"I understand," Red replied firmly.
"Alright, then! The Cerulean Gym Challenge officially begins!" A voice echoed through the arena.
A referee, dressed in a black-and-white striped shirt and a cap with the Cerulean Gym emblem, stepped onto the battlefield, raising his hand to signal the start of the match.
"For the first battle, I, Sakura, the eldest of the three Cerulean sisters, will be your opponent," she declared. With a swift motion, she grabbed a Poké Ball from her belt and tossed it onto the floating battlefield in the middle of the pool. "Come out, my precious Seel!"
A flash of red light burst from the Poké Ball, and a white, seal-like Pokémon materialized on the floating platform. It had a small horn on its forehead, two sharp fangs, and a playful glint in its eyes.
Pokédex Entry: Seel
Category: Sea Lion Pokémon
Type: Water
Height: 1.10m
Weight: 90.00kg
Gender: Female
Ability: Thick Fat – reduces damage from Fire- and Ice-type moves.
Moves: Growl, Headbutt, Icy Wind, Double Team, Ice Shard
Strength: Ordinary Advanced
"Seel, Seel!" The Pokémon let out a cheerful cry, glancing back at Sakura before turning its determined gaze toward Red. Though it was primarily a performer in the gym's water ballet shows, it still had a fighter's spirit.
Red analyzed the Pokémon with a slight frown. So, it's just an ordinary high-level Pokémon... I suppose this is expected from the Cerulean Gym. If I remember correctly, in the original timeline, Seel never truly reached its potential until Misty took over the gym.
With a sigh, Red pulled a Poké Ball from his own belt. "Alright, this is the Pokémon I'll be using. Go, Pidgeot!"
The Poké Ball burst open, and a large, majestic bird soared into the air. With its sleek golden-brown feathers, vibrant red crest, and piercing eyes, Pidgeot let out a powerful cry as it spread its wings wide.
"Piiidgeoooot!"
Sakura's eyes widened in shock. "This Pidgeot… It looks incredibly well-trained!"
Violet and Lily, watching from the sidelines, exchanged surprised glances.
"Wow, that's a strong-looking Pidgeot," Violet murmured.
"I know, right? Just look at its wingspan and the way it carries itself! He's definitely not a regular rookie trainer," Lily added.
Sakura quickly regained her composure. So he's strong… That just means I need to take this battle seriously. She raised her hand. "Alright then, let's begin! Seel, use Icy Wind!"
"Counter it with Gust, Pidgeot!" Red commanded without hesitation.
Seel inhaled deeply before exhaling a chilling gust of wind, sending a wave of icy air toward Pidgeot. However, with a single flap of its powerful wings, Pidgeot summoned a violent gust of wind that not only neutralized the attack but pushed it back toward Seel.
The cold wind dissipated in seconds, and the force of Pidgeot's Gust sent waves rippling across the pool's surface.
"No way! That Gust was powerful enough to cancel out Icy Wind?" Sakura gasped.
"Sis! Don't just stand there, tell Seel to dodge!" Violet yelled from the side.
"R-Right! Seel, dive into the water to avoid it!"
Seel quickly obeyed, leaping off the platform and vanishing beneath the surface of the pool just as the last remnants of the windstorm passed over where it had been.
Red smirked slightly. Not bad, but I won't let this drag on.
"Seel, resurface and use Ice Shard!" Sakura commanded.
Seel leapt back onto the floating platform, shooting a barrage of ice chunks toward Pidgeot.
"Pidgeot, dodge and finish this with Quick Attack into Aerial Ace!"
With a burst of white energy, Pidgeot darted through the air at lightning speed, effortlessly dodging the incoming ice shards. Then, in a dazzling display of agility, it executed a perfect Aerial Ace, slamming into Seel with immense force.
"Seeeeell!" The Pokémon cried out as it was sent flying backward, skidding across the floating platform before coming to a stop, eyes swirling.
"Seel is unable to battle! Pidgeot wins!" the referee announced.
"Piidgeot!" The bird Pokémon flapped its wings proudly.
"Incredible!" Violet exclaimed. "Red's Pidgeot didn't even take a single hit!"
Sakura sighed in defeat but smiled. "That was impressive. You weren't kidding when you said you came prepared." She withdrew Seel into its Poké Ball before looking toward Violet. "You're up next."
"With pleasure!" Violet stepped forward, tossing her own Poké Ball. "Go, Starmie!"
A spinning star-shaped Pokémon materialized on the floating battlefield, its red gem core glowing faintly.
Pokédex Entry: Starmie
Category: Mysterious Pokémon
Type: Water/Psychic
Height: 1.1m
Weight: 80.0kg
Ability: Natural Cure – heals status conditions when switched out.
Moves: Water Gun, Rapid Spin, Psybeam, Recover, Swift
Strength: Ordinary Elite
Red's eyes narrowed slightly. "Now this is more like it."
"Pidgeot, return," Red called, recalling his Pokémon. "This calls for a different approach. Go, Pikachu!"
"Chuuu!" Pikachu landed on the battlefield, sparks crackling from its cheeks.
"Let's see how you handle this! Starmie, use Psybeam!"
A multicolored beam shot out from Starmie's core, aimed directly at Pikachu.
"Dodge and use Thunderbolt!"
Pikachu swiftly leapt to the side, avoiding the attack before unleashing a powerful blast of electricity.
"Starmie, use Recover!"
The electric attack struck Starmie, but before the damage could fully take its toll, the Pokémon's core glowed brightly as it quickly healed itself.
Red clicked his tongue. So they're planning to stall with Recover? I won't let that happen.
"Pikachu, Quick Attack into Iron Tail!"
With incredible speed, Pikachu dashed forward and spun midair, its tail glowing metallic silver before slamming it into Starmie's gem.
The impact sent Starmie crashing into the water.
"Starmie is unable to battle! Pikachu wins!"
"Yes! That's two down!" Red clenched his fist.
Violet sighed, returning Starmie to its Poké Ball. "You're something else, Red. Alright, Lily, he's all yours."
Lily smirked. "Gladly!" She grabbed her final Poké Ball. "Let's see how you handle this. Go, Gyarados!"
A massive blue sea serpent emerged from the pool, roaring fiercely as it glared down at Pikachu.
Red's expression turned serious. "A Gyarados, huh? This might be a bit tricky…"
---
More episodes are available on patreon
https://www.patreon.com/Atoki_29