From what he'd seen, Naoki's real-time command and tactical skill were excellent, but the power of his Pokémon still fell a little short.
Even if his Tyranitar was defeated, Kaito still had stronger Pokémon waiting in reserve.
At this rate, he thought, earning the Electric Badge would be no problem.
So this was Levincia Gym? It wasn't anything to be nervous about.
Kaito was certain of victory.
Across the field, Naoki exhaled quietly.
Who should he send out next?
Jolteon was still undertrained, more of a pampered pet than a battler. One Earthquake from Tyranitar and it would be over.
He didn't want this badge to be claimed so easily by some arrogant out-of-towner.
If Giovanni could use an Armored Mewtwo to battle challengers, surely Naoki was allowed to use this Pokémon, right?
With that, he reached for a Poké Ball on his belt and tossed it.
In a flash of white light, a mighty bird Pokémon appeared—feathers crackling with electricity, eyes sharp as thunderbolts.
As it cried out, a rumble echoed across the sky. Clouds darkened overhead, swirling into a stormfront. Lightning pulsed through them, illuminating the heavens with an ominous glow.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
"That's…"
"The legendary bird of thunder, Zapdos!"
The live broadcast chat exploded in a flurry of question marks and stunned emojis.
Kaito's eyes widened. He'd traveled through the Johto region and its nearby islands. He knew the legends. And now, here, right in front of him stood the real thing.
The Gym Leader actually owned a Zapdos?!
As if summoned by Naoki's will alone, the storm answered.
He hasn't even made a move, Kaito realized, but the sheer presence of that Pokémon is bending the weather.
This was far beyond Gym Leader level… this was something else entirely.
Naoki smiled, calm and composed. "I read your profile. Semi-finalist in both the Silver Conference in Johto and the Ever Grande Conference in Hoenn. That's impressive."
Kaito blinked, caught off guard by the praise.
"But sometimes," Naoki continued, "raw strength can make us forget the spirit of the journey. It can lead to arrogance… and cause us to look down on others."
His expression sharpened.
"So now, I'll give this battle my all, to remind you what it means to truly challenge a Gym."
The field fell silent. Even the spectators held their breath.
And then—
"Battle… begin!"
"Tyranitar, Hyper Beam!" Kaito called.
Tyranitar reared back and roared, gathering blinding white energy in its mouth. In a heartbeat, it fired a massive beam straight at Zapdos.
"Dodge it," Naoki ordered calmly.
With a powerful beat of its wings, Zapdos twisted midair and evaded the blast with ease. Then its eyes glowed, and the sky trembled.
"Thunder."
Crack!
A deafening boom shook the stadium as a bolt of divine lightning plummeted from the stormy sky, crashing down onto Tyranitar.
Its roar of pain was swallowed by the rumble of thunder.
Zapdos hovered above, feathers bristling with energy.
Far away in the crowd, a girl with pink hair stared in awe, holding a small Ralts in her arms.
Her name was Corina. She had just turned ten and had chosen Ralts as her first Pokémon. Levincia Gym was supposed to be her first challenge on her journey.
But now...
She looked at the massive thunderbird dominating the battlefield. Her Ralts looked up at her, trembling.
"R-Ralts…?"
'Was that what they were going to battle?'
Corina wasn't so sure anymore.
...
"Tyranitar is unable to battle! The match is awarded to Gym Leader Naoki!"
The referee stepped forward, checked Tyranitar's condition, and raised the flag to declare the result.
Tyranitar lay motionless, its armored body charred and cracked by lightning. Its powerful frame, usually towering and indomitable, now looked limp, its spiral eyes telling the full story of defeat.
The livestreaming Rotom Phone zoomed in for a close-up, and the audience let out a collective gasp.
A single Thunder had utterly overwhelmed Tyranitar.
This wasn't a normal Pokémon move, it was a testament to Zapdos' overwhelming might.
Phones came out across the plaza, and social media feeds exploded. Viewership on the livestream skyrocketed, with excited chatter flooding the stream:
"OMG was that Zapdos?!"
"Tyranitar got fried!"
"This guy's not just a fill-in Gym Leader!"
On the battlefield, Zapdos calmly hovered, electricity still crackling from its wings, surrounded by the fading remnants of stormclouds.
Kaito, the challenger, wiped sweat from his forehead. That power... was unreal.
Naoki's voice rang out. "If you want the Electric Badge, show me you've got what it takes. Come prove it."
By Gym rules, he couldn't swap Pokémon mid-battle. Zapdos stayed on the field.
Kaito silently returned Tyranitar and pulled out a second Poké Ball.
"Gardevoir, it's your turn!"
With a flash of light, a graceful Gardevoir emerged, her white gown-like body shimmering. She stood tall, eyes sharp, ready to fight.
Second Match: Zapdos vs. Gardevoir.
"Double Team, close the gap!"
At Kaito's command, Gardevoir blurred and multiplied. Illusory clones spread out across the battlefield, surrounding Zapdos in every direction.
"She's trying to mask her position and strike from blind angles," Naoki noted. "Zapdos, use Discharge!"
CRACK!
Zapdos erupted with lightning. A brilliant dome of electricity surged outward, obliterating every illusion in an instant.
The clones popped like bubbles, and the real Gardevoir, caught in the blast, cried out as electricity surged through her.
"Gardevoir!" Kaito shouted.
She staggered, sparks flickering across her form. Her limbs twitched. She tried to teleport, but faltered.
"She's paralyzed…" Kaito clenched his fists. "Come on, hang in there!"
"Zapdos, use Thunder!" Naoki commanded.
BOOM!
A blinding bolt of lightning ripped through the clouds, striking downward like a divine judgment. The entire arena shook as the bolt smashed into Gardevoir, engulfing her in a blinding flash of electricity.
For a moment, nothing could be seen through the glare.
Then, silence.
When the light faded, Gardevoir lay on the ground, unconscious.
She had been defeated.
"Gardevoir is unable to battle! This match goes to Gym Leader Naoki!" the referee announced, raising his flag. "Challenger Kaito is now down to his final Pokémon. If he loses one more, the Gym Battle will end in defeat!"
'Damn it... Am I going to lose?'
Kaito's expression was tense. In all his years of traveling, he had never encountered an opponent like this.
He had assumed that his Gym circuit through Paldea would be smooth sailing. Most Gym Leaders, in his experience, fell easily before his powerful Pokémon. He'd often thought the Gym Challenge itself had lost its meaning, why bother battling opponents so weak?
Sometimes, he wouldn't even exchange words with the Gym Leaders. He'd simply crush them, claim the badge, and walk away.
But now...
Naoki's words echoed in his mind: "Sometimes strong strength can make people forget their original intentions."
Had he really become that arrogant?
Lost in thought, Kaito hesitated, then silently sent out his third and final Pokémon: Altaria.
But just three minutes later, Altaria was struck down by another devastating Thunder from Zapdos.
"Altaria is unable to battle! The Gym Leader Naoki is the winner of this match!"
The referee's whistle blew loud and clear, cutting through the electric tension in the air.
Kaito quietly returned Altaria to its Poké Ball, stared down at it for a moment, then turned to leave the arena without another word.
From the other side of the battlefield, Naoki watched him go and let out a quiet sigh.
If this trainer had shown more humility, If he hadn't underestimated the weak or walked into every battle with overconfidence, then Naoki might have been willing to award him the badge.
After all, Iono had once said: "Gym Battles don't just test a trainer's strength—they also test their will, their character, and their heart."
If a challenger could demonstrate even one of those traits, and their skills weren't completely lacking, a Gym Leader had the right to award them a badge in recognition.
But this time… it wasn't enough.
Naoki looked up at the sky, where storm clouds still rolled gently from Zapdos' presence, and murmured to himself,
"I hope we meet again someday… when you've rediscovered your spark."
...
Bonus CHapter