Robert stood confidently on his side of the battlefield, his Pidgeot soaring above the water with its majestic wings spread wide.
"Miss Lily, you're welcome to attack first," Robert said calmly. "Show me the strength of the third Cerulean sister."
Lily smirked. "Oh, I won't hold back!" She turned to her Pokémon and shouted, "Shellder, use Water Gun!"
She had no intention of letting Robert attack first. After witnessing her sisters, Sakura and Violet, lose so easily, she knew that playing defensively would only lead to the same result. The only way to stand a chance was to go on the offensive immediately.
"Shellder!" The small bivalve Pokémon inhaled sharply before launching a powerful stream of water straight at Pidgeot.
Robert, however, remained unfazed.
"Pidgeot, use Double Team to dodge!"
A white glow surrounded Pidgeot as multiple copies of the majestic bird materialized around the battlefield. In an instant, four identical Pidgeots hovered in the air, confusing both Shellder and its trainer.
Bang!
The Water Gun struck one of the Pidgeot clones, causing it to vanish instantly. However, the real Pidgeot remained untouched, safely maneuvering through the air.
Lily gritted her teeth. "Tch... So it's Double Team, huh? Fine! Shellder, keep firing Water Gun—I refuse to believe we won't hit the real one!"
"Shellder!"
The Water-type Pokémon quickly inhaled again and fired off four more Water Gun attacks, each aimed at a different Pidgeot.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Each attack found its mark—but unfortunately, they only hit afterimages and illusions. One by one, the fake Pidgeots disappeared, leaving Lily staring wide-eyed in disbelief.
"What?!"
Robert smirked. "Predictable."
Before Lily could react, Robert gave his next command.
"Pidgeot, use Leer to intimidate Shellder!"
Pidgeot let out a sharp cry, its piercing gaze locking onto Shellder. A sudden wave of fear washed over the Water-type Pokémon, making it tremble slightly.
"Shellder, don't let it scare you! Retreat into your shell or dive into the water!" Lily urged desperately.
Robert shook his head. "Too late. Pidgeot, use Aerial Ace to finish this!"
"Bi!" Pidgeot folded its wings, tucking them in tightly as it dove toward Shellder like a speeding bullet. The bird Pokémon sliced through the air like a sharp sword, locked onto its target with pinpoint accuracy.
In the Pokémon games, Aerial Ace was known as a move that never missed. While that wasn't strictly true in real battles, against a slower and frightened Pokémon like Shellder, it was almost guaranteed to land.
Shellder was still frozen in fear, unable to react.
Lily panicked. "Shellder, please, withdraw into your shell—quickly!"
Robert sighed. "It's no use. Shellder's already too scared to move. This battle is over."
WHAM!
Pidgeot struck Shellder directly on its exposed, soft body, the one spot where its defenses were weakest. The sheer force of the impact sent Shellder flying backward. It spun through the air before crashing into the water with a loud splash.
For a few tense seconds, nothing happened. Then, Shellder's small, limp body floated to the surface, its eyes now swirls—completely knocked out.
Lily's heart sank.
"Shellder is unable to battle!" The referee raised his hand. "Robert's Pidgeot wins!"
A round of applause echoed through the Cerulean Gym as the match came to an end. The spectators murmured among themselves, marveling at how quickly and decisively Robert had dominated the battle.
Robert smiled as Pidgeot circled back and landed beside him. The large bird nuzzled against him affectionately, rubbing its head against his shoulder.
"Great job, Pidgeot," Robert praised, patting its feathers. "I'll give you extra treats tonight."
"Bi~!" Pidgeot chirped happily, continuing to nuzzle against him.
Meanwhile, Lily let out a long sigh, her expression a mix of disappointment and acceptance.
"I did my best… but it wasn't enough," she admitted.
Sakura walked over and placed a comforting hand on her younger sister's shoulder. "Lily, you did really well. It's not that we're weak—it's that Robert is just that strong."
Violet nodded in agreement. "We've battled plenty of Rookie Trainers from Pallet Town before, but Robert… he's on a completely different level."
Lily clenched her fists. "I get it… I'll work harder from now on."
Sakura chuckled. "That's the spirit."
Violet smirked. "Though, honestly, we don't even need to train that hard. The Gym is Misty's responsibility now. We're supposed to focus on our water ballet performances."
Lily blinked. "Oh… Right."
Sakura giggled. "You got so caught up in the battle, you forgot our real job, huh?"
Lily scratched her cheek sheepishly. "I guess so…"
The three sisters turned back to Robert, who was watching them with amusement.
"Well," Sakura said with a smile, pulling something out of her pocket. "You've more than earned this."
She held out a small, blue badge shaped like a water droplet.
"This is the Cascade Badge—the official badge of the Cerulean Gym. Congratulations, Robert."
Robert stepped forward and accepted the badge, inspecting it briefly before tucking it safely into his badge case.
"Thanks," he said with a grin. "This was a great battle."
"Great for you," Violet muttered. "For us, it was just another loss."
Robert chuckled. "Well, if it makes you feel better, I had a lot of fun."
Lily sighed dramatically. "At least someone did."
As Robert turned to leave, a familiar notification sound echoed in his mind.
---
System Notifications:
Ding! Congratulations on defeating the Cerulean Gym! You have successfully collected the Cascade Badge and earned 1000 points.
Ding! Achievement unlocked: Water Pokémon Conqueror! Reward: 1 Water Energy Cube.
Ding! Defeated Seel! Earned 60 points.
Ding! Defeated Goldeen! Earned 60 points.
Ding! Defeated Shellder! Earned 70 points.
---
Robert smiled as the messages flashed before his eyes. His journey was progressing smoothly, and his Pokémon were getting stronger with every battle.
After bidding farewell to the Cerulean Sisters, he headed straight for the Pokémon Center. He wanted to make sure Pidgeot got some well-earned rest before continuing on to his next challenge.
As he walked down the street, he thought about his upcoming battles.
"Next stop… Vermilion City Gym," he muttered to himself. "Time to see how we measure up against Lt. Surge."
With the Cascade Badge safely in his case and his confidence at an all-time high, Robert was ready to face whatever came next.
---
End of Chapter 41: Blue Badge!
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