Chapter 388: First Battle as Acting Gym Leader
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In the blink of an eye, Viridian Gym had a new acting Gym Leader for the morning. However, in reality, Joe Kondo had not left—he was merely overseeing Sato in his role as a temporary examiner.
At the same time, with Joe's approval, Sato had Ditto disguise itself as him. So, while the acting Gym Leader had technically changed, on the surface, it still appeared to be Joe Kondo in charge.
"Interesting. So, he's using me as a cover to lower the difficulty for himself? Once those challengers who watched the morning battles return this afternoon, they're in for a nasty surprise."
Standing at the edge of the battlefield, Joe, now disguised as the referee with a mask and sunglasses, glanced at Sato—who was currently disguised as him—standing on the battle platform.
He then shifted his gaze to the newly arrived challengers, chuckling to himself.
In the morning, Joe had already used several Ground-type Pokémon and showcased their battle styles. The more skilled challengers who had observed the matches would undoubtedly return with strategies tailored for a rematch.
However, now that the "Joe Kondo" on the battlefield was actually Sato in disguise, their preparations were bound to be in vain. After all, an imposter was still an imposter—the difference in battle styles between the two was vast, and the challengers were in for an unexpected shock.
Soon, Sato's first official Gym battle as the acting Gym Leader commenced. The challenger was Yoshiko from Celadon City.
Since Viridian Gym was a Ground-type Gym, the battlefield, as always, featured a rugged rock terrain with scattered sand and gravel. As the acting Gym Leader, Sato was required to send out his Pokémon first.
Additionally, as a temporary Gym Leader, he had the authority to modify the battle rules. Instead of the original three-on-three format set by Joe, Sato changed it to a two-on-two match.
"Come out, Swampert, and accept the challenge!"
Since he was standing in as the Ground-type Gym Leader, Sato had to play the part. Without hesitation, he released Swampert—his only Ground-type Pokémon.
"Swamp!"
The next second, the massive, mountain-like figure of Swampert appeared on the rocky battlefield.
As soon as it sensed the intense battle atmosphere, its eyes ignited with fighting spirit, and it let out a thunderous roar of challenge.
An overwhelming aura surged from Swampert, causing all the surrounding trainers to tense up, their expressions turning serious.
"What an impressive Swampert."
Joe, still disguised as the referee, couldn't help but be stunned. As a trainer specializing in Ground-types, he could instantly tell how extraordinary this Swampert was. A flicker of envy passed through his heart.
"Go, Venusaur! You'll take the lead!"
Yoshiko, a trainer who had already collected seven Gym Badges, wasn't intimidated by Swampert's imposing presence. Instead, it only fueled her fighting spirit.
Without hesitation, she sent out her starter Pokémon, Venusaur.
As Yoshiko's PokéBall opened, a bright white light shot onto the battlefield. When the glow faded, a well-developed Venusaur stood tall, its powerful frame ready for battle.
"A Level 42 Venusaur... As expected, anyone daring to challenge Viridian Gym has to be strong."
A faint blue gleam flashed in Sato's eyes as he used his system's scan function to analyze Venusaur's data. Then, glancing at the eager trainers in the audience, his expression grew more serious.
.....
Venusaur's Stats:
Pokémon: Venusaur
Level: 42
Type: Grass/Poison
Ability: Overgrow
Gender: Female
Known Moves: Petal Dance, Tackle, Growl, Leech Seed, Vine Whip, Poison Powder, Sleep Powder, Take Down, Razor Leaf, Sweet Scent, Growth, Double-Edge, Worry Seed
Egg Moves: Giga Drain, Ingrain
Tutor Moves: Magical Leaf
TM Moves: Protect, Hyper Beam, Hidden Power (Dark), Energy Ball, Venoshock, Seed Bomb
Held Item: Miracle Seed
IVs:
HP: 26/31
Attack: 24/31
Defense: 23/31
Special Attack: 23/31
Special Defense: 24/31
Speed: 21/31
[Overall IV Rating: Purple (141/186)]
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"Venusaur, use Razor Leaf!"
According to Gym Battle rules, the challenger always made the first move. Having battled through multiple Gyms before, Yoshiko was well aware of this.
The moment Venusaur entered the battlefield, she immediately commanded the attack.
Venusaur responded instantly, launching a flurry of rapidly spinning leaves, each shaped like a razor-sharp green shuriken, streaking toward Swampert from the front.
Seeing Yoshiko opting for a probing attack, Sato remained silent, but Swampert—well-experienced in battle—instinctively reacted.
Lifting its foot slightly, Swampert stomped forward, channeling Ground-type energy to raise a sturdy earth wall. In an instant, a thick barrier of dirt and rock materialized in front of it.
"Shhh!"
A moment later, Venusaur's Razor Leaf barrage slammed into the earthen wall, scattering upon impact.
"Venusaur, use Seed Bomb to break through the wall! Follow up with Magical Leaf to guard against a ground-based sneak attack!"
Yoshiko reacted quickly. The moment she saw Swampert raise the wall, she issued another command.
Venusaur's eyes sharpened. The previous Razor Leaf had been merely a warm-up, but now it was time to get serious.
A large, glowing green energy seed formed in its mouth before being launched like a bullet toward Swampert's earthen barrier.
Simultaneously, numerous emerald-colored energy leaves began falling from Venusaur's massive flower, hovering around it in a five-meter radius.
These Magical Leaf projectiles would automatically home in on Swampert the moment it attempted to emerge from underground.
Boom!
With a thunderous explosion, the Seed Bomb shattered the earthen wall, revealing Swampert standing still behind it.
Although the Seed Bomb's Grass-type energy explosion had hit its mark, the thick barrier had absorbed most of the impact, leaving Swampert relatively unscathed.
At that moment, Swampert raised both hands, and without anyone noticing, a mass of dark clouds had already gathered above the battlefield. The clouds were expanding rapidly.
A few seconds later, as the first raindrop fell from the darkened sky, a torrential downpour engulfed the battlefield.
Swampert, with its perfect IVs, possessed extraordinary control over Water-type energy. The Rain Dance it had conjured formed an exceptionally dense and heavy cloud, releasing a massive amount of rainwater.
Due to the intense rainfall, the floating Magical Leaf projectiles were drenched and forced to the ground, rendering the move ineffective.
Before long, the rocky terrain was completely submerged in rainwater. What was once a dry, gravel-strewn battlefield had transformed into a vast pool of murky, muddy water.