(Grey's POV)

  The morning of the broadcast, the air in Celadon felt different—heavy, electric, and smelling of the expensive perfumes the city was famous for. I had spent the previous day in a state of calculated rest. I had informed my parents, Nurse Joy, and even Officer Jenny about the match. Both Joy and Jenny promised to pull strings with their shifts to be there. Knowing they were in the stands added a weight to my shoulders that wasn't there in Fuchsia. This wasn't just a badge; it was a performance.

  I'd spent the "off" day scrolling through the Pokénet, scouting every possible Pokémon Erika might bring to a two-badge level match. Honestly, after the gauntlet, my perspective on the Gym system had shifted. The experience of fighting through three trainers back-to-back was invaluable. I'd realized I wanted to do this for every gym from now on—maybe without the broadcast —but the progress was undeniable. Shellder had essentially mastered the physics of the Counter Shield through trial and error, and Axew had hit a new plateau of raw power against that Breloom without even needing to set up with Dragon Dance.

  I spent the final day of preparation drilling the basics. With the match less than twenty-four hours away, it was too late to experiment with anything radically new, so we focused on refinement and instinct.

  For Shellder, the goal was lethality. We worked on his Icicle Spear, specifically the "temperature" of the move. I pushed him to channel more Ice-type energy into each projectile to make them colder and denser, but the real challenge was doing it on instinct. In a real fight, he wouldn't have time to "charge up"; the ice had to be sub-zero the moment it left his shell.

  With Exeggcute, we split the session. Half of it was spent perfecting the delivery of Toxic, ensuring the seeds could spray the venom with enough force to coat a target instantly. The other half was raw psychic conditioning for Confusion. I had it lift increasingly heavy rocks and debris to improve its telekinetic power and fine-tune its control over multiple objects at once.

  Axew was already at a high level with his move pool, so instead of new techniques, I put him through a high-intensity calisthenics workout to sharpen his speed and raw physical power. To keep things interesting, I had him assist the others—specifically acting as a sparring partner for Exeggcute. I had Axew fire off rapid "bursts" of Dragon Rage or full-power blasts that Exeggcute had to catch and block using only its psychic energy. It was the perfect way to test Exeggcute's mental shields under pressure.

  But preparation only goes so far.

  The day arrived As I walked toward the gym with my parents, I reminded them to find their seats in the main arena's stands. The receptionist, recognizing me with a look of newfound professional respect, leaned over the counter. "Erika is waiting in the main arena, Grey. Good luck."

  I stepped out onto the dirt of the battlefield. The stands were packed. Broadcast matches were prime entertainment in Celadon, and I spotted my parents near the front, looking nervous but proud. Across the field stood Erika. She looked like a painting—graceful, calm, and draped in a kimono that seemed too delicate for a fight.

  "Are you mentally prepared, Grey?" she asked, her voice carrying across the quieted crowd.

  I nodded, my face set. She explained the house rules: she would use two Pokémon and could not switch. I could use my full team of three and switch as I pleased. I nodded again, but before the referee could signal the start, Erika stepped forward.

  "I've amped up the difficulty for this match, as you requested the broadcast and the Challenge Mode," she said with a small, knowing smile. "The rewards will be higher, but the test will be far steeper than a standard second-badge challenge. I will explain why afterward."

  "Begin!" the referee shouted.

  "Exeggcute, frontline!" I called. "Servine, take the stage," Erika countered.

  I froze for a split second. A Servine? An Unovan starter? First the gym trainers with Hoenn Pokémon, and now this. The Celadon Gym was clearly importing some high-end talent.

  "If you aren't familiar, this is a Grass-type from the Unova region," Erika said, though I could tell she knew I wasn't an average rookie.

  "Exeggcute, set up a Reflect barrier!"

  Erika didn't interrupt. She watched with an almost predatory patience as the psychic screen shimmered into existence. Then, she gave the order that would haunt my dreams for the next week.

  "Leaf Storm."

  A massive, swirling vortex of razor-sharp leaves erupted from the Servine, screaming across the field.

  "Exeggcute, Confusion! Max power! Hold it back!"

  My six-seeded Pokémon strained, its eyes glowing a fierce pink as it caught the storm in a telekinetic grip. It succeeded for a few seconds, the leaves hovering in a dead-lock between the two Pokémon. But then I saw the green aura flare around Servine. My heart dropped.

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  Leaf Storm is supposed to lower the user's Special Attack. But Servine looked stronger. It looked... faster.

  "Shit," I whispered, the realization hitting me like a physical blow. "It has Contrary."

  Erika had brought a hidden-ability, Contrary Servine to a second-badge match. Every time it used Leaf Storm, its power didn't drop—it doubled.

  "Exeggcute, zoom in! Now!" I yelled, the panic evident in my voice.

  Exeggcute understood the shift in tone and took flight, splitting its five outer seeds to dodge a follow-up Vine Whip while the core seed homed in. It was a beautiful display of psychic multitasking, but Erika was already three steps ahead.

  "Leaf Storm again."

  "Toxic! Hit it now!"

  Exeggcute managed to spit the purple venom, splashing the Servine just as the second, even more powerful storm hit. The leaves were moving too fast now. Exeggcute abandoned its flight to try and block with Confusion, but the raw power of a +2 Special Attack Leaf Storm shattered the psychic defense. My Pokémon was blasted backward, slamming into the ground with enough force to kick up a cloud of dust.

  "Exeggcute is unable to battle!"

  The crowd went wild. I stood there, hyperventilating. This was the first time I'd actually had a Pokémon knocked out in a gym. A cold, rational fear started to fight with a primal excitement in my chest. I didn't release my next Pokémon immediately. The referee told me I had 20 seconds.

  I stared at the Servine. It was panting, the Toxic already beginning to sap its strength. Erika knew what I was doing; I was stalling for poison ticks. When the clock hit 3 seconds, I finally threw the ball.

  "Shellder, give me 200 percent. Exeggcute did its job—now finish this."

  Shellder hit the field with fire in his eyes. He had a rivalry with those seeds; he wasn't about to let the thing that beat them stay standing.

  "Withdraw!" I commanded, boosting his defense as Erika gave him the opening. "Leaf Storm!" she countered.

  "Counter Shield!"

  Shellder tucked in and spun. A massive water tornado erupted, meeting the leaves head-on. The rotating kinetic energy deflected the foliage, and Shellder emerged from the mist unscathed.

  "Icicle Spear, instant fire!"

  Shellder unleashed a barrage. Erika tried to have Servine bat them away with Vine Whip, but it could only move two vines at a time compared to the five spears Shellder was firing with Skill Link. The ice dug in deep. Servine was injured, poisoned, and slowing down.

  Erika decided to end it. "One more Leaf Storm."

  "Counter Shield Disc! Go!"

  Shellder knew the code. He launched himself into the air, spinning like a horizontal saw blade as he flew toward the storm. He struggled at first—the Servine was now at +4 Special Attack, and the wind pressure was insane. But then, a glint appeared in Shellder's eyes. He released a freezing breath mid-spin, combining Icy Wind with the rotation to create a frozen version of the shield. He froze the incoming leaves, shattered through them, and slammed into the Servine.

  As he bounced off, I screamed, "Finish it! Icicle Spear!"

  He fired at point-blank range. Servine tried to deflect, but it was too off-balance. The ice pierced through. Both Pokémon landed hard. Shellder was gasping, nearing his limit. I knew the next hit would take him out.

  "Spikes!" I ordered. If Shellder was going down, he was leaving a parting gift.

  Erika was about to order the final blow when the Toxic reached its peak. Servine's eyes rolled back, and it collapsed before it could launch the attack.

  The local populace erupted in cheers. The Erika fangirls were silent, but the Celadon residents were rooting for the hometown boy. Erika withdrew her Servine, her expression unreadable.

  "That Servine is being trained for my main team," she said calmly. "It is far beyond this level, yet you took it down. But I have one more. Ivysaur, take the stage."

  The Ivysaur landed, immediately wincing as the Spikes dug into its feet. Shellder tried one last Icicle Spear, but this Ivysaur was a master of the Vine Whip. It batted the spears away with rhythmic precision toh it was hit by some at least.

  "Razor Leaf!"

  "Counter Shield!"

  Shellder spun, but the Ivysaur was already moving. It sprinted through the spray, ignoring the water, and used Mega Drain the second Shellder stopped spinning. It drained Shellder's remaining life, recovering its own health in the process.

  "Shellder is unable to battle!"

  I withdrew him. It was down to the wire. I couldn't let this Ivysaur start stalling with Leech Seed .,if it had it I needed raw, overwhelming force.

  "Axew, it's all on you."

  Axew stepped out, looking at the bulky Ivysaur with a cold focus. Erika smiled. "This is shaping up to be a thrilling match, Grey. Razor Leaf 2!"

  She called a code. The leaves flew, and I told Axew to blast them with a Dragon Rage barrage. It was the right call; as the attacks collided, a cloud of yellow dust exploded in the middle. The leaves were laced with Stun Spore.

  "Dragon Dance!" "Sludge!"

  Axew spiraled in his dance, the poison projectile missing him by an inch as he dodged while dancing.

  "Close in! Now!"

  Axew blurred forward with his increased speed. Erika tried to create distance with Razor Leaf 2 again, but Axew dodged and went for the throat.

  "Cross Slash! Max energy!" "Razor Leaf 3!"

  The attacks clashed. The dual-energy slash ripped through the leaves and slammed into Ivysaur's chest, sending the heavy Pokémon flying. It tumbled, but as it got up, Axew began to gurgle. His skin turned a sickly purple.

  "Razor Leaf 3... poison powder," I muttered. Erika had laced the third volley with toxins.

  Erika was smiling now. "I am most comfortable with the Bulbasaur line, Grey. I could think of a hundred ways to beat your Axew right now, but this Ivysaur isn't trained for weather-abuse yet. That combo move of yours was impressive. Let's finish this with one final strike."

  "Ivysaur, use Vine Whip to launch yourself!"

  The Ivysaur copied Shellder's trick, using its vines to propel itself at Axew like a rocket.

  "Axew, store everything! Hold the energy in your arms!"

  The Ivysaur was airborne, inches from Axew's face. "Close-range Razor Leaf!"

  "Dragon Rage! Break through it!"

  The blue flames met the leaves in a chaotic explosion of light. Axew was being shredded by the foliage, but he was a madman, pushing through the pain with his arms glowing. Just as the barrage slowed for a microsecond, Axew lunged through the smoke and slammed a Cross Slash directly into Ivysaur's face.

  Erika tried to call for a Mega Drain, but it was too late. Ivysaur hit the dirt and didn't get back up.

  "Ivysaur is unable to battle! The winner is the challenger, Grey!"

  I ran toward Axew, but the poison hit him hard. He wobbled, his legs shaking, but he planted his feet and refused to fall this time . He looked at me, pride shining through the pain, before I finally withdrew him into the safety of his ball.

  The stands were a wall of sound. The cheering was deafening. I bowed to the crowd, then to my parents, who were standing and clapping with tears in their eyes, even Erika clapped to congratulate me , I asked her to heal my Pokemon to which she called an attendant to take the pokeballs.

  She then walked toward me, the Rainbow Badge glinting in her hand. She pressed it into my palm, her eyes reflecting a depth of respect I hadn't expected.

  "Come with me, Grey," she said "We need to talk about certain matters privately."