a crucial role in the Mewtwo Project!
If Mewtwo wreaked havoc on the League in the future, he would absolutely be responsible.
Although he had fallen out with Team Rocket, explaining that to the League was another story entirely.
Rather than easing his nerves, Asahi's words only made Blaine more anxious.
Unbothered, Asahi motioned for Green to start recording the battle before tossing out a Poké Ball.
"Since I'm the examiner, I'll send out my Pokémon first."
A flash of light burst forth, revealing—
A shiny red Gyarados, roaring fiercely.
The crimson scales gleamed under the gym lights, perfectly fitting Cinnabar's fiery aesthetic.
Despite his concerns, Blaine refocused on the match.
With a quick decision, he chose his first Pokémon.
"I'm counting on you, Rapidash!"
A burst of white light flashed, and a flaming figure leaped from the Poké Ball, landing gracefully on the battlefield.
"Neighhh—!"
Rapidash's hooves struck the ground, and the fiery mane on its back flared up, radiating intense heat that slightly raised the temperature of the arena.
Even under Gyarados's Intimidate ability, Rapidash held its head high, refusing to back down.
The two Pokémon locked eyes—
One, a Gyarados eager to prove itself in battle.
The other, a Rapidash carrying its trainer's hopes.
Sparks flew between them.
"Battle, begin!"
At the referee's signal, Gyarados immediately launched an attack.
"ROAR!"
It opened its massive jaws and fired a Hydro Pump straight at Rapidash.
A powerful jet of water shot forward, momentarily dispersing the heat in the air.
Watching the attack, Blaine quickly assessed Gyarados's strength based on the water pressure and volume—
It was strong, but not unbeatable.
This is winnable.
"Rapidash, dodge!"
At Blaine's command, Rapidash galloped forward, suddenly accelerating to evade the oncoming water blast.
Then, using its momentum, it charged directly at Gyarados.
Even within the confined battlefield, Rapidash displayed astonishing speed, reaching up to 240 km/h in an instant.
As it dashed forward, flames spewed from its mouth to disrupt Gyarados's aim.
Gyarados attempted to adjust its Hydro Pump to intercept, but Rapidash's unpredictable movements kept it from landing a direct hit.
Instead, Gyarados found itself getting scorched by stray embers.
Now that Rapidash had closed the distance, Gyarados's eyes flickered with unease.
Compared to its initial aggressive display, Gyarados now seemed more like a paper tiger, all bark and no bite.
Blaine noticed this shift and thought to himself—Asahi may be an examiner, but at the end of the day, he's still young. His Pokémon clearly lacks battle experience.
Seeing that Rapidash had entered striking range, Blaine seized the opportunity and commanded, "Flame Wheel!"
Rapidash's eyes sharpened. The flames on its back, tail, and hooves flared violently, engulfing its body in an inferno as it charged straight for Gyarados.
Watching the fireball hurtling toward it, Gyarados's reaction completely defied Blaine's expectations.
The panic in its eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a cunning glint that seemed utterly out of place for a Gyarados.
As its body swayed, the water-coated tail that had been hidden behind it suddenly swung into view.
Whoosh!
A powerful Aqua Tail slashed through the air, heading straight for Rapidash.
"Not good—Rapidash!" Blaine's expression changed.
He hadn't expected Gyarados to bait his Rapidash.
Rapidash was caught off guard as well.
Just moments ago, Gyarados had looked completely flustered—yet now, it had already prepared an Aqua Tail in anticipation of Rapidash's charge.
It was too late to dodge.
There was only one option left—clash head-on!
Resolving himself, Blaine gritted his teeth. "Rapidash, full-speed ahead!"
Based on the strength of Gyarados's earlier Hydro Pump, he wasn't convinced Rapidash would lose in a direct trade.
Upon receiving the command, Rapidash's gaze sharpened, and it galloped forward with all its might. Flames roared around its body, growing even more intense as it transformed into a blazing comet, ramming toward Gyarados.
Seeing this, Gyarados's lips curled into a savage grin.
The water surging around its tail intensified.
From an outsider's perspective, it was an utterly bizarre scene—
A fire-cloaked Rapidash willingly throwing itself at Gyarados's water-coated tail.
Before their bodies even made contact, the flames and the torrent of water clashed in midair.
Boom!
Flames and water exploded upon impact, releasing a massive burst of steam that engulfed both Pokémon.
And then—
BANG!
A shadow shot out from the mist.
Rapidash, trailing a long plume of white steam, was sent flying.
It crashed heavily onto the battlefield.
---