The surface of the pool had calmed.
Only for a moment.
Then the massive form of Gyarados surged again, jaws wide as it let out a guttural roar that echoed through the Gym's curved dome. Its body coiled beneath the water, creating whirlpools with every twitch of its finned tail.
Across the battlefield, Nidorino stood tall on a floating platform, head lowered, back spikes raised, eyes locked forward.
He didn't flinch.
Neither did Nathan.
The referee's flag came down again.
"Begin!"
𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞: 𝐍𝐢𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐯𝐬. 𝐆𝐲𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐬
𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧: 𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐏𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥 – 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐎𝐧𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠
𝐆𝐲𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐬 𝐀𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝: 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 | 𝐍𝐢𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤: -𝟏 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞
𝐍𝐢𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞: 𝐆𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐭 (𝐀𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐔𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧)
𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬: 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐜 (+𝟏𝟎% 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞)
Misty moved first.
"Twister, centre surge!"
The Gyarados lifted its head and spun into a whirl of water-charged wind, launching a spiral vortex toward Nidorino's platform.
Nathan snapped, "Platform drop, hold! Brace!"
Nidorino didn't dodge. Instead, he leapt forward into the swirling gust, angled low and dug his claws into the top of a shifting stone.
The Twister struck but the grounded position held.
𝐍𝐢𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐇𝐏: 𝟖𝟐% | 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬: 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 | 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐝
𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞: 𝐆𝐲𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐬 𝐕𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐱 𝐓𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐋𝐨𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐝 – 𝐑𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐞
Nathan read the movement.
"Misty's trying to force a retreat," he murmured. "Test my reaction window."
He wouldn't give her the satisfaction.
"Nidorino, shift right. Use the edge float. Set a horn stance."
Nidorino hopped platforms. His feet skidded, but he adjusted quickly and dug in again, facing the water, ready.
The Gyarados dove beneath the surface, its shadow circled below.
Nathan's pulse quickened. "Now we test reaction."
"Water Pulse, rise and arc!" Misty called.
A burst of pressurised water fired from the pool, aiming to knock Nidorino from the flank.
Nathan called, "Jump and rotate, horn intercept!"
Nidorino twisted mid-air and slammed the spike of his horn through the centre of the blast.
It exploded into mist.
Nidorino landed rough but upright.
𝐍𝐢𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐇𝐏: 𝟕𝟏% | 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 | 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐜: +𝟓%
𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐝: 𝟗𝟏 → 𝟗𝟑/𝟏𝟎𝟎
Above, murmurs spread through the audience. Even the boy from Mt. Moon leaned forward slightly.
Misty's eyes narrowed, just a shade.
"Let's raise the water."
She snapped her fingers twice.
Mechanical plates beneath the pool rotated. The floating platforms jerked suddenly, some rising, others submerging.
Nidorino's perch began to sink.
"Don't panic," Nathan said. "Ride the dip, angle left."
The platform lowered halfway into the water, causing Nidorino's footing to slosh but he kept low, eyes locked on the shifting surface.
Gyarados burst out again, this time from behind, jaws wide in a lunge.
"Horn Attack, pivot strike!"
Nidorino jumped off the platform's sinking edge and slammed forward, horn glowing.
It connected just under Gyarados' chin, knocking its head slightly askew.
The serpent let out a furious hiss, tail slamming into the water.
𝐆𝐲𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐬 𝐇𝐏: 𝟖𝟖% | 𝐇𝐢𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐝 – 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞
𝐍𝐢𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐇𝐏: 𝟓𝟗% | 𝐒𝐨𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐝 | 𝐁𝐮𝐟𝐟 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫: 𝐀𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐭 +𝟓% 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞
"Twister again," Misty ordered, voice sharper.
This time the vortex rose from the left, meant to force a stumble mid-recovery.
Nathan gritted his teeth. He needed a better counter, something aggressive.
But controlled.
"Poison Sting, dense scatter. Aim at the vortex path!"
Nidorino released a volley of sharp, glowing needles into the storm, disrupting its spin mid-air.
The Twister faltered, collapsing in on itself with a watery slap.
Misty's brow lifted.
Nathan's eyes flicked to the System.
𝐍𝐢𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐨 – 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝: 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐢-𝐆𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 (𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝)
𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐚𝐠 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐝: 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐫 – 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐍𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞
𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐝: 𝟗𝟑 → 𝟗𝟔/𝟏𝟎𝟎
Then it happened.
A deep pulse of energy swelled around Nidorino.
The system chimed, not for evolution, but something subtler.
𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐜 – 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝: 𝟗𝟔/𝟏𝟎𝟎 → 𝟏𝟎𝟎/𝟏𝟎𝟎
𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐆𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 (𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐈𝐈)
𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝: 𝐔𝐧𝐲𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐞 – 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞, 𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝟏𝟓%
𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐜 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬: 𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐀𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐝
Nathan exhaled slowly.
He could feel it.
Not just a command bond but understanding.
Their battle rhythm had stabilised.
And Misty noticed it.
"Then I won't hold back."
She raised her arm sharply.
"Bite and submerge, roll flank and strike!"
Gyarados plunged, looped underwater, and re-emerged at the side of the far platform, mouth wide.
"Feint right, then counter with Double Kick!"
Nidorino dodged left, then pushed off the edge with his rear legs and struck the side of Gyarados' jaw twice with a thudding force.
The serpent reeled water cascading around it.
𝐆𝐲𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐬 𝐇𝐏: 𝟔𝟏% | 𝐃𝐚𝐳𝐞𝐝
𝐍𝐢𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐇𝐏: 𝟒𝟏% | 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠
But it wasn't done.
With a furious cry, Gyarados thrashed, flipping the nearest platform, sending Nidorino tumbling into the water.
Nathan's breath caught.
But Nidorino didn't sink.
He paddled, not gracefully, but with control, toward the central rise.
Climbed.
Shook.
And stared Gyarados down.
Nathan raised one hand. "Now. Pressure him."
He stepped forward.
"Nidorino, use Horn Attack. Target under the eye ridge."
Nidorino charged, kicking off from the central float and slamming forward.
The horn hit just under Gyarados' left eye.
The serpent let out a roar of pain and fury and collapsed backward into the water with a thunderous crash.
Silence.
Then the referee's voice rang out.
"Gyarados is unable to battle! Challenger Nathan earns his second knockout, victory awarded!"
Cheers erupted from the upper deck.
Nathan didn't move.
Just watched as Nidorino stepped back, battered but proud.
Then finally exhaled.
And whispered, "Well done."