Chapter 224: Ironclad Crush and Ethan's Package
Charizard flapped its wings and soared into the sky, circling above as it tried to find an opening in Nidoking's defenses.
But Gary hadn't been a Gym Leader all this time for nothing.
With a swift wave of his hand—
Whoosh—!
Nidoking, perfectly in sync with its trainer, suddenly launched a barrage of Poison Stings into the air.
Seeing the incoming purple-glowing projectiles, Charizard hastily breathed out a Flamethrower.
The storm of Poison Stings was instantly incinerated, reduced to wisps of smoke.
However, before Charizard could celebrate—
Nidoking, like a giant catapult, grabbed a chunk of rock from the battlefield and hurled it at Charizard.
One of the stones barely grazed Charizard's wing, startling it. Charizard instantly realized that this Nidoking was on a completely different level from Grovyle.
Its eyes turned serious as it quickly put more distance between itself and Nidoking.
As Charizard ascended, Nidoking's accuracy dropped drastically.
While Nidoking possessed immense strength, continuously throwing heavy rocks all the way up to the ceiling of the arena was no easy feat.
After several failed attempts, Nidoking abandoned its long-range attacks, opting to conserve energy instead.
Watching Charizard fly overhead, Gary didn't look troubled at all.
His time as a Gym Leader hadn't been wasted.
With a confident flick of his cape, he gave his next command: "Sandstorm!"
The moment his words fell, Nidoking stomped the ground. A small sandstorm swiftly formed around it.
"Huh?" Asahi raised an eyebrow, watching Nidoking's movements.
That technique—why did it resemble Giovanni's way of using Sandstorm?
His suspicions were confirmed in the next moment.
As the swirling sandstorm around Nidoking took shape, it expanded rapidly, engulfing the entire battlefield in the blink of an eye.
And it didn't stop there—it continued to spread outward at an alarming rate.
Before Charizard could react, the Sandstorm had already swallowed it whole.
Tiny grains of sand pelted Charizard's body. While the damage wasn't significant, the irritation was unbearable!
Charizard was forced to squint, trying to prevent the sand from getting into its eyes.
Sabrina, observing from the sidelines, frowned. "Why does this remind me of Giovanni?"
She had witnessed Giovanni battle numerous times, and Gary's current style bore a striking resemblance to his. Nidoking's Sandstorm had also formed much faster than that of an ordinary Ground-type Pokémon.
"He probably read Giovanni's book, The Secrets of the Earth," Asahi commented.
As a Ground-type specialist, Giovanni's reputation was well-earned. No one knew why he had written that book, but it was filled with valuable techniques.
Asahi had gifted Silver the signed collector's edition, but the regular version was widely available.
Clearly, Gary had studied it thoroughly in preparation for his role as the Viridian City Gym Leader.
—
On the battlefield, Ash looked tense, while Gary exuded confidence.
Charizard also realized it had made a critical mistake—by putting distance between itself and Nidoking, it had ensured its own safety… but it had also ensured Nidoking's safety.
Seeing Nidoking preparing to focus its energy, Charizard knew it couldn't afford to wait any longer.
If this went on, Nidoking wouldn't even need to attack—the Sandstorm alone would wear Charizard down!
Charizard made a decisive move.
With a powerful flap of its wings, it dove straight down, slicing through the swirling sand with glowing Air Slash blades.
The blades streaked toward Nidoking, but Nidoking simply raised its fists and smashed them apart.
Nidoking's sharp eyes locked onto Charizard, reading its every move.
Then—
"Nidoking, Thunder Punch!"
Gary's voice rang out.
With a mighty roar, Nidoking clenched its fist, sparks of electricity crackling around it. Then, it swung its fist toward the incoming Charizard.
Charizard's eyes flashed with determination.
Instead of dodging, it opened its jaws wide—its teeth blazing with fire as it lunged straight at Nidoking!
Boom!
Electric sparks flew, flames erupted.
A brutal melee clash ensued.
Nidoking's Thunder Punch struck Charizard squarely, the electric shock causing its scales to blacken and its body to tremble.
But Charizard's Fire Fang also found its mark, making Nidoking grimace in pain.
However, Charizard was clearly worse off. Not only was it suffering from Thunder Punch's type advantage, but there was also Nidoking's Ability to consider!
As Charizard bit down again, its face suddenly turned purple, and its legs wobbled.
"Poison Point. Charizard's been poisoned…" Sabrina remarked.
Nidoking's Poison Point ability meant that any close contact had a high chance of poisoning the opponent. A drawn-out battle would spell disaster for Charizard.
Ash looked distressed.
Gary, on the other hand, was completely at ease.
This was a guaranteed win.
Even if he did nothing, Charizard would eventually be worn down by poison and the Sandstorm.
Gary wasn't sure how Ash's Charizard had suddenly gotten so strong, but against his Nidoking, it still wasn't enough.
He would have Nidoking take down Ash's remaining Pokémon in one go!
Just as this thought crossed his mind—
Charizard's eyes flashed with savage determination, and the flame on its tail suddenly roared to life.
Blaze.
Gary's eyes widened. "Nidoking, watch out! That's Blaze!"
Blaze, Charizard's Hidden Ability—the lower its HP, the stronger its Fire-type attacks.
Right now, Charizard was weakened… but that made it even more dangerous!
Nidoking immediately tried to back away—
But Charizard, making its last stand, wasn't about to let it escape.
With a fierce flap of its wings, Charizard propelled itself forward, grabbing onto Nidoking despite the poisonous spikes.
Holding Nidoking tightly, Charizard began gathering a massive Fire Blast in its mouth—ready to unleash it point-blank.
At this range, if it hit, Nidoking would be finished.
What now?!
Gary's mind raced.
Protect? No—too close. The barrier would trap both of them inside.
Dig? Possible, but what if Nidoking couldn't break free? That would be instant defeat.
In this critical moment—
A sudden flash of inspiration struck Gary.
"Nidoking! Mega Punch—aim for Charizard's chin!"
Asahi's eyes gleamed with approval at Gary's quick thinking.
Nidoking didn't hesitate.
Its fist glowed brightly as it uppercut Charizard squarely in the chin.
At that moment, Charizard had just finished charging its Fire Blast—but the powerful punch snapped its head backward.
The attack misfired, soaring straight up into the arena ceiling instead.
Boom!
The ceiling exploded, debris crashing down.
At the same time, Charizard, having taken Nidoking's full-force punch, collapsed onto the ground—completely unconscious.
"Charizard is unable to battle! Nidoking wins!"
The referee announced the result.
"Charizard!" Ash rushed over to his fallen partner.
Realizing Charizard was only knocked out and not seriously hurt, he let out a relieved sigh.
Gary, meanwhile, let out a quiet breath.
That was way too close.
If he hadn't thought of Mega Punch, Nidoking would've been done for.
Then he would've been forced into a 2v1 disadvantage… and might have actually lost.
Luckily…
Thanks to Asahi making him a Gym Leader, his battle experience had grown significantly.
Reflecting on Asahi's efforts, Gary felt a tinge of guilt.
He had even gone online to find ways to mock Asahi before…
Ash's Charizard had lost to Gary.
The rest of the battle was completely one-sided.
Ash's Kingler was no match for Gary's Nidoking and was taken down with a single Earthquake.
As for Pikachu, while it had already shown glimpses of its future as the Pikachu Master, its opponent was a Ground-type Nidoking.
Thunderbolt was almost completely ineffective.
At this point in the story, Pikachu hadn't yet learned Iron Tail, meaning its only viable attack was Quick Attack.
And the result of Pikachu using Quick Attack on Nidoking?
Nidoking simply grabbed Pikachu by the tail, lifting it into the air as Pikachu wriggled helplessly, its eyes filled with frustration.
"Pika—CHU!"
Pikachu unleashed its strongest Thunderbolt, but to Nidoking, it was nothing more than a light tickle.
Nidoking casually flicked Pikachu with a claw, which only infuriated Pikachu further—but there was nothing it could do.
"So? Are you ready to surrender?" Gary smirked at Ash.
"Damn it…" Ash gritted his teeth.
He was so close to earning the badge.
If Charizard had managed to take down Nidoking, the match wouldn't have turned out like this.
But there were no ifs in battle.
Watching Pikachu struggle helplessly in Nidoking's grip, Ash knew that no matter how unwilling he was to lose to Gary…
He had no chance of winning.
"…I forfeit."
The words left Ash's mouth, filled with disappointment.
This meant his Gym Challenge had ended in failure.
Just as Ash was feeling dejected, Gary suddenly pulled something out of his pocket and tossed it to him.
Instinctively, Ash reached out and caught it.
Looking down, he realized—it was the Viridian Gym Badge.
Ash's face was full of shock. "Gary, you..."
Gary waved his hand impatiently.
"Alright, alright. You lost, but your strength has already reached the required level. I'm just following the rules, don't get the wrong idea! It's not like I'm going easy on you or anything." Then, turning his head, he looked at Asahi. "Asahi, back me up on this!"
Asahi, who had just walked over, chuckled. Gary clearly wanted to cut Ash some slack, yet he still had to drag me into it as an excuse.
For Gary's awkward and tsundere behavior…
Aside from calling it a secret crush, Asahi couldn't think of a better term.
Gary, noticing Asahi's strange gaze, felt uneasy and quickly changed the subject. "Asahi, I've decided to step down as Viridian Gym Leader and prepare for the upcoming Indigo League."
With the Indigo League right around the corner, most challengers had already finished their Gym battles, and fewer rookie trainers were visiting the Gym. Gary was ready to go all in for the tournament.
He, Gary Oak, would become the first Indigo League Champion of the Kanto Division!
Gary was full of confidence.
Hearing this, Asahi smiled. "Training for the League? No problem, I'll let Lance know. But…"
"But what?" Gary asked.
"With your current strength, you're still far from winning the championship… Actually, I was just about to start a special training session for Silver and Ethan. Why don't you join us?" Then, Asahi turned to Ash. "Ash, do you want to join too?"
At first, Ash was stunned, but the moment he processed what Asahi had said, he immediately nodded.
He had lost to Gary. Now, he had to seize every opportunity to improve himself. He was determined to win at the Indigo League!
Gary initially wanted to refuse. The painful memories of Asahi's brutal training were still fresh in his mind.
He wasn't the type to forget his suffering.
But when he saw that Ash had already agreed, Gary hesitated.
If he accepted, he risked falling into Asahi's wicked schemes again. If he refused… what if this special training really boosted their strength, and Ash surpassed him?
He had just barely secured an advantage over Ash!
After weighing the pros and cons, Gary finally gritted his teeth. "Fine, I'll join too!"
With so many people training together, Asahi couldn't possibly focus all his torture on him, right? Even if it was tough, at least he wouldn't be suffering alone.
From the sidelines, Green and Sabrina exchanged glances, both sighing at the same time.
Gary kept falling for Asahi's tricks every time.
He was completely in Asahi's grasp!
Meanwhile, Asahi was quite pleased with Gary's decision. He patted Gary on the shoulder. "You have three days to hand over the Gym. Meet me at the estate afterward."
"Ash, same goes for you. Come with Gary in three days."
With that, Asahi left Viridian Gym, taking Green and Sabrina with him.
—
At the Estate
Ethan and Silver had already returned.
At this moment, Ethan was pouring out his frustrations to Asahi.
"The Pokémon Trainer Qualification Exam was ridiculous! They actually made us identify the difference between Psyduck and Golduck's cries… just from the sound!"
"And? How did you do?" Asahi asked.
"The exam was really tough, but I passed it with ease!" Ethan said proudly.
Silver didn't expose him.
He had personally watched Ethan sneak in his Aipom's Poké Ball, disguise it, and have Aipom copy answers from nearby candidates…
The only reason Silver hadn't ratted him out…
Was because Ethan had shared the answers with him too.
The written portion of the Pokémon Trainer Qualification Exam was absurdly difficult. Unless someone constantly studied practice questions, who could tell from a circular silhouette that the Pokémon was a top-down view of Jigglypuff?
If it weren't for Ethan, they both would've failed.
Silver didn't say anything, but Asahi could tell what had happened just from his expression.
He didn't mind.
Adaptability was a skill too.
"Your strength is still a bit lacking," Asahi said, crossing his arms. "So, I'm putting you both through an intense special training before the Indigo League."
Silver wasn't sure what that meant, but he nodded.
Ethan, on the other hand—who had recently spent a lot of time playing cards with Slowpoke… wait, now Slowking—had already heard about Asahi's training methods.
Putting it mildly, Asahi had trained a Slowpoke to the point where it developed abs.
Just imagining that level of training made Ethan break into a cold sweat.
But since Silver was participating, as his partner, Ethan couldn't back down now.
So, he clenched his fists and nodded.
"Good!"
Asahi was satisfied and was about to speak when the estate's doorbell suddenly rang.
Who could it be at this time?
Frowning, Asahi pulled up the video intercom.
Onscreen was a Delibird Express courier holding a package.
Seeing the video feed connect, the courier asked, "Is there a Mr. Ethan here? There's a package for you!"
At this, Asahi and Silver both turned to look at Ethan.
Ethan looked just as confused.
He hadn't ordered anything… so where did this package come from?
—