Question: If a Gym Leader cannot switch Pokémon, does forcing the Challenger to switch count as a violation of the rules?
The on-site referee hesitated, caught in a moral dilemma.
In that moment of hesitation, Marowak found itself sitting dazed on the battlefield, head tilted in confusion as it slowly got back on its feet.
'Wait… what just happened?'
Haruki glanced at Marowak and then back at Byron, who looked utterly exhausted.
'Maybe it's best not to push him any further.'
Forcing a Gym Leader to use Roar just to get Skiploom off the field, even if it meant facing a quadruple disadvantage against Marowak, was a kind of indirect acknowledgment of Skiploom's strength… right?
"Marowak!"
Marowak gave a firm nod. It had never been one to back down from a fight.
"Finally… F-FINALLY… Aggron, use Rock Slide!"
Byron's voice cracked with emotion, tears of relief practically streaming down his face. It was as if he couldn't bear to relive the nightmare of the previous battle.
"Bone Rush, Charge in!"
Massive rocks rained down from above, crashing toward Marowak from all directions.
Marowak sidestepped with nimble footwork, swinging its bone club in tight, calculated arcs, smashing each rock out of the way before they could land a hit.
"AGGRON, close the distance! Use Iron Tail!"
"Now! Bulldoze!"
Aggron lumbered forward, each heavy step causing the entire battlefield to tremble.
At the exact moment Marowak dodged and cleared its attack range, it slammed its club into the ground, unleashing a shockwave of seismic energy that radiated outward, catching the charging Aggron head-on.
With a x4 disadvantage, even a powerhouse like Aggron staggered, struggling to keep its balance.
"Screech!"
"Don't back down! DOOOUBLE-EDGE!"
The piercing wail of Screech echoed across the arena, and Aggron, still recovering from the shockwave, visibly flinched, its blue eyes tinged with a faint red hue.
But Aggron had already closed the distance.
It tensed its massive frame, then leapt into the air -a nearly 400-kilogram behemoth leaving the ground in a single bound- before crashing down with a blazing white aura.
"Marowak, BONE RUSH!"
There was no dodging this time. It was a head-on collision.
Haruki's voice unconsciously rose, his own emotions stirred by Byron's raw, unrelenting energy.
CLANG!
Double-Edge vs. Bone Rush!
The moment of impact sent a shockwave across the battlefield, Marowak's smaller frame being pushed back by the sheer weight and power of Aggron. The gap in physical strength between the two was undeniable.
But a closer look revealed that Marowak's Bone Rush had avoided Aggron's heavily armored skull, instead striking its comparatively softer, more vulnerable face.
The two Pokémon skidded from mid-field to the outer edge, only coming to a stop when they slammed into the arena wall.
Haruki clenched his fists, eyes locked on the scene.
Aggron remained in a low, crouched position, completely motionless.
Marowak, partially embedded in the wall, was out of sight.
Finally, Aggron twitched.
It tilted its head slightly… but it was Marowak, panting heavily, that slowly squeezed out from the gap.
Aggron had already lost consciousness!
The referee wasted no time, raising his flag high and announcing:
"Aggron is unable to battle! Marowak is the winner! With both of Gym Leader Byron's Pokémon unable to continue, the victor of this Gym Challenge is… HARUKI!"
…He won.
Haruki's fists tightened even further, his heart surging with excitement!
On the other side of the arena, Byron quietly recalled his fallen Aggron, letting out a deep, relieved sigh.
'It's… finally over.'
Haruki quickly released Skiploom from its Poké Ball, then led his two battle-worn partners across the arena to where Byron was standing.
Was it just his imagination, or did Byron actually take a half-step back when Skiploom approached him?
'Hmm… probably just a trick of the light… right?'
"You're quite impressive. I look forward to seeing your performance in the League Tournament."
Byron forced a professional smile, offering words of "encouragement" that felt more like a formality as he reluctantly held out the Gym Badge he clearly didn't want to hand over.
"Here, it's yours…"
"Thank you, Gym Leader. I'll keep working hard!"
Haruki replied politely, wasting no time as he reached for the badge.
'Huh? Why is it stuck?'
He pulled.
Pulled again.
Finally, the badge slipped free into Haruki's hand.
As he ran his fingers over the well-crafted Gym Badge, appreciating its solid weight and polished finish, Haruki's mood soared. He immediately held it out to Marowak and Skiploom.
"This is yours too!"
"Maroooo!"
"Skip~"
Seeing the harmonious scene of the three celebrating their hard-earned victory, Byron's conflicted feelings seemed to ease a bit.
'Ah, forget it. Just let this kid take the badge and move on to challenge other Gyms. If anyone should have to deal with this kind of dirty strategy, it shouldn't just be me. Crasher Wake, Fantina, Volkner… you all better brace yourselves!'
"Hahaha… haha… HAHAHAHAH!"
Haruki looked up, startled by Byron's sudden burst of maniacal laughter.
"Uh… right… I just remembered I have something to take care of. I'll be going now!"
Haruki had barely left the Gym when his communicator started buzzing.
Professor Rowan!
Haruki quickly picked up, his mind racing. 'Could it be that they'd already made an advancement? It had only been five days…'
"Hello, Professor!"
"Haruki, my young friend! Thank you for the valuable information you provided. It's led to a major breakthrough in our research. I'd also like to discuss some other matters with you. Would you be able to meet in person?"
Professor Rowan's direct and to-the-point tone made Haruki's heart skip a beat.
"Of course! I just finished my Oreburgh Gym challenge and was about to continue my journey."
As Haruki replied, he heard Rowan's muffled voice speaking to someone else on the other end of the line.
"Perfect timing. I'll be heading back to the lab shortly. Could you come to Sandgem Town?"
"Of course, I'll head there as soon as possible!"
After hanging up, Haruki took a moment to calm his racing heart before heading straight for the Pokémon Center.
He handed Skiploom and Marowak over to Nurse Joy for recovery, then took the opportunity to restock his supplies at the nearby Poké Mart.
If it weren't already so late, Haruki might have set off immediately.
---
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, Haruki packed his bags but didn't set off right away. Instead, he made his way to the Oreburgh City bus station.
Given the urgency of the situation, he had no intention of walking all the way to Sandgem Town.
He could resume his long, scenic treks after sorting things out with Professor Rowan.
Ten minutes later, Haruki found himself on a large bus, releasing Skiploom, the only one of his Pokémon small enough to stay out during the ride.
Skiploom, taking its first-ever bus ride, glanced around with wide, curious eyes.
But the novelty wore off quickly, and soon enough, the little Pokémon started wrinkling its nose in distaste at the strong smell of gasoline, opting to return to its Poké Ball on its own.
Haruki didn't mind, appreciating the rare opportunity to sit back and reflect on his situation.
Currently, he had three Pokémon.
Marowak's training came from Team Rocket, with the powerful backing of Giovanni. This path practically guaranteed access to higher-level Training Manuals down the line, a straight shot to even greater power.
Skiploom, despite its unassuming appearance, had excellent innate talent. Its Toxic-Substitute-Protect strategy alone would give it plenty to work on for a long time.
As for his connection with Professor Rowan, Haruki wasn't just aiming for a Starter Pokémon.
He also wanted the Professor to help him figure out if there was a specific reason why Skiploom couldn't seem to use offensive moves.
Now that Rowan had invited him to the Research Lab, that goal was already halfway accomplished.
With Haruki's foresight, he had little doubt that Professor Rowan would eventually come to "treasure" him as a valuable asset.
As for his wild, unrefined Beldum, Haruki had already found the perfect mentor.
After all, who in the entire Pokémon world understood the Beldum species better than Steven Stone?
Haruki had a feeling it wouldn't be long before he heard back from Steven.