Pokemon: Gym Leader

"Incineroar!"

Dylan flipped his hand and tossed out the Poké Ball.

The fierce Incineroar reappeared in front of Dylan, letting out a low growl in a show of intimidation toward Red.

Red: "…"

Seeing Incineroar, Red fell silent.

"Blastoise."

Despite his silence, Red still opened his Poké Ball, and Blastoise landed in front of him once more.

Then came the familiar combination—Intimidate + Fake Out + Parting Shot—a three-hit debuff sequence. Red frowned but found himself helpless against it.

This was truly… an utterly unreasonable weakening strategy.

Next, Dylan switched to Ninetales, bringing the harsh sunlight back into play with its Drought ability.

"Baton Pass." Dylan quickly recalled Ninetales.

"Shell Smash!"

Red hesitated for a moment before issuing his command to Blastoise. With all of Dylan's tactical maneuvers, he couldn't just sit there and watch.

But attacking was pointless—before any move could reach Ninetales, it would likely already be back in its Poké Ball.

Red also refrained from using Rain Dance to counter the harsh sunlight, because Ninetales and Incineroar could rotate seamlessly!

If he used Rain Dance now, Dylan could simply switch back to Incineroar and use Parting Shot to cycle Ninetales in again—it would be meaningless.

Blastoise let out a low growl as a brilliant white light continuously flashed around its body.

Shell Smash!

A Normal-type move that lowers the user's Defense and Special Defense by one stage but drastically increases Attack, Special Attack, and Speed!

It was a high-risk, high-reward setup move—but in this case?

Due to Incineroar's debuffs, Blastoise's Attack had only returned to its normal level, its Special Attack had only risen by one stage, and the only true gain was in Speed.

"Iron Moth! Get ready for battle!"

Dylan tossed out his fourth Pokémon.

With a flash of white light, a Pokémon resembling Volcarona hovered silently in front of him.

It shared many physical traits with Volcarona, but its mechanical design was unmistakable—even its wings looked like they were made of cold, lifeless metal, giving it an eerie presence.

This was Iron Moth!

Beep—Iron Moth, Fire/Poison-type, Paradox Pokémon.

Ability: Quark Drive

Moves: Bug Buzz, Overheat, Morning Sun, Fiery Dance, Sludge Wave, Discharge, Fire Blast, Electric Terrain…

Description: This Pokémon bears a strong resemblance to unidentified flying objects (UFOs) rumored to observe humans, as reported in supernatural magazines.

Dylan's Rotom Pokédex provided detailed information on Iron Moth, but the Pokédexes of Blue and the others failed to recognize it.

"What is that Pokémon?"

Red tried to recall any knowledge of this Pokémon but found nothing in his memory.

From its appearance, could it be a different form of Volcarona?

"Iron Moth is a Paradox Pokémon with Fire and Poison typing," Dylan explained. He never liked keeping type advantages a secret.

"…"

Red's crimson eyes flickered slightly. He was already familiar with Paradox Pokémon—after all, Dylan had gifted him a powerful Roaring Moon!

And with a Fire + Poison typing, that meant Iron Moth had a quadruple weakness to Ground moves.

However, since Iron Moth was airborne, hitting it with a Ground-type move would be a challenge.

Red remained cautious. Based on what Dylan had said earlier, this Iron Moth was likely just as strong as the Volcarona from before—if not even stronger!

"Blastoise, use Hydro Pump!"

Pulling down his cap slightly, Red gave the order—he needed to gauge Iron Moth's strength first.

Blastoise let out a roar as the twin cannons on its back began to glow blue.

Hydro Pump!

Although Blastoise wasn't at full health—having taken a hit from Volcarona's Fiery Dance earlier and being struck twice by Incineroar's Fake Out—

thanks to Shell Smash, it had negated the effects of Parting Shot and boosted its Special Attack by one stage.

As a result, this Hydro Pump was just as strong as the one used against Volcarona earlier!

A massive surge of water erupted, crashing toward Iron Moth like an unstoppable tidal wave.

"Fire Blast." Dylan smiled.

Iron Moth slid backward with an eerie grace, its body glowing red as flames condensed in front of it.

A massive, kanji-shaped blaze erupted forward, colliding directly with the incoming Hydro Pump.

Another head-on clash?! Dylan really had a fiery personality!

Many spectators in the stands were astonished—few trainers would dare to pit a Fire-type move directly against a Water-type move in sheer force.

BOOM!

Fire Blast and Hydro Pump clashed violently, their immense power surging against one another, neither side yielding.

But soon, Blue and the others noticed with shock—Iron Moth's Fire Blast was beginning to overpower Hydro Pump!

"What…?"

The Bird Keeper was utterly stunned. He wasn't mistaken—Fire Blast was actually pushing Hydro Pump back toward Blastoise!

This completely defied logic!

Red narrowed his eyes at the sight.

Blastoise's Hydro Pump wasn't any weaker than before—this wasn't a matter of Blastoise getting weaker.

It was that Iron Moth was even stronger than Volcarona!

"Red, my Iron Moth has a much higher Special Attack than Volcarona!" Dylan grinned.

Indeed, Iron Moth's Special Attack was significantly higher than Volcarona's!

Although the harsh sunlight didn't activate Iron Moth's ability, it still boosted the power of Fire-type moves.

"Blastoise!" Red called out.

Blastoise roared, squeezing out every bit of its strength to intensify Hydro Pump.

"Iron Moth, overpower it!" Dylan commanded.

Iron Moth's mechanical core glowed ominously as Fire Blast surged in size, its advance accelerating.

BOOM!

Hydro Pump was completely overwhelmed and evaporated—Fire Blast crashed directly into Blastoise!

Fiery explosions erupted, sending red-hot embers flying as shockwaves spread outward, drowning out Blastoise's cries of pain.

A searing heatwave rolled across the battlefield, forcing Red to shield his face to avoid taking the brunt of it.

What a powerful Fire Blast!

Red frowned—despite the sunlight's boost and debuffs, the fact that Iron Moth could outright overpower Blastoise's Hydro Pump was ridiculous.

Smoke and dust filled the air, obscuring Blastoise's figure completely.

"Discharge!" Dylan ordered without hesitation.

He didn't need to see Blastoise.

Iron Moth hovered above the battlefield, sparks of electricity crackling around its metallic wings.

A second later, a massive wave of electric energy surged downward—Discharge!

"Protect!" Red commanded immediately.

Electricity was super-effective against Blastoise—he couldn't afford to take the hit.

Within the smoke, Blastoise barely managed to conjure a protective barrier. Discharge struck the shield, golden lightning crackling violently, but it failed to break through.

"Keep using Discharge."

How long could it keep blocking?

Iron Moth's body sparked with energy again as another wave of lightning rained down.

Red knew he had to act fast—Blastoise couldn't stay on the defensive forever.

The second Discharge struck, but Blastoise was gone—a dark hole was left in its place.

"Dig?"

Dylan raised an eyebrow—Iron Moth had no way to counter Dig.

"Prepare Fiery Dance."

Iron Moth's metallic wings shimmered as flames began to dance along them.

At that moment, Blastoise burst from the ground behind it, cloaked in Ground-type energy, lunging toward Iron Moth!

"Fiery Dance!"

Iron Moth swiftly turned, releasing a surge of scorching flames just as Blastoise reached striking range.

BOOM!

Fiery Dance Clashes with Blastoise's Dig!

Blastoise pushed forward with all its might, trying to break through the wall of flames from Iron Moth's Fiery Dance. Red's crimson eyes flickered with sharp focus.

If Dig could land a hit on Iron Moth, even if it meant a trade of damage, it would still be worth it. But landing a hit on Iron Moth was easier said than done.

With a sudden flap of Iron Moth's wings, the flames of Fiery Dance surged violently.

BOOM!

A deafening explosion rocked the battlefield, and the sky was painted in dazzling flames, reflecting in the eyes of every spectator.

"No way—Dig can't get close to Iron Moth! Its Fire-type attacks are way too strong!"

The Psychic-type trainer wiped the sweat from his face, staring in awe at the sea of crimson flames that had engulfed the battlefield.

Even Hydro Pump had failed to overpower Iron Moth's flames—there was no way Dig could withstand the full force of Fiery Dance head-on.

"That's right. Shell Smash did boost Blastoise's Attack, but because of Incineroar's debuffs, it only balanced out to normal levels."

Leaf fanned herself with a poster. "Damn, it's getting hotter in here!"The Rotan Gym's ceiling had already been opened, but with Sunny Day still active and Dylan's Fire-type Pokémon continuously using Fire moves, the temperature remained high.

Yet, not a single spectator left—a little heat was nothing compared to the excitement of witnessing this incredible gym battle!

"There's still some time left on Sunny Day. Blastoise definitely can't match up to Iron Moth. But—wait! That's a Substitute?!"

The Psychic trainer had been analyzing the fight but suddenly widened his eyes in shock.

On the battlefield, Fiery Dance had detonated.

Blastoise should have been knocked down from the sky—yet, in that instant, its body vanished in a puff of white smoke!

That was the effect of a Substitute being destroyed!

Sure enough, the real Blastoise appeared right where its Substitute had been, cloaked in swirling, surging water, charging straight at Iron Moth!

Aqua Jet!

Not only that, but a bright blue energy aura surrounded Blastoise—its Torrent ability had been activated!

"Incredible—he used Substitute underground?" Dylan raised an eyebrow in surprise. But then, a grin slowly spread across his face.

That's just like you, Red!

BANG!

Blastoise's Aqua Jet crashed into Iron Moth before it could retreat, sending the mechanical-winged Pokémon hurtling down like a missile. It slammed hard into the battlefield floor.

Water-type moves were super-effective against Iron Moth, and with Torrent active, Aqua Jet's power was further boosted.Even under Sunny Day, which weakened Water moves, this attack still dealt massive damage to Iron Moth.

On top of that, just like Volcarona, Iron Moth's physical defense was low, making the impact even more devastating.

"Wow! That was incredible! That hit did serious damage to Iron Moth!"

Mitsuki gasped in amazement. This Red guy was insanely skilled.

"Yeah, using Substitute underground—that was a brilliant strategy. He must have known from the start that Dig wouldn't work against Iron Moth."

Leaf was just as impressed. This kind of battle IQ was on another level!

With Iron Moth sent crashing down, Blastoise landed heavily as well—but the moment its feet touched the ground, it winced in pain.

Wave Crash was powerful—but it had recoil damage.

"Discharge."

At that moment, a golden bolt of electricity shot out, striking Blastoise the instant its recoil ended.

ZZZTT!

Sparks crackled violently across Blastoise's body, sending jolts of pain through it as it curled up slightly, letting out a low growl of agony.

Not far away, Iron Moth slowly lifted itself back into the air. Its mechanical wings flickered with residual electricity, its form battered yet still standing.

Its eerie cross-shaped eyes locked onto Blastoise with a cold, mechanical intensity.

"So fast…?" Red's brows furrowed. It was because of Wave Crash's recoil.

If there had been no recoil stun, Blastoise could have chased after Iron Moth—but now, it was too late.

BOOM!

Another Discharge erupted, lightning surging through the battlefield. The explosion of electrical energy sent shockwaves outward.

As the smoke cleared, Blastoise lay unconscious on the ground.

"Blastoise is unable to battle. Iron Moth wins!" Leaf announced the result.

Red silently recalled Blastoise.

That made two of his Pokémon down.

And both were Water-types…

The battle had just gotten even harder.

However, there was some good news—Iron Moth had taken a serious hit, and Sunny Day was about to end.

"Alright, Red—let's see how you plan to handle my Iron Moth next."

Dylan grinned, looking at Red with excitement in his eyes.

This was why he loved battling strong opponents!The thrill of a truly competitive fight, the unexpected twists—this was on a whole different level than facing weak trainers!

Of course, Dylan also loved crushing opponents mercilessly and basking in the admiration and shock of onlookers.

Yeah… alternating between these two feelings was pretty great!

"…"

Red could see the burning anticipation in Dylan's gaze.

His red eyes gleamed slightly as he pulled out an Ultra Ball.

Normally, most of his main Pokémon were caught using standard Poké Balls.

Except for one.

Because… this was a Pokémon that Dylan had personally given to him.

"Dylan—this is the Pokémon you gave me!"

Red threw the Ultra Ball, his crimson eyes flashing with determination.

Now, feel its power!

"Roaring Moon!"

ROOOOAAARRR!

A savage, draconic roar thundered through the Rotan Gym.

(End of Chapter)