Chapter 159: A Battle of Flames
After taking the cable car from the mountain summit to its base, Lavaridge Town became clearly visible in the distance.
Lavaridge Town, famous for its hot springs, was a town with a large elderly population. Walking along the streets of Lavaridge, it was difficult to spot young people.
Ryan and his companions first went to the Pokémon Center to heal their Pokémon. After lunch, they discussed their plans to challenge the Gym, then spend two days resting in Lavaridge Town and enjoying the hot springs.
Their next destination was Fallarbor Town, where they would participate in the Pokémon Contest. However, Ryan likely wouldn't be able to cheer Ruby on this time. He had to go to Meteor Falls near Fallarbor Town. After all, he had agreed with Zinnia to discuss the Rayquaza situation with the Draconids.
It wasn't that Ryan didn't want to bring them along, but the fewer people who knew about this, the better. After all, they still had to be cautious of certain League members, otherwise things would become complicated.
After lunch, Ryan and his companions arrived at the Lavaridge Gym. The person who opened the door for them was a young woman. Ryan recognized her as Flannery, the current Gym Leader of the Lavaridge Gym.
"Are you the challengers?" Flannery asked, her eyes shining. "Who's going to challenge the Gym?"
"It's both of us," Ryan said. "I'm Ryan from Pallet Town, and she's Sapphire from Littleroot Town."
"Oh! Two of you?!" Flannery asked excitedly. "Are you rookie trainers? My grandfather is here, so there are two of us. I can have a Gym Battle with a new trainer!"
Ryan smiled and said, "I've been traveling for over two years, and Sapphire just started her journey. As for how to arrange the Gym Battles, I should probably ask Gym Leader Moore."
"Yes, that works," Flannery said.
She then quickly led Ryan and his group to the Gym's battle arena. Inside, a gray-haired old man was coaching a young trainer in combat. Seeing Flannery leading the group in, the old man said, "You're the challengers, right? Who wants to battle me?"
"Grandpa, there are two challengers this time: Ryan from Pallet Town, and Sapphire from Littleroot Town. Sapphire's a new trainer. Can I battle her?" Flannery asked.
"Yes, that's fine. After all, you're running the Gym now, so it's good to get more experience," Moore said with a smile. But then, he became interested in Ryan and said, "You're from Pallet Town! Then you must know Professor Oak, right? I'm a huge fan of his Pokémon lectures."
He then grabbed Ryan and began to ramble on about his deep connection with Professor Oak's research. Ryan couldn't get a word in, so he just listened. However, this reminded him of Professor Birch. They were both quite talkative!
"Here we go again! Grandpa gets all excited when he mentions Professor Oak," Flannery said helplessly. "Well, forget about them for now, Sapphire. Let's have our Gym Battle."
"Okay," Sapphire nodded, ignoring Ryan's pleading look.
The young referee also stepped forward and said, "Now, the Gym Battle for the Lavaridge Gym will begin. Each side will use three Pokémon, and only the challenger can substitute Pokémon. The battle ends when all Pokémon on one side are unable to battle."
"Okay, I'll go first!" Flannery said.
A Slugma appeared on the field, and Sapphire immediately sent out Lombre, intending to use Water-type moves to counter it.
"Lombre, Water Gun!" Sapphire called out.
Lombre fired a Water Gun at Slugma without hesitation. The Water Gun hit Slugma, creating a large amount of steam, but the next second, a ring of light hit Lombre. Sapphire frowned: Yawn—this was going to be difficult.
"Lombre, Brine!" Sapphire commanded.
A jet of water with a strong salty smell hit Slugma. The salt seeped into its body, causing it significant pain. However, Slugma was very slow, making it nearly impossible to dodge attacks unless it was in lava, where it could move much faster.
After being hit by Brine, Lombre fell into a deep sleep. Flannery immediately said, "Slugma, Body Slam, then use Smog!"
Slugma immediately moved and leaped toward Lombre, pinning it underneath. While dealing damage, Slugma's scorching body also burned Lombre. Then Slugma sprayed a mouthful of Smog in Lombre's face, immediately ending the battle.
"Lombre is unable to battle, Slugma wins!" said the referee.
"Come back, Lombre. I was careless," Sapphire said. "I'm counting on you now, Aron."
Aron appeared on the field. Flannery laughed, "Sending out a Steel-type Aron isn't a wise move. Slugma, Flame Burst!"
"But comparatively, my Aron also has the Rock-type. Aron, Head Smash!" Sapphire countered.
Aron ignored the Flame Burst and, with its powerful momentum, slammed into Slugma, sending it flying and rendering it unable to battle. Aron, with its Rock Head ability, ignored recoil damage from moves.
"Come back, Slugma," Flannery said. "It's up to you now, Growlithe!"
"Roar!" Sapphire shouted immediately.
As Growlithe landed, Aron roared back, and a Torkoal appeared on the field.
"Disrupt the rhythm! Aron, Head Smash!" Sapphire called out.
Aron lowered its head and charged directly at Torkoal, while Flannery decisively used Overheat. Torkoal unleashed a powerful flaming attack from its body, hurling it at Aron. Aron, facing the Overheat head-on, charged into Torkoal. Head Smash, a powerful Rock-type move in its own right, combined with the Fire-type attack, unleashed immense power. With a loud crash, both Pokémon flew backward, both unable to continue battling.
Ryan glanced at the battle. While this head-to-head clash looked exciting, it required very little strategy. He doubted Sapphire would use this approach much longer. After all, he preferred speed-based tactics, and he had his own strategies for dealing with slower Pokémon.
With both Pokémon down, Sapphire and Flannery were each left with only one Pokémon. They took a deep breath and simultaneously sent out their final Pokémon: Combusken versus Growlithe.
"Combusken, Flame Charge!" Sapphire commanded.
"Take it, Growlithe!" Flannery declared confidently.
Flame Charge struck Growlithe, but the flames were instantly absorbed by Growlithe thanks to its Flash Fire ability. Then, with a burst of flame, Combusken was sent flying. Combusken tumbled through the air several times before landing firmly on the ground.
"Quick Attack!" Sapphire called out.
"Agility to dodge it!" Flannery countered.
The two Pokémon instantly engaged in a chase across the field. Growlithe, with repeated Agility boosts, gradually gained speed, then spun around and used Bite on Combusken.
"This is what I've been waiting for! Combusken, Sky Uppercut!" Sapphire shouted.
"No! Get away, Growlithe!" Flannery yelled.
But it was too late. Sky Uppercut formed in Combusken's fist, and with a powerful punch, it sent Growlithe flying. Sapphire yelled, "Don't give it a chance! Flame Charge into Aerial Ace!"
Combusken unleashed a powerful leg-powered charge, racing straight at Growlithe. Then, with a sharp swipe of its claws, it slammed Growlithe to the ground. Growlithe whimpered, unable to continue battling!
"Growlithe is unable to battle, Combusken wins! Therefore, the winner is Sapphire from Littleroot Town!" the referee declared.
Upon hearing this, Ryan immediately stood up and said, "Mr. Moore, the battle's over! Let's get started on our Gym Battle!"
"Huh? It's over already? I wanted to talk for a while longer," Moore said wistfully.
Ryan shuddered. Better get the Gym Battle started soon; the old man's enthusiasm was too intense to handle.
Sapphire accepted the Heat Badge that Moore handed her and retreated to the stands to watch Ryan's Gym Battle.
At the referee's command, Ryan and Moore released their first Pokémon.
(End of Chapter)
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