The crowd buzzed with anticipation as Gary Oak reached for his next Poké Ball. With a confident flick of his wrist, he sent it spinning through the air.
Flash!
In a burst of shimmering light, Gardevoir appeared gracefully on the battlefield, landing softly on her feet. Her emerald eyes glimmered, and her gown-like body swayed elegantly.
Some members of the audience erupted in cheers — their excitement fueled by wagers placed on Gary not only winning the second half of the match, but also clinching the overall victory. Others, however, groaned in frustration — those were the ones who had bet against him, hoping Yui could at least take down a Pokémon or two.
The tension in the air sharpened. The referee gave a quick glance to both sides.
"The battle continues! Trainers, begin!"
"Houndoom, use Flamethrower!" Yui commanded sharply.
"Gardevoir, Moonblast!" Gary countered almost at the same instant.
"Houndoom!!" the Dark Pokémon snarled, opening his jaws wide. A roaring torrent of blazing fire surged forward.
"Garde—voir!" Gardevoir's soft yet determined voice rang out as pinkish Fairy-type energy began swirling around her body. A bright orb of light formed before her, radiating with mystical power.
She waited patiently until the flames nearly reached her — then hurled the Moonblast forward with a graceful sweep of her arms.
The two attacks met in midair. For a moment, it seemed as though the fire might overpower the Fairy energy — but the Moonblast intensified, piercing through the flames. The blazing stream sputtered and broke apart before the pink sphere smashed directly into Houndoom.
BOOM!
The impact triggered a brilliant explosion, the shockwave rippling through the stadium. Houndoom staggered back with a pained growl, his paws digging into the dirt.
"Follow up! Aura Sphere!" Gary's voice was firm, decisive — there was no hesitation.
"What?!" Yui's eyes widened.
Gardevoir gathered blue aura energy between her hands, forming a perfectly round sphere. In an instant, the sphere locked onto Houndoom's presence and shot forward like a homing missile.
"Houndoom, Flamethrower again!" Yui tried to counter.
"Houndoom!!" He unleashed another blaze, but the Aura Sphere didn't falter. It cut straight through the fire like it was nothing, slamming into Houndoom's chest.
BOOM!
The Dark Pokémon yelped as he was blown backward, landing on the ground with his eyes spinning in a dizzy spiral.
"Houndoom is unable to battle! Gardevoir wins!" the referee declared, raising his flag toward Gary's side.
Yui exhaled sharply, clenching her jaw. She recalled Houndoom in a beam of red light. "You did your best. Return."
Without hesitation, Yui threw her next Poké Ball.
"Go, Ninjask!"
[Lv. 46 Ninjask ♂ | Gym]
A high-pitched chirrr! rang out as the Bug/Flying-type Pokémon appeared, wings buzzing so rapidly that they were almost invisible.
"Whoa! Yui's bringing out her speed ace!" the announcer exclaimed. "Ninjask's incredible speed and Bug-type advantage make it a tough matchup for Gardevoir!"
But Gary's calm smile said otherwise.
"Gravity," he commanded.
"Voir…" Gardevoir's eyes glowed a bright blue. Suddenly, an unseen force pressed down over the entire arena.
The effect was immediate — Ninjask's rapid flight faltered, and it was forced down to the ground with a startled screech. Unable to rely on its aerial mobility, its greatest weapon was gone.
"Tch… Come back," Yui muttered, recalling Ninjask instantly. She knew better than to waste time on a losing exchange.
The announcer chuckled. "Smart decision from Yui! But this also means all of her remaining Pokémon will eventually have to face Gardevoir."
Yui steadied her breathing, forcing composure. Then she sent out her third Pokémon.
"Go! Medicham!"
[Lv. 51 Medicham ♂ | Quasi-Elite]
The Fighting/Psychic-type materialized with a deep chaam! folding its legs slightly into a battle stance.
Gary tilted his head, intrigued. "Level fifty-one… not bad. I didn't expect you to have a quasi-elite level Pokémon."
The announcer's voice boomed: "Medicham's 'Pure Power' ability doubles its physical attack — if it lands a hit, it could turn the tide!"
Gary wasn't fazed. "Dazzling Gleam!"
"What?!" Yui reacted too late.
Gardevoir's entire body began to radiate a beautiful, multi-colored light that burst outward in a sweeping wave.
"Medicham, Detect — then Poison Jab!" Yui countered.
"Cham!" Medicham's eyes narrowed, a thin veil of psychic energy heightening its senses. It weaved gracefully between the beams, identifying which were illusions meant to disorient it.
Closing the gap, Medicham's right fist began glowing with a sinister purple — Poison-type energy gathering at the knuckles. It lunged forward, aiming for Gardevoir's midsection.
But Gardevoir stepped lightly to the side, the poisoned fist brushing past her gown-like body without making contact.
"Psychic!" Gary's voice cut through the air.
"Voir!" Gardevoir's eyes flared blue, and an invisible wave of force wrapped around Medicham.
"Chaam!!" Medicham cried out as it was lifted helplessly into the air. Although it was also a Psychic-type, its powers were primarily focused inward for physical combat. Against Gardevoir's raw telekinetic strength, it had no chance.
With a flick of her head, Gardevoir slammed Medicham into the battlefield floor.
Medicham groaned, clutching its chest from the impact.
"Recover!" Yui ordered quickly.
Medicham closed its eyes, summoning healing energy. The damage faded slightly as its breathing steadied.
Gary, however, was already a step ahead. "Future Sight — then Moonblast!"
"Voir…" Gardevoir's mind reached forward in time, planting a delayed psychic strike somewhere in the battle's near future. Then she gathered pink light once more, firing the Moonblast straight at Medicham.
"Detect again!" Yui barked.
Medicham sidestepped the attack with precision, then lunged again with Poison Jab — but once more, Gardevoir narrowly avoided it.
The announcer's voice was electric. "Gary's Gardevoir is reading Medicham's every move! This is textbook prediction!"
Before Medicham could recover its stance, the psychic energy from Future Sight came crashing down from above like a meteor.
BOOM!
The impact knocked Medicham flat, its eyes swirling.
"Medicham is unable to battle! Gardevoir wins!" the referee announced.
Yui was now down to her last Pokémon — the same Ninjask that Gardevoir had grounded earlier. Her shoulders trembled slightly. She stared at the Poké Ball in her hand but didn't move.
"Yui, if you don't send out your Pokémon, it will count as forfeiting," the announcer reminded gently.
The referee began counting down.
"Ten… Nine… Eight…"
The crowd watched in silence.
"…Three… Two… One!"
The whistle blew.
"Contestant Yui has failed to release a Pokémon within the time limit and is considered to have forfeited. The winner is Gary Oak!" the referee declared.
The stadium erupted in cheers.
Gary walked over to Gardevoir, smiling. "You were amazing out there."
"Voir…" Gardevoir closed her eyes happily, proud of her performance.
As Gary turned away, he understood Yui's choice. With only a grounded Ninjask left, the outcome was inevitable. But some Trainers preferred the silent dignity of letting the referee call it rather than openly conceding.
The crowd didn't scorn her. After all, reaching this stage was no small feat.
Gary thought quietly to himself, If I were in her place, I might have done the same.