Chapter 150: The Cunning Gyarados and Its Repeated Tricks
"Rapidash!"
Blaine's eyes widened in disbelief.
Had he seen that correctly?
Based on his earlier observations, Gyarados's Hydro Pump didn't seem that powerful.
Even in the worst-case scenario, Rapidash shouldn't have been defeated this badly.
His gaze shifted back to Gyarados.
At that moment, the cunning glint in Gyarados's eyes returned.
Then, it unleashed another Hydro Pump—one far stronger than before.
Blaine instantly realized the truth.
Gyarados had been faking weakness earlier!
"Rapidash, dodge!"
Already battered from Aqua Tail, Rapidash barely managed to push itself up, attempting to evade.
However, this time, Gyarados wasn't fumbling around.
It controlled its Hydro Pump precisely, cutting off Rapidash's escape routes.
Blaine finally saw through it all.
Gyarados had intentionally feigned panic to lure Rapidash into attacking—only to counter with a devastating blow.
"Aren't Magikarp supposed to become mindlessly aggressive after evolving into Gyarados?"
He had been a Gym Leader for years, yet he had never seen a Gyarados this cunning.
Blaine tried his best to salvage the situation, commanding Rapidash to counterattack.
But at this point, Gyarados had already secured a massive advantage.
It refused to give Rapidash any breathing room.
Seeing how one-sided the battle had become, Asahi finally spoke.
"Let's finish this. Gyarados, use Brine."
Rather than relying on the high-risk, hard-to-control Hydro Pump, Brine was far more effective against an injured opponent.
Gyarados perked up at the command.
After a brief charge, it launched a powerful jet of saltwater—smaller in volume than Hydro Pump but far more potent.
Caught in the attack, Rapidash had no chance to dodge.
The super-effective Water-type move, combined with the excruciating sting of salt seeping into its wounds, caused Rapidash's face to contort in pain.
Getting salt rubbed into an open wound—who could endure that?
Rapidash's willpower wavered.
Its legs buckled, and it collapsed to the ground, unable to continue.
"Rapidash is unable to battle!" the referee declared.
Blaine recalled Rapidash and sighed.
"As expected, your strength is incredible, Asahi. No wonder the League entrusted you with this position at such a young age. You're a future Elite Four candidate for sure."
Asahi smiled slightly. "Flattery won't get you any favors in this assessment."
Blaine: "..."
Damn, he saw through that instantly.
He hadn't expected Asahi to be completely immune to sweet talk.
Still, it wasn't over yet.
More importantly, Asahi hadn't discovered his past ties to Team Rocket.
Maybe—just maybe—he could still slip through the cracks.
With that thought, Blaine threw out another Poké Ball.
"Your turn, Arcanine!"
A massive two-meter-tall Arcanine appeared on the battlefield.
The moment it landed, it locked eyes with Gyarados, pacing slowly, studying its opponent's weaknesses.
Under Arcanine's intense stare, Gyarados began to feel a bit uncomfortable.
"ROAR!"
Letting out a mighty roar, Gyarados officially signaled the start of the next match.
Having studied Gyarados's tactics in the previous battle, Blaine was now fully aware of its underhanded nature.
Cunning!
That was the perfect word to describe it.
This time, Blaine wouldn't give it a chance to play any tricks.
"Extreme Speed!"
Arcanine's massive body vanished into a blur, closing the distance instantly before slamming a paw at Gyarados.
The moment Gyarados saw Arcanine right in front of it, it knew—there was no dodging this one.
A flash of viciousness crossed Gyarados's eyes.
Instead of avoiding the attack, it lunged forward aggressively.
Arcanine's paw slammed into Gyarados's thick, armored scales, producing a deep, heavy impact.
Crack!
A fracturing sound echoed—Gyarados's crimson scales had cracked under the force.
Its body trembled.
However—
Instead of retreating, Gyarados countered immediately, spewing a massive surge of water.
Waterfall!
Arcanine, caught in mid-air after its strike, was suddenly engulfed in a powerful rush of water.
"Argh—!"
It let out a pained whimper as its body was flung across the battlefield.
Arcanine skidded to a stop, its claws digging deep into the ground to halt its momentum.
The battlefield now bore deep grooves from its struggle—clear evidence of how much force was behind Gyarados's attack.
The first clash was over.
Both Pokémon had taken damage—Gyarados had endured Extreme Speed, while Arcanine had suffered from Waterfall.
With its type advantage, Gyarados had a slight edge.
The two Pokémon locked eyes again, fully aware of each other's strength.
Blaine, however, wasn't just watching the battle.
He was also studying Asahi himself.
Despite Asahi's casual demeanor and minimal commands, every time he did speak, it resulted in a decisive moment.
But in reality—
Asahi wasn't some battle genius like Blaine assumed.
He was actually chatting telepathically with the invisible Mew beside him.
[See Blaine's arm? Those cells implanted in his body—they're from Mewtwo.]
Mew's eyes widened.
[That's the familiar energy you sensed. Team Rocket has already entered the final stage. Mewtwo is about to be born.]
Mew clenched its tiny fists.
[You can track Mewtwo using that energy? Not yet.]
Asahi smirked.
[We'll handle this together, but don't get your hopes up. Just because you find Mewtwo… doesn't mean it'll acknowledge you as its 'mother.']
Mew: "Mew!" ("I'm not its mom! Just its kin!")
Asahi sighed dramatically.
"If only you'd admit it… Maybe Mewtwo wouldn't have an existential crisis."
Mewtwo: "What is the meaning of my existence?"
Asahi: "Ask your mom."
Even as Asahi chatted telepathically with Mew, the battle continued uninterrupted.
Gyarados, having evolved from Magikarp, retained its former intelligence. This was evident in battle—it hardly needed Asahi's commands, handling the fight entirely on its own.
Once again, Hydro Pump clashed against Overheat, filling the entire gym with dense steam.
The lights filtered through the mist, giving the battlefield an almost dreamlike appearance.
Both Gyarados and Arcanine stood at opposite ends, visibly exhausted.
Blaine's Arcanine was of a high level, and despite Gyarados's type advantage, it had already fought an intense battle earlier. It hadn't been able to gain much of an upper hand.
Arcanine, on the other hand, found Gyarados extremely tricky to deal with.
The ability to fly provided a significant edge in combat—one that couldn't be dismissed by simply labeling Gyarados as a Flying-type.
Thanks to its aerial mobility, Gyarados had dodged countless lethal attacks from Arcanine.
Realizing their stamina wouldn't last much longer, both Pokémon locked eyes.
They had the same thought.
One final clash to decide the winner!
Understanding each other's intent, they both began to charge their ultimate attacks.
Flames surged around Arcanine's body, forming an inferno that repelled the surrounding mist.
Gyarados's tail was wreathed in swirling water, ready to strike.
A droplet of condensation fell from the ceiling—
And in that instant, both Pokémon lunged at each other at full speed.
Blaine, now fully engaged in the battle, roared, "Burn bright, flames! Use Flare Blitz!"
Arcanine's aura intensified as it rushed forward.
Gyarados and Arcanine collided at the center of the battlefield.
BANG!
A muffled explosion rang out.
Sparks scattered in all directions.
But—
Arcanine didn't show any joy or frustration.
Instead, its expression was one of complete shock.
Because right in front of it—
A translucent, Protect barrier had completely nullified its Flare Blitz.
And behind that shield, Gyarados, who had been wearing an expression of unwavering resolve, now revealed that same cunning smirk.
Blaine stood frozen, utterly speechless.
"...Did I just fall for the same trick twice?"
As soon as he spoke, the Protect barrier shattered on its own, and Gyarados whipped its fully charged Aqua Tail directly at Arcanine!
"Awoo—!"
Arcanine let out a pained howl.
Its eyes were filled with reluctance—
Before its legs gave out beneath it.
It collapsed, completely unable to battle.
The referee hesitated for a moment before quickly raising the flag. "Arcanine is unable to battle! Gyarados wins again!"
Meanwhile, Asahi was still deep in conversation with Mew.
---
"Good work, Gyarados!" Asahi patted its massive body, then activated Viridian Force, sending waves of healing energy through Gyarados.
The most severe injury was from Arcanine's Extreme Speed—its powerful blow had even cracked Gyarados's armor-like scales.
As the healing aura spread, Gyarados sighed in relief.
Its wounds began closing at a visible rate.
Within minutes, its battle-worn body looked as good as new.
Blaine, witnessing this, was stunned.
He had thrown two Pokémon at Gyarados just to deal that much damage—
And Asahi had erased it in mere minutes.
Asahi, noticing Blaine's look, smiled. "It's a special ability of mine. I can heal Pokémon."
Blaine knew that.
But that didn't make it any less infuriating.
He had worked so hard to injure Gyarados—only for Asahi to undo all of it.
"How am I supposed to fight like this?" Blaine thought bitterly.
I might as well just surrender…
Sensing Blaine's growing frustration, Asahi reassured him, "Don't worry. Since I used an ability mid-battle, Gyarados will be considered knocked out. I won't use it unfairly."
Even with that reassurance, Blaine still didn't feel any better.
Because—even without Gyarados, Asahi still had two more Pokémon.
Can I even pass this exam at this rate…?
Taking a deep breath, Blaine made his decision.
It was time to send out his ace.
He grabbed a Poké Ball and threw it onto the field.
The moment the light burst forth, both Asahi and Green felt the temperature in the room rise.
A single drop of molten lava dripped onto the battlefield.
Sizzle—!
The lingering water from Gyarados's earlier attacks instantly evaporated.
As the light faded, Blaine's final Pokémon was revealed.
"Magmortar?"
Standing in the center of the battlefield was a Magmortar, its body engulfed in roaring flames, distorting the air around it.
Molten lava dripped from its arms, sizzling against the ground.
Asahi observed Magmortar curiously.
"Blaine's Poké Balls must be made of some serious heat-resistant material to contain something like this."
But he quickly refocused on the battle.
This was the third round—the perfect time to start confronting Blaine directly.
Just as he was about to send Mew into the fight—
BOOM!
A sudden explosion rocked the gym.
The sound came from the outer wall, where a massive hole had just been blasted open.
A voice echoed through the dust and debris:
"Blaine! You actually dared to reopen your gym?!"
"You must not take us seriously at all!"
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