When the weather was turbulent, my Ampharos was completely helpless.
Seeing Ampharos fail, Rosa showed no concern. Instead, she issued new instructions with precision.
"Agility! Jump up and strike the wave!"
Ampharos accelerated abruptly, leaping upward with incredible speed. It unleashed a burst of plasma aimed directly at Charizard soaring through the sky.
Charizard's response was swift and confident. Its eyes glinted with disdain as a surge of fiery power erupted from its body.
Boom!
A resounding explosion followed as Charizard, engulfed in flames, collided with Ampharos. The impact sent Ampharos hurtling backward like a cannonball, its plasma attack dissipating against the fiery shield surrounding Charizard.
"Heat Crash," Rosa murmured under her breath. The technique used Charizard's flaming body to crash into its opponent. The heavier the user, the more devastating the damage dealt. There was no doubt that Charizard's significantly heavier frame overwhelmed Ampharos, inflicting severe damage.
Ampharos plummeted to the ground, creating a deep crater upon impact.
Watching the scene unfold, Rosa frowned. This situation was becoming problematic. How could a Pokémon fight so effectively without direct guidance?
"Electricity..." she began, but her words faltered as Charizard advanced again. Flames surged around its form, painting it as a sovereign of fire. Its golden eyes glowed ominously amidst the inferno.
"Flare Blitz!" someone exclaimed.
Boom!!!
A blazing fireball descended from above, crashing into Ampharos just as it struggled to rise. The resulting explosion generated a powerful shockwave, scattering intense heat in all directions.
Rosa stood speechless at the sheer brutality of the attack. It was wild and relentless, offering no opportunity for retaliation. Was this Pokémon truly untrained?
She couldn't help but recall that Evan had never personally trained Charizard. The work was entirely Gardevoir's doing, employing her straightforward and intense training methods: beatdowns. It taught Charizard how to endure punishment, resist being overwhelmed, and seize opportunities to strike back decisively.
Charizard now embodied that philosophy, launching relentless attacks without hesitation. It aimed to overpower opponents and secure victory in a single decisive blow.
Rosa was stunned. "You've won the first round," she admitted as the smoke cleared, revealing Ampharos unconscious and unable to continue.
Reluctantly, she recalled Ampharos to its Poké Ball. Muttering under her breath, she lamented the harsh outcome. "I should've used one of my dad's Pokémon," she murmured, feeling regret.
Determined, she tossed her next Poké Ball. "Go, Magnezone!" This time, she chose one of her father's Pokémon instead of her own.
Despite her family owning a gym, Rosa wasn't a dedicated Trainer. While she had earned her Trainer's license, her true passion lay in becoming a breeder. Her current role as acting Gym Leader was only temporary until her father returned.
She sighed inwardly. Living here was challenging—constant thunderstorms made sleeping impossible.
Just as she prepared to give Magnezone its first command, Gallade stepped in, recalling Charizard. A new Poké Ball was thrown into the arena.
Rosa blinked in surprise. A switch?
Her shock deepened as the new Pokémon materialized before her.
"Shiny Lurantis?!" she gasped.
This...this was the Pokémon she had dreamed of.
Rosa's eyes lit up with excitement at the sight of a Shiny Lurantis. She had always longed to see one. Now it was right in front of her. Every instinct told her to rush over, embrace the Lurantis, and inspect it closely.
But no—this was not the time for such thoughts. The battle came first.
"This time, I'll attack first!" Rosa declared. "Magnezone, Thunderbolt!"
Without delay, Magnezone sprang into action. Its body, resembling a UFO, crackled with electricity as it unleashed a powerful Thunderbolt aimed at Lurantis.
Lurantis reacted swiftly, dodging the attack with practiced ease. Golden light began to gather on its arms as it prepared its counterattack. The Sunny Day Charizard had summoned earlier still shone overhead, allowing Lurantis to harness sunlight energy with exceptional speed. Within moments, brilliant blades of light formed around its arms.
"Lura~~!" Lurantis cried, slashing several golden light blades toward Magnezone.
Rosa frowned, realizing the challenge of facing such a swift and skilled Pokémon without a Trainer guiding it. If her reactions were slow, Magnezone might be overwhelmed.
"Magnezone, Reflect!" she commanded, hoping to counter the physical attack.
A strange, shimmering energy enveloped Magnezone, forming a protective barrier. When the light blades struck, they were deflected harmlessly.
Lurantis didn't hesitate. It abandoned the light blades and switched tactics, using Magical Leaf instead. A flurry of glowing green leaves swirled toward Magnezone, homing in on their target.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The attacks struck Magnezone directly, sending it reeling backward. It quickly regained its composure, stabilizing itself mid-air.
Rosa's frown deepened. "Lock On, then use Tri Attack!"
Magnezone's eyes gleamed as it locked onto Lurantis's position. Without missing a beat, it unleashed three rays of energy—red, blue, and yellow—straight at its target.
Lurantis, aware it couldn't dodge the Lock On attack, resorted to a different strategy. Drawing from Gardevoir's training, it used Substitute. The Tri Attack hit the decoy, which vanished in an instant, leaving Lurantis unharmed. It reappeared on the opposite side of the battlefield, having expended some energy but avoiding damage.
Not wasting any time, Lurantis launched a counterattack with Bullet Seed, firing a rapid barrage of seeds at Magnezone.
"Dodge and use Zap Cannon!" Rosa ordered.
Magnezone zigzagged deftly to evade the incoming seeds, moving in a Z-pattern. Meanwhile, an orange glow began to build on its body as it prepared the powerful Zap Cannon.
When the Bullet Seed barrage ceased, Magnezone unleashed the Zap Cannon—a massive beam of orange energy aimed squarely at Lurantis.
In response, Lurantis's body glimmered as it prepared a Solar Beam, absorbing sunlight instantaneously thanks to Sunny Day. The Solar Beam fired just as the Zap Cannon approached.
Boom!
The two beams collided, triggering a powerful explosion. The resulting shockwave knocked Lurantis off its feet, sending it skidding across the field. Despite the setback, its performance left Rosa stunned.
How had Lurantis reacted so quickly? Solar Beam was supposed to take time to charge, even with Sunny Day. Yet, this Lurantis had fired it almost instantly. Was it truly that skilled?
Even Magnezone seemed rattled, as though questioning the reality of its opponent.
This Lurantis...it was fierce. Unbelievably fierce.