Want to read upto chapter 45 you know where.
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For most trainers, a Gym Challenge was a major event—a milestone of growth, a test of endurance.
But for Sam?
It was... optional. Interesting at best.
After transmigrating into this world, earning Gym Badges wasn't something he needed to prove himself.
He had no plans to compete in the traditional League, nor did he crave public recognition.
But now?
Thanks to the system's mission…
"Defeat Byron's main battle Pokémon and receive the Canalave Badge."
And with a reward like psychic powers?
Why not?
It wouldn't take long. And besides…
Sam's eyes drifted to the glowing steel battlefield.
Collecting badges from across regions…
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.
Another quiet achievement. A little decoration in this life.
…
Across the battlefield, the lights flared overhead.
Protective barriers shimmered along the perimeter, sealing the combat zone in a translucent dome of energy.
Byron stood tall on the other side. His miner's coat was gone now—he wore his true uniform as a Gym Leader.
Even from this distance, Sam could feel the spark of battle spirit in him.
"Professor Sam," Byron called out, his fist over his chest, his voice deep and clear, "I look forward to this."
Despite his usual stoicism, his eyes were alight with excitement.
Most challengers Byron faced these days were rookies—youngsters eager to win a badge with a few flashy moves.
It had been too long since he'd faced someone who might test his limits.
And when Sam had asked for his main Pokémon…
That was a statement in itself.
This was no halfhearted challenge.
Sam bowed slightly in return, ever calm.
"The same to you, Leader Byron."
The referee stepped between them now, raising a small green flag.
His voice echoed through the dome.
"Official Gym Match—Challenger Sam vs. Canalave Gym Leader Byron!"
"Up to three Pokémon per side."
"Gym Leader Byron may not swap Pokémon once they are sent out."
"Challenger Sam may switch freely during the match."
The green flag sliced downward.
"Battle—begin!"
According to official rules, the defending Gym Leader sends out the first Pokémon.
Byron pulled out a Poké Ball marked with silver stripes and pressed the button.
"Magnezone, you're up!"
The capsule burst open in a flash of blinding white.
A circular body emerged—metallic, humming with electromagnetism, its three magnetized arms rotating slowly.
Twin red eyes glowed beneath a central antenna.
Magnezone floated into position silently, electricity arcing from its core.
Buzzing. Watching. Calculating.
As the Pokémon settled into the battlefield, a translucent screen lit up in Sam's field of vision—system analysis already activated.
[Pokémon: Magnezone]
[Gender: Male]
[Type: Steel / Electric]
[Ability: Analytic (If the Pokémon moves last, its attack power is boosted by 30%)]
[Level: 55 — Elite Mid-Tier]
[Potential: Elite Peak]
[Known Moves: Tri Attack, Electric Terrain, Magnetic Flux, Mirror Coat, Thunder Shock, Supersonic, Thunder Wave, Gyro Ball, Flash Cannon]
[Egg Moves: Thunderbolt, Thunder]
[Condition: Optimal]
[System Note: Among its species, this Magnezone stands out in raw potential and honed training. It has reached a level rarely seen among Gym Pokémon.]
Sam's expression didn't change—but inwardly, he nodded.
"Elite mid-level, huh…"
"This isn't your average Gym Leader."
Most Gym Leaders ranked just below the Elite Four; their teams were designed more for tests of fundamentals than real pressure.
But every region had its exceptions.
Outliers. Monsters among mortals.
Like Juan, the gentleman of the Sootopolis Gym in Hoenn—a mentor to Wallace, the Champion himself.
Or Chuck, Johto's martial arts master, who trained legends like Bruno, Blue, and even Elite Four prodigies from multiple regions.
And Pryce…
The frail old man from Mahogany Town who once used a Swinub to push back the legendary Ho-Oh.
Sam calmly drew the Poké Ball from his belt.
With a flick of his wrist, the capsule snapped open.
A beam of crimson light arced across the steel arena—and materialized into a tall, blue-gray figure with piercing red eyes.
"Luka~!"
Lucario landed gracefully on the battlefield, one knee bent, aura sensors twitching.
In that moment, an invisible pressure rolled across the stadium.
The atmosphere changed.
Wave energy surged around the Aura Pokémon, rippling in waves of intensity.
The sheer presence of it made Ash instinctively lean forward, breath caught in his throat.
Beside him, Brock's eyes narrowed.
"Whoa…"
"Lucario's aura… It's on another level."
Even Dawn—who didn't care much for battles—could feel it.
"It's like the whole air's vibrating," she murmured, clutching Piplup a little tighter.
Ash could feel it too. But he couldn't name it.
He turned to Brock.
"How strong is Lucario…?"
"I don't know," Brock admitted.
"But this isn't the strength of an ordinary Pokémon."
"No Gym Pokémon I've ever seen feels like that."
But Byron, standing on the opposite side of the battlefield, recognized it immediately.
His seasoned eyes widened slightly.
"That aura…"
He stared hard at Lucario, watching the way the Pokémon's energy pulsed in perfect harmony with its movement.
It's balance. It's posture. Its stillness.
Every detail.
"That's… Champion level."
A grin tugged at the corners of Byron's mouth.
No wonder Sam had asked for his strongest Pokémon.
No wonder he was so calm.
Ash was right all along—this man wasn't just another Trainer with a cool partner.
He was the real deal.
And he'd brought a monster.
But instead of fear, Byron's heart surged with something else—pure, unfiltered excitement.
Finally.
A true rival.
And it was a Steel-type, no less—his specialty.
He snapped his fingers.
"Magnezone!"
"Set up Electric Terrain!"
"Mag—netic!"
Magnezone's body began to glow, sparks rippling across its metal surface.
A pulse of electrical energy burst from its core, spreading in a dome across the battlefield.
The arena shimmered as the terrain transformed, free-floating electric charges flickering like fireflies around them.
With Electric Terrain activated, any Electric-type move Magnezone used would now be stronger.
It would also prevent Pokémon from falling asleep, though that wasn't a concern here.
"Strategic move," Brock said, nodding.
"He's boosting Magnezone's power first."
"Textbook Steel/Electric opening."
"Not bad!" Ash leaned forward.
"But will it matter?"
Down below, Sam gave his command—calm, direct.
"Luca."
"Extreme Speed."
"Luka!"
Lucario growled softly—and then exploded forward like a bullet.
The ground cracked beneath its feet as it launched forward with impossible speed.
Bang!
A thunderclap echoed through the gym.
Lucario became a blur, leaving only afterimages in its wake.
Dawn gasped.
"Where—?"
Ash barely tracked the movement.
"He's already there—!"
In the blink of an eye, Lucario appeared directly in front of Magnezone—mere inches from the steel-type's levitating form.
Byron's eyes widened.
"Already?!"
He was mid-transition. Magnezone's terrain move was still active.
He couldn't issue another command yet.
"Luca," Sam's voice floated across the battlefield, low and calm.
"Circle Throw."
"Out of the ring."
"Luka—!"
Lucario's arms snapped forward, gripping Magnezone's smooth metallic body.
In one seamless motion, he twisted his body and launched the Electric-type over his shoulder.
Using the momentum of Extreme Speed, Lucario hurled the heavier Pokémon across the field like it weighed nothing.
A blur.
Then a crash.
BOOM!
Magnezone slammed into the reinforced wall just outside the battle dome, sparks flying on impact.
A silence fell across the stadium.
Then—
The referee blinked in disbelief.
He raised his flag.
"Magnezone has been forced out of bounds!"
"The first round goes to Challenger Sam!"
…
The gym remained silent for a heartbeat.
And then—
Ash leapt out of his seat, mouth wide open.
"WHAAAT?!"
"THAT COUNTS?!"
"Wait—no way—he just—he just—THREW him?!"
Brock gawked. "I've… I've never seen anyone win a round that fast."
Dawn blinked, equally stunned.
"That was Lucario?"
"It looked like a meteor."
Ash looked back at the field.
Magnezone was twitching outside the boundary, clearly dazed.
It hadn't even managed to fire off an attack.
"Did he seriously just… one-move a Gym Leader's Elite-tier Pokémon?!"
"And with Circle Throw?! That's not even a high-damage move!"
"Not about power," Brock muttered, eyes wide.
"It's about control."
"Circle Throw is a forced-switch move. But used like that…"
"That was battlefield manipulation."
"He used Extreme Speed to close the gap, then threw a Pokémon that weighs over 180 kilograms."
Ash looked back at Lucario, still standing silently at Sam's side, as composed as ever.
"…That's not normal," he whispered.
Sam's face didn't show pride or smugness—just a quiet nod.
As if this were always the expected outcome.
Byron exhaled deeply.
Then started laughing.
"HAHAHAHA!"
"Amazing!"
He strode to the edge of the field and recalled Magnezone into its Poké Ball.
"I haven't lost a round that fast in five years!"
"No tricks. No gimmicks. Just pure skill and timing."
He met Sam's eyes.
"Let's go again."
"I'm not done yet."
Sam smiled faintly.
"Of course."