Chapter 17: Celadon Gym, Mewtwo's Power
Ten days passed in a flash, and Ryan and Lillie, riding Nidorina, arrived in Celadon City.
The journey, originally supposed to take three days, was extended to a full week. The reason was simply Lillie's obsession: she absolutely had to capture that Pikachu that had caused her injury!
A girl's determination is truly formidable, even if she's still young. After a week of searching, they finally encountered the wild Pikachu again. Then, with Ryan feeling exasperated, all six of his Pokémon surrounded Pikachu from every angle.
Finally, with his team preventing Pikachu's escape, the Electric-type reluctantly succumbed to their overwhelming numbers, and Lillie easily captured it with her Poké Ball. Meanwhile, with Ryan's guidance, Nidoran♀ evolved into Nidorina. At 1.6 meters tall, Nidorina could easily carry Lillie's weight, and Ryan was finally freed from his ten-day role as her mount.
Although initially, carrying Lillie on his back had created some intimate and awkward moments full of tension, over time, being the transportation for a girl so focused on "revenge" wouldn't create any romantic atmosphere—it was just exhausting being used as a ride. After capturing Pikachu, Lillie rode Nidorina and followed Ryan out of the forest. However, these days of training had paid off. With the exception of Mewtwo, his other five Pokémon had all reached level 40, and Mewtwo had also reached level 28. Only a few rare items remained to complete his Pokédex collection quest.
10,000 Battle Points, a random set of Mega Evolution Stones, and two system upgrade permissions unlocked—a bright future awaited! With these happy thoughts in mind, Celadon City came into view.
Entering Celadon City, Ryan and Lillie rushed to the Pokémon Center, where they enjoyed hot showers and a hearty meal. Lillie also had Nurse Joy examine her ankle. After diagnosis, Nurse Joy changed the bandages and told her the injury was healing well—she expected to be able to walk normally again in two or three days.
After a day of rest at the Pokémon Center, the two arrived at the Celadon Gym early the next morning to challenge it.
Upon entering the gym, they saw a group of women tending to Grass-type Pokémon in what looked like a greenhouse paradise. After Ryan explained his purpose, one of the women led them into the gym's official battle arena.
Meeting the gym leader, Erika, Ryan said, "I'm Ryan from Pallet Town, and I've come to challenge the Celadon Gym."
"Welcome. I'm Erika, the gym leader. I accept your challenge," Erika, dressed in an elegant kimono, said gracefully before sending out a Bellsprout.
Ryan hesitated for a moment, then sent out Mewtwo. Erika looked at the small Mewtwo and exclaimed softly, "What an unusual Pokémon! I've never seen one like this before. But seeing how small it is, it must have hatched only recently, right?"
Ryan gently patted little Mewtwo's head and said, "Yes, it's only been with us for about two weeks. But Gym Leader Erika, you'll be at a disadvantage if you underestimate it. After all, when it reaches maturity, its strength will be comparable to that of a Legendary Pokémon."
"Comparable to a Legendary Pokémon?" Erika asked skeptically. "We'll see about that after we battle. This will be a three-on-three match. If all three Pokémon are unable to battle, the match ends. You may attack first."
Seeing Erika's disbelief and the look of doubt in her eyes, Ryan smiled and said, "Mewtwo, it seems we're being underestimated. Let's send a psychic greeting first."
Little Mewtwo nodded and pointed at Bellsprout. It instantly used Psychic to lift Bellsprout into the air and hold it suspended. With a flick of its finger, Bellsprout slammed hard into the ground, instantly losing its ability to fight.
"Bellsprout! Return!" Erika recalled her Bellsprout with a distressed expression. "It seems I did underestimate you, but I won't make that mistake again! Go, Weepinbell!"
"Weepinbell, use Razor Leaf!" Erika didn't give Ryan the first move, launching her attack immediately.
"Psybeam!" Ryan commanded.
With a wave of its hand, Mewtwo fired a psychic beam that tore through the Razor Leaf attack and struck Weepinbell, instantly defeating it before Erika's astonished gaze.
Ryan nodded and said, "Gym Leader Erika, please bring out your ace Pokémon. I want to see Mewtwo's true limits. After all, even my starter Charizard would lose to Mewtwo if I didn't take the battle seriously, let alone the Pokémon you use to test beginning trainers."
"I see. It seems your claim that Mewtwo could become a Legendary Pokémon wasn't just boasting. I apologize for my skepticism, and I'll send out my strongest partner. Go, Vileplume!" Erika said with newfound respect.
With that, a magnificent Vileplume appeared on the field. Ryan took one look and drew a sharp breath: a Vileplume with perfect Individual Values, and judging by its presence, at least level 70 or higher.
"Vileplume, Sunny Day!" Erika commanded.
Vileplume launched a sphere of energy into the sky, and the sunlight suddenly intensified throughout the gym. Ryan wasn't about to let her control the weather advantage. He immediately shouted, "Mewtwo, Hail!"
Heavy snow began falling throughout the arena, dealing chip damage to both Pokémon each turn. Erika didn't bother trying to change the weather again, knowing Ryan would just counter it. "Vileplume, Sleep Powder!"
"Light Screen!" Ryan refused to give ground, directly negating the status condition attempt.
"What a thorough strategist! Vileplume, Petal Dance!" Erika unleashed her ultimate move, hoping to quickly eliminate Mewtwo. After all, she had already revealed her ace—losing now would be embarrassing.
"Protect, then Focus Energy!" Ryan commanded.
The protective barrier shielded Mewtwo, blocking the powerful Grass-type attack, while Mewtwo concentrated its energy to dramatically increase its critical hit ratio for the next attack.
Erika immediately had Vileplume continue with Petal Dance. Mewtwo, not daring to underestimate the attack, had already prepared its counter-strategy.
The subsequent Petal Dance successfully connected with Mewtwo, directly reducing it to critically low HP. Ryan steeled himself and called, "Psybeam—full power!"
Mewtwo used the last of its strength and fired a concentrated Psybeam at Vileplume. At the same time, Vileplume's final Petal Dance struck Mewtwo.
There was a brilliant flash of light as both attacks connected. Mewtwo collapsed, unable to continue battling, while Vileplume staggered, having lost about one-fifth of its remaining health.
"Return, Mewtwo. You did amazing," Ryan recalled his fallen partner and sent out his next Pokémon. "It's your turn, Charizard! Use Flamethrower!"
Vileplume, caught in the confusion from Petal Dance's side effects, failed to dodge the Fire-type attack. After just one Flamethrower, Vileplume was reduced to half health. Ryan was pleased and shouted, "Keep the pressure on! Don't let up!"
"Vileplume, Giga Drain!" Erika called out nervously.
Charizard's Flamethrower barrage continued relentlessly, while Vileplume retaliated with Giga Drain to restore some health. However, the type advantage was overwhelming. By the time the exchange ended, Vileplume was hanging on by a thread.
"One final Petal Dance!" Erika was somewhat frustrated. The confusion status had lasted longer than expected; otherwise, she might have been able to defeat Charizard and force a decisive third round.
"Finish it with Flamethrower!" Charizard was only level 43, no match for Vileplume's level 70+. Just two Giga Drains during the exchange had already severely weakened Charizard. This was only possible due to Fire-type's advantage over Grass-type; otherwise, a single Giga Drain would likely have defeated any of Ryan's other Pokémon.
Both attacks launched simultaneously. The Flamethrower and Petal Dance collided in mid-air before both struck their targets. Both Pokémon collapsed at the same moment, ending the gym battle in a dramatic double knockout.
"That was an incredible battle," Erika said, walking over with a smile. "Your Mewtwo truly is remarkable. I can see why you believe it will become legendary. Please accept this Rainbow Badge as proof of your victory."
Ryan accepted the badge gratefully. "Thank you, Erika. That Vileplume of yours is incredibly strong. This battle taught me a lot about strategy and never underestimating an opponent."
(To be continued...)
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