Rhydon's Rollout had, to a certain extent, compensated for its inherent weakness in speed. Once that massive body began spinning, every muscle in its frame worked in perfect harmony, generating an incredible burst of force that propelled it forward several times faster than its usual lumbering gait. Each revolution seemed to make the ground tremble faintly; grains of sand and clumps of dust scattered in all directions, creating an invisible pressure that weighed heavily on its opponent.
Yet, as the old saying goes: "When you gain something, you lose something else." The moment Rhydon accumulated such a huge amount of momentum and reached its impressive top speed, it also sacrificed agility. Once locked into that rolling motion, it couldn't change direction or stop instantly.
Alex, who had been observing and analyzing from the very first second, immediately seized the opportunity."Luna, Teleport behind Rhydon!" His voice was deep and decisive, leaving no room for hesitation.
Gardevoir — whom Alex affectionately called Luna — gently placed her pale hands against her chest and closed her eyes in concentration. A faint ripple of psychic energy spread around her, distorting the space where she stood.
Whoosh! In an instant, Luna's graceful figure vanished, as if dissolving into the air, only to reappear directly behind Rhydon — a position completely safe and beyond its reaction range.
Having suddenly lost sight of its target, Rhydon faltered like a massive beast stripped of its senses, charging blindly forward without any idea where its enemy had gone.
Brock, standing opposite Alex, understood everything in that moment. He recalled the subtle, knowing smile Alex had shown earlier, and the faint sense of unease that had been lingering since the start of the match.So that's it… I've been led along from the very beginning.
But realization had come too late.
"Luna, Energy Ball!" Alex commanded.
Luna's eyes snapped open, her emerald pupils gleaming. Before her chest, a vivid green sphere of light materialized, swirling with bands of pure energy like flowing ribbons. With a graceful sweep of her arm, she launched it — slicing through the air and striking Rhydon square in the back.
A Grass-type attack — four times super effective against Rhydon's Rock/Ground typing.
BOOM! The explosion was deafening, making the stands quake. The Energy Ball's power didn't just inflict massive damage; it completely shattered Rhydon's balance, which had been hurtling forward at breakneck speed. Its massive body was knocked off course, tumbling violently before being flung right out to the very edge of the battlefield, crossing the red boundary line.
By the rules, stepping outside the arena meant immediate defeat.
"Round two — the challenger, Alex, is the winner!" The referee's voice rang out, raising a flag high.
For a few seconds, the entire crowd fell silent — the silence of pure shock — before erupting into a storm of chatter.
Alex had just taken down two of Brock's core Pokémon in quick succession, using clean, precise tactics that left his opponent with no room to counterattack. From start to finish, barely a minute had passed, yet the match had been so tense and explosive that everyone felt as though they'd watched a drawn-out, hard-fought battle.
"This guy's way too strong! Brock didn't even get a chance to react.""Not just strong — his timing for each move is flawless!""The moment his opponent slips, he strikes without mercy.""He hasn't even lost his composure once — like this is just a training session, not a Gym battle.""Yeah, it's like every step Brock took was already part of his plan…"
In the crowd, Keita — who had lost to Alex earlier — overheard these remarks and, strangely, felt comforted. It turned out he wasn't the only one to be overwhelmed; even Brock had been caught in the same situation.
Elsewhere in the stands, Red and Green continued watching intently."This trainer… he's really strong," Red said seriously."Accurate predictions, sound strategy, and flawless execution at every step," Green agreed — a rare moment of total agreement between them.
On the field, Brock exhaled heavily. If Onix's earlier defeat could be blamed on a type disadvantage, Rhydon's loss was the result of his own strategic choice. If he had opened with Rock Throw to trade blows with Gardevoir, perhaps the outcome might have been different.
But there is no "what if" in battle.
Gripping a Poké Ball tightly, Brock sent out his final Pokémon — a Rhyperior with a diamond-tipped horn, steel-like muscles, and stone armor as solid as fortress walls. But despite its incredible physical attack and defense, its low speed and special defense made it easy prey for Luna's swift and devastating special attacks.
After a few calculated maneuvers and perfectly timed strikes, Alex closed the match without difficulty, sealing a flawless victory.
Brock walked over, his expression now more relaxed, and extended a hand."Alex, thank you! Because of you, I've seen the flaws in my own style."Alex shook his hand, his tone humble. "Thank you."
Brock then handed over the Pewter Badge. But when his eyes fell on Alex's badge case, he froze — inside was… just one badge, and now with this, only two.
"You… only have two badges?" Brock asked in surprise."That's right — just two," Alex replied casually.
Brock was silent for a long while. He had assumed Alex was a seasoned trainer, but reality proved quite the opposite.
After the badge ceremony, Brock announced the end of today's challenges, as most of his Pokémon were no longer able to battle. The audience gradually dispersed, satisfied after witnessing a high-level fight.
Red and Green left with the crowd, each feeling a growing desire to one day stand on the battlefield like Alex — powerful, confident, and admired by all.