"I wonder if Kieran can actually beat Mr. Dylan..." Carmine murmured nervously in the spectator stands, though her tone carried a trace of hope.
Sure, she knew Mr. Dylan was absurdly strong—but Kieran was the strongest in Blueberry Academy now, wasn't he?
And this was a Gym battle, where the rules naturally favored the challenger.
"Beat Mr. Dylan? That's… super hard," Lacey said, glancing sideways at Carmine.
Or maybe not just hard—more like near impossible. This was Dylan they were talking about.
Even if he wasn't going full power in a Gym setting, Dylan would still be a terrifying opponent.
On the battlefield…
"Kieran, since this is your first time challenging my Rota Gym, allow me to properly introduce myself," Dylan said, loosening the collar of his shirt and fixing his calm gaze on Kieran.
"My name is Dylan. I am the leader of the Rota Gym—and a multi-type trainer."
"But today, I'll be using an Ice-type team against you. Tell me, Kieran—how well do you understand Ice-type Pokémon?"
"They're cold and powerful. No matter what kind of opponent they face, when the frigid chill that freezes the sky descends… nothing can stand in their way."
With a graceful motion, Dylan slipped on a pair of black gloves. A minimized Poké Ball spun between his fingers and expanded.
"Kieran—come and experience it for yourself. The ruthless, biting force… of winter."
"My first Pokémon… is this!"
He threw the Ultra Ball in a smooth arc, and with a flash of light, a stunning, elegant Ice-blue fox landed softly in front of him.
Alolan Ninetales.
Bzzt~ Ninetales (Alolan Form), Ice/Fairy type, the Fox Pokémon.
Ability: Snow Warning
Moves: Aurora Veil, Freeze-Dry, Nasty Plot, Mist, Blizzard, Baton Pass, Moonblast…
Entry: Lives on snowy mountaintops covered in ice for millennia. Worshipped as a deity's incarnation. Appears during blizzards. (Alolan Form)
"So beautiful…" Lacey's eyes lit up, locked on the Ninetales in the arena. As a Fairy-type specialist, she adored Alolan Ninetales.
Especially now—the seductive Ice fox lounged with one leg extended, tail swishing lazily. It was almost too mesmerizing.
"If this is an Ice-type team, then that Ninetales must have Snow Warning," Kieran noted, eyes flashing with calculation.
He coolly tossed a Poké Ball of his own. He was now a legitimate Champion-level trainer. Still fresh, sure—but seasoned by daily battles.
"Politoed, let's go!"
A greenish-blue frog Pokémon landed upright in front of him—Politoed.
Bzzt~ Politoed, Water type, the Frog Pokémon.
Ability: Drizzle
Moves: Earth Power, Hyper Voice, Perish Song, Hydro Cannon, Ice Beam, Weather Ball…
Entry: The spiral curl on its head is a mark of royalty. The longer and curlier, the more respect it commands.
"He's using Politoed? Trying to take control of the weather," Yellow commented from the sidelines. She wasn't a complete novice anymore.
Dylan also had a Politoed in his own arsenal, though he rarely used it nowadays. Without pivoting moves like Pelipper, it was a bit less flexible.
Still, if switching were allowed, Politoed could serve as both weather setter and combatant.
"Ninetales," Dylan said softly.
The fox let out a long, melodic cry. Dark clouds swirled in as thick snow began to fall in large, white flakes—absolutely picturesque.
Snow Warning: Changes the weather to snow. In snow, Ice-type Pokémon receive a Defense boost. (As of Gen 9, Hail is no more—good riddance.)
Beneath the snow, the Alolan Ninetales looked even more ethereal. The temperature dropped noticeably.
"Politoed, replace it!" Kieran commanded.
Politoed clapped rhythmically, blue light glowing on its skin. The snowflakes slowed and faded.
Drip-drop~
Rain poured down, casting a gray haze over the battlefield. Drizzle activated.
Later entries have the weather favor the most recently sent-out Pokémon, making weather wars about proper timing.
"Good. You know to neutralize my weather first," Dylan said, clearly pleased.
"But Kieran—my weather setters aren't limited to one." Dylan smiled faintly.
Kieran blinked.
"Ninetales—Baton Pass."
White light wrapped around the fox as it returned to its ball.
Dylan immediately threw another Ultra Ball. A second, slightly larger Alolan Ninetales took its place.
"???" Kieran's jaw dropped. Another Alolan Ninetales?
This was a 6-on-6 full battle—and Dylan had brought two weather setters?
"Ninetales."
"Ooo~!"
Another cry echoed across the field. The rain faded, and snow returned—Snow Warning triggered again!
Kieran said nothing. He only had one Politoed with Drizzle. There was no way he could win a weather war against two elegant foxes.
Oh well—might as well see how Dylan's Ice team performs in full snow conditions.
"Kieran—your move. Challenger takes the first strike." Dylan gestured calmly.
"Then I'll make it count, Mr. Dylan!" Kieran snapped his order.
"Politoed, Earth Power!"
The frog bounced forward, and ochre energy lit up beneath Ninetales's feet.
"Dodge."
The fox leapt high and gracefully into the air.
BOOM!
A tremor shook the battlefield—but missed. Ninetales wasn't strong offensively, but its Speed was formidable.
"Aurora Veil."
The fox landed and raised its head in a long howl.
"Earth Power again!" Kieran's eyes sharpened.
The ground glowed again under the fox. This time, it didn't move.
Above, a beautiful aurora shimmered across the sky. But the Earth Power hit.
BOOM!
The Ninetales let out a pained cry as the energy exploded underneath it. Solid damage.
But at the same time, Aurora Veil wrapped around its body—a shimmering, rainbow-hued shield that halved all incoming damage during snowy weather.
"Baton Pass."
The fox vanished in white light again—returning to its ball.
"Frosmoth—get ready!"
Dylan threw his third Poké Ball.
A gorgeous, snow-white moth hovered above the field, gazing down at Politoed with deep sapphire eyes.
The aurora light fell softly on its wings—dreamlike, serene.
"Wow… what a beautiful Frosmoth!" Lacey gasped.
It had a flawless white body, deep gem-like blue eyes, a blue diamond on its forehead, feather-like antennae, and translucent wings adorned with snowflake-like patterns.
Bzzt~ Frosmoth, Ice/Bug type, the Frost Moth Pokémon.
Ability: Ice Scales
Moves: Quiver Dance, Tailwind, Blizzard, Bug Buzz, Aurora Beam, Weather Ball, U-turn…
Looked powerful too.
"Ice/Bug… that's 4x weak to Rock and Fire," Kieran recalled.
Frosmoth's main weaknesses were glaring—but with Aurora Veil, a lot of damage could be reduced.
"Let's test its strength."
Kieran hesitated. Politoed knew Brick Break, which could remove Aurora Veil—but it had to hit.
"Politoed—Hydro Cannon!"
No resistance here. Water hit neutrally.
"Blizzard," Dylan said with a soft smile.
Politoed unleashed a massive stream of water.
Frosmoth's wings snapped open, and a frigid Blizzard roared forth—biting cold and swirling snow engulfing the battlefield.
The peaceful snowfall turned savage, the wind howled, snow whipping in every direction.
The Blizzard and Hydro Cannon met mid-air—
Crack—snap—!
The water beam began freezing, ice racing along it toward Politoed. The Blizzard shrieked like a raging beast.
"Politoed!" Kieran's pupils shrank.
The Hydro Cannon froze rapidly, and ice surged down the beam toward Politoed.
Sensing danger, Politoed tried to cancel the move and retreat—
But it was too late. The Blizzard came too fast, too wide.
The world turned white.
Even in the stands, Lillie and the others hugged themselves as the cold cut deep.
"Whoa—what a blizzard!" Carmine exclaimed, shivering.
"Under snow, Blizzard becomes faster and wider. Politoed definitely got hit… but the damage shouldn't be too bad," Lacey analyzed.
Politoed had solid Special Defense and Water resisted Ice. So the hit shouldn't hurt too much.
"Yeah. Kieran probably just wanted to test Frosmoth's strength—and it's definitely strong," Carmine said, watching the calm, floating moth.
Elegant and noble—Frosmoth's beauty was on another level.
"But… huh?" Lacey started to speak, then paused.
On the snow-covered battlefield stood an ice crystal—and inside it… Politoed.
"F-Frozen?!" Kieran's entire body stiffened.
Blizzard can freeze, but the chance is low!
"Looks like luck isn't on your side, Kieran," Dylan said, raising an eyebrow. He hadn't expected it either—freezing was rare.
Kieran fell silent. In frozen status, Politoed couldn't act—it was completely vulnerable.
"But this makes for a good opportunity." Dylan chuckled.
"Giga Drain."
Frosmoth's wings glowed green—a Grass-type move.
"Return, Politoed!" Kieran quickly recalled it. Giga Drain was super effective.
"Incineroar!"
With a sharp cry, the flaming heel wrestler crashed onto the field. Big bro tiger—ready for action!
Ah… Incineroar again.
(End of Chapter)