Pokemon: Gym Leader

"Since Senior Lance has proposed it, how could I refuse?"

A faint smile tugged at Dylan's lips. After all, if a senior extends a challenge, there's no reason to decline.

My brother is going to battle Champion Lance!!

Lillie held her breath. This was the Lance, the Dragon Master, and Champion of Kanto—standing atop the very pinnacle of trainers in the region!

In Kanto, he was unquestionably the strongest.

"Excellent, Dylan! That's the spirit of a worthy successor."

Lance's satisfaction grew. Dragons never fear a challenge, no matter how formidable.

"Hahaha~ A battle between Lance and Dylan—how exciting!"

President Charles Goodshow chuckled heartily. To him, these two represented Kanto's present and future, and their clash promised to be extraordinary.

With the battle decided, the group had little appetite for dinner. They quickly finished their meal and made their way to the battle arena behind the Kanto League headquarters.

The enormous arena was equipped with bright lighting, which, once switched on, turned the night into day.

Dylan and Lance took their respective positions on the battlefield, while Charles and Lillie settled into the spectator seats.

"Let the battle begin!"

Lorelei, acting as the referee, stepped gracefully to the field's edge, raising her right hand.

"The battle will follow a 4v4 format. Both trainers may switch Pokémon at will. Victory will be determined when one side's four Pokémon are all unable to battle."

"Begin!"

Lorelei adjusted her glasses, glanced briefly at both trainers, and retreated from the field.

Now, only Dylan and Lance remained.

"Dylan," Lance said, sweeping his black cape dramatically. His crimson hair flared with intensity as a smirk, sharp as a dragon's fangs, curved his lips.

"I've been looking forward to this moment for a long time. You are a successor I recognize, and I've waited for the day you would challenge me!"

Lance's towering confidence, bordering on arrogance, was a defining trait that had brought him to the summit of Kanto's trainer hierarchy.

But his heart had always been set on a better world, a harmonious coexistence for all Pokémon. And he longed for a worthy rival to rise—a chosen one, like himself, from Viridian Forest.

In Dylan, Lance saw his equal, someone with the same destiny and connection to the forest. His anticipation had been building for years, and now that they stood face-to-face on the battlefield, his blood boiled with excitement.

"Dylan, don't disappoint me!"

"Of course not, Senior Lance."

While Lance exuded fiery enthusiasm, Dylan remained calm. Adjusting the collar of his black shirt, he coolly countered Lance's intensity.

Lance's grin widened into something almost feral.

"Senior Lance, dragons are sacred and mythical creatures. Though difficult to train, their power is unparalleled once mastered."

Lance blinked, momentarily stunned. Wasn't that his line?

"And this was what you once told me, Senior Lance. Now, I return those words to you. Today, please experience the power of my dragons!"

The air grew still as Dylan's unwavering gaze locked onto Lance's. The atmosphere crackled with anticipation.

And then—

"Hahahaha!!"

Lance threw his head back in roaring laughter, his crimson hair flying wildly.

"Well said, Dylan! Very well said!"

His laughter abruptly ceased, and his sharp gaze, as keen as a blade, focused on Dylan.

"Let's see whose dragons are truly stronger!"

Lance's exhilaration was palpable. He was fully immersed in the thrill of the battle.

"Gyarados, go!"

Lance threw his Pokéball, and with a deafening roar, a colossal Gyarados crashed onto the field. Its massive, serpentine body gleamed with muscle, its crown-like horns adding to its ferocity.

A glance at the Pokédex revealed its formidable strength:

Type: Water/Flying

Ability: Intimidate

Signature Moves: Hyper Beam, Outrage, Dragon Dance, Waterfall...

Lillie couldn't help but mutter, her voice tinged with bewilderment, "But... Gyarados isn't a Dragon-type..."

President Charles, however, looked on in admiration. "Lance's Gyarados is one of his most trusted partners, a veteran from his championship team. Its strength is undeniable."

"Indeed," Lorelei nodded calmly, arms crossed.

Dylan, unfazed, smirked. "An old powerhouse, is it? Let's match it."

"Archaludon!"

With a flash of light, Dylan released his Pokémon. A massive Archaludon, its body gleaming with metallic luster, landed heavily on the field. Its sturdy, silver frame and intimidating presence made it a worthy adversary.

Type: Steel/Dragon

Ability: Stamina

Signature Moves: Flash Cannon, Dragon Claw, Thunderbolt...

President Charles raised his eyebrows. "A Steel-Dragon type... Dylan came prepared."

The battle began in earnest.

"Dragon Dance!"

Lance wasted no time. Gyarados swayed rhythmically in midair, its body glowing with power as it boosted its speed and strength.

"Thunderbolt!"

Dylan countered immediately, unleashing a burst of electricity from Archaludon. Sparks crackled as the Thunderbolt surged toward Gyarados.

"Dodge and use Earthquake!"

With a powerful lunge, Gyarados evaded the attack and retaliated with a ground-shaking Earthquake.

The clash of titans had only just begun.

Lance's eyes narrowed slightly. Archaludon's reactions were swift—no surprise, given it was personally trained by Dylan.

The Steel/Dragon-type Archaludon was weak only to Fighting and Ground, while Gyarados was a purely physical powerhouse. To take down Archaludon, getting up close was a necessity.

"Gyarados, Waterfall!"

The thought flashed through Lance's mind in an instant, and he gave the command calmly.

Gyarados slammed its massive tail on the ground, and a torrent of water surged beneath Archaludon. The water converged into a massive column, propelling Archaludon skyward at high speed.

A Water-type Waterfall!

Atop the water pillar, Archaludon quickly reverted its body shape to stabilize itself.

Meanwhile, Gyarados was already charging forward, coiling its long body around the pillar and climbing upward at an incredible speed.

"Archaludon, Thunderbolt!" Dylan's gaze flickered as he gave his command.

Electricity crackled around Archaludon, and a powerful Thunderbolt surged down the water pillar, enveloping it in electric currents.

Yet Gyarados was entirely unaffected. Instead, its climbing speed increased.

"Maintained a safe distance from the water pillar, I see," Dylan murmured, unsurprised. Lance, after all, wouldn't make such a rookie mistake.

Had Gyarados been scaling the pillar directly, it wouldn't have escaped Thunderbolt unscathed.

Boom!

By now, Gyarados had reached the top of the pillar, slamming its water-shrouded head heavily into Archaludon.

A Water-type Waterfall!

Archaludon let out a muffled grunt. Gyarados's sheer strength was undeniable—even without a type advantage, its raw power forced Archaludon back a few steps.

At the same time, a white flash flickered around Archaludon.

Its ability, Stamina! Each time Archaludon took a physical hit, its Defense increased.

"Flare Blitz!"

Gyarados immediately launched another attack, its body engulfed in flames as it charged. A Fire-type Flare Blitz!

"Block it."

Archaludon raised its arms defensively as Gyarados collided with it, the fiery impact scattering sparks.

Once again, a white glow signaled an increase in Archaludon's Defense.

However, the impact from Flare Blitz was enough to send Archaludon tumbling off the water pillar, hurtling toward the ground at high speed.

"Crunch!" Lance seized the moment, his tone cold and sharp.

Gyarados roared furiously, its fangs gleaming black as it lunged at the falling Archaludon.

"Here it comes, Archaludon," Dylan muttered, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

Gyarados's jaws clamped down on one of Archaludon's arms in a Dark-type Crunch.

Archaludon groaned in pain, but that was all. Stamina triggered for the third time!

With three boosts to its Defense, this non-super-effective move did minimal damage to Archaludon.

Moreover, this put Gyarados in close range.

"Thunder!"

Lightning erupted around Archaludon, striking down from the heavens in a massive surge of energy.

A devastating Electric-type Thunder!

"Earthquake!" Lance's expression remained ice-cold.

Despite the overwhelming lightning crashing into it, Gyarados roared defiantly, its fury driving it to slam downward, taking Archaludon with it.

Boom!

The ground trembled violently.

Dylan was momentarily stunned. Gyarados had withstood a quadruple-effective Thunder! Even after taking such heavy damage, it had powered through to execute its attack. As expected of Lance's veteran ace, its resilience was extraordinary.

Amidst the dust and lingering electricity sparking on Gyarados's body, it raised its upper body once more, its massive tail preparing to strike Archaludon.

An Earthquake!

Gyarados's tail smashed down heavily on Archaludon, sending shockwaves rippling through the battlefield.

Boom!

Archaludon groaned in pain. Even with three Defense boosts and its naturally high physical durability, Lance's Gyarados's Earthquake was no light hit.

After all, Earthquake was super effective against Archaludon. Yet it still wasn't enough to bring Archaludon down.

"Thunder!"

Despite its injuries, Archaludon summoned another surge of electricity, its entire body glowing as thunder roared again.

Gyarados roared in agony, its massive frame enveloped in lightning. As the Electric attack subsided, Gyarados made a final attempt to raise its tail for another attack, but the damage from Thunder was too severe.

As the light faded, Gyarados's body collapsed to the ground.

Archaludon struggled to crawl out from beneath Gyarados's massive frame, each step heavy as it returned to Dylan's side.

Archaludon was heavily injured as well—its level couldn't match Gyarados's. Only thanks to its high Defense and the boosts from Stamina had it managed to withstand Gyarados's Earthquake and retaliate. Otherwise, the outcome could have gone the other way.

Lance's sharp brows furrowed.

"Gyarados is unable to battle. Archaludon wins!" Lorelei declared after inspecting Gyarados.

"Whoa~! To defeat Lance's Gyarados—Dylan, you're incredible!" President Charles Goodshow exclaimed in amazement.

If Dylan had used Reshiram or Kyurem, it wouldn't have been surprising.

But to achieve victory with Archaludon, one of Dylan's personally trained aces, was a different story altogether.

Lance's Gyarados was quadruple-weak to Electric attacks, but its ferocious combat style and brutal offense meant few Pokémon could endure its assault long enough to land an Electric hit.

"To defeat my dragon, Dylan, you truly are remarkable," Lance complimented as he recalled Gyarados.

No, Champion Lance, Gyarados isn't actually a Dragon-type! Just because it has "dragon" in its name doesn't make it one! That's not how it works!

Only her brother's team truly counted as a Dragon team!

Lillie silently grumbled in her heart but dared not voice it aloud.

(Chapter End)