"Dad, what are you doing?!"
Li Mengxue stared at her phone in disbelief, cheeks puffed out in frustration—a look that made her seem all the more adorable. Her father, Gym Leader Li Fei, had actually hung up on her.
"He really hung up on me," she muttered, tossing her phone onto the sofa beside her.
At that moment, Nurse Joy approached with a warm smile, pushing a cart where Charmeleon sat proudly.
"Ms. Li Mengxue, we've completed the examination. Your Charmeleon is healthy and ready to go," Nurse Joy said gently.
Meanwhile, back on the battlefield, Li Fei, having dismissed the referee and turned off all devices, crossed his arms and looked at Renjiro with keen interest.
"Well, kid? The field is yours now. Let's see this secret move you've been hiding," he said, his voice filled with curiosity.
"You won't be disappointed," Renjiro replied with a confident smile. He raised his wrist, revealing a sleek mage bracelet that gleamed in the gym lights.
"Beedrill, let's transcend evolution together!"
As Renjiro spoke, a brilliant, milky-white light engulfed Beedrill.
"Wh-what is this?!"
Li Fei could hardly believe his eyes. Beedrill's body transformed, its form sharpening, its power radiating across the gym like a blazing sun.
"A fourth stage of evolution?! Impossible…"
Li Fei suddenly understood why Renjiro had gone to such lengths to ensure no one else witnessed this battle. Normal Pokémon might have one or two evolutionary stages—but Renjiro's Beedrill had achieved something extraordinary. The potential of a Pokémon multiplies with each evolution, and Li Fei realized that this Beedrill's strength was no coincidence.
He clenched his fists as Mega Beedrill emerged, looking fiercer and faster than ever.
"You're the second person to see this power," Renjiro said quietly, eyes meeting Li Fei's.
"The second?" Li Fei frowned. "Who was the first?"
"Qiu Guocheng," Renjiro answered simply.
Li Fei's eyes widened. "That explains it! No wonder you managed to defeat him. You already had this power back then!"
Li Fei's expression hardened as he recalled Qiu Guocheng—an advanced trainer like himself. If Renjiro could bring down Qiu Guocheng, that meant he had the potential to defeat Li Fei too.
"Yes, this power helped us take down Qiu Guocheng," Renjiro said. "And Master Li, I'm afraid today you won't be able to avenge your daughter."
Li Fei's blood began to race. This battle had become far more thrilling than he anticipated.
"Is that so?" His eyes gleamed with excitement. "Then show me what this evolved Beedrill can do!"
"Beedrill! Twineedle Sucker Punch!" Renjiro commanded.
Mega Beedrill's six wings blurred as it shot forward, moving so fast it disappeared from sight.
Li Fei's breath caught. "Where did it go?! That speed…"
Charizard roared in surprise, spinning its head wildly, trying to track its opponent.
"Charizard, use Smokescreen!" Li Fei barked.
Charizard unleashed a thick black cloud, engulfing the battlefield in darkness.
"As expected of a senior trainer," Renjiro muttered, impressed by Li Fei's quick thinking.
The field became a game of hide-and-seek.
"Beedrill, stay hidden. Let's see who has the patience to outlast the other," Renjiro whispered.
Li Fei narrowed his eyes. "Charizard, Heat Wave! Flush him out!"
Charizard bellowed, unleashing scorching winds that swept through the gym.
"Beedrill, climb high!" Renjiro ordered.
Beedrill shot upward, out of reach of the heat for now.
"Charizard, Flamethrower—spin and cover the sky!"
Charizard twisted mid-air, flames spiraling outward in rings. The power might have diminished slightly, but the chance of hitting Beedrill increased.
But Renjiro's eyes narrowed. "Beedrill, dodge and strike! Twineedle Sucker Punch!"
Beedrill zipped through the gaps, reappearing behind Charizard in a blur of motion. Its stingers flashed, striking Charizard's back with precision.
Charizard let out a pained roar and dropped from the air like a stone, crashing into the arena floor.
Li Fei stared, stunned by the power of Renjiro's Mega Beedrill.
"Well, Master Li, I warned you…" Renjiro said, watching as Charizard struggled to rise.
But Li Fei wasn't ready to concede. His eyes burned with determination.
"Charizard, BLAZE!"
Charizard's tail flame erupted like a fireball, engulfing it in a fierce aura of heat.
"That's… Blaze at full force!" Renjiro realized, his heart racing.
"That's right," Li Fei said proudly. "My Charizard can fully activate Blaze at 100% when it's pushed to the limit. You've forced my hand, kid!"
Renjiro nodded in respect. "Charizard's strength now… it's at an elite level."
Li Fei grinned. "Exactly. Charizard is my only Pokémon to reach elite strength. I'm still just a high-level trainer—but this is my ace."
"You're shameless!" Renjiro teased, shaking his head.
Li Fei burst out laughing. "I can't help it! Your Beedrill's just too strong!"
Renjiro grinned. "Then let's end this. Beedrill, Twineedle Sucker Punch—give it your all!"
Li Fei's eyes flashed. "Charizard, Heat Wave! Maximum power!"
The gym became a furnace as Charizard unleashed a torrent of blazing wind. The heat was suffocating.
"Beedrill, charge!" Renjiro yelled.
Beedrill shot forward, enduring the searing heat as it closed the gap. But just before reaching Charizard, the blazing winds proved too much. Beedrill faltered, collapsing mid-air as the Mega form faded.
Charizard, too, dropped to its knees, utterly spent.
Both Pokémon fell.
A silence settled over the gym.
Then Renjiro's system chimed in his mind:
Ding! Your Beedrill defeated the level 54 Charizard and gained 3,980 experience points.
Ding! Combat value +135. Current combat value: 3,135.
"They knocked each other out," Renjiro murmured in shock.
Li Fei recalled Charizard, his expression thoughtful.
"This time, we fought to a draw," he said, though deep down, he knew he'd been bested. Charizard's growth had nearly peaked, while Renjiro's Beedrill still had untapped potential.
Renjiro exhaled. "But the rules say two Pokémon. Let's finish this!"
He threw out his next Poké Ball. "Go, Milotic!"
Li Fei's grin returned. "You're on! Rapidash, I choose you!"
The sleek form of Rapidash appeared, flames dancing on its mane.
"Rapidash, Fire Spin!"
"Milotic, Water Gun!"
The attacks collided with a burst of steam that filled the gym.
Outside, trainers pressed their ears to the walls, desperate to know what was happening inside.
"I wish we could see! This battle's legendary!"
Li Mengxue clutched her Charmeleon's Poké Ball at the Pokémon Center, heart pounding. Who won?
The battle inside raged for another ten minutes, Rapidash and Milotic trading blows in a fierce dance of fire and water.
Finally, Milotic fell, too exhausted to continue.
"I lost," Renjiro admitted, recalling Milotic.
Li Fei smiled and extended his hand. "That was incredible. You deserve this."
He pressed the Double Flame Badge into Renjiro's palm.
Renjiro looked down at the badge—two interlinked suns symbolizing the Twin Flame Gym.
Ding! Hidden achievement unlocked: First Gym Badge obtained. You may now summon a Team Rocket member once.
The victory was bittersweet, but Renjiro knew this was only the beginning.
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