Chapter 174: Encounter with Flint—Volkner’s Rekindled Fighting Spirit

Within an hour and a half, all participants had reached the finish line and the final award ceremony was about to commence.

"After an intense competition, the Sinnoh Recharge Tournament has finally come to an end! Paul, the contestant from Veilstone City, and his partner Electivire have fought fiercely and emerged as the champions!"

"Let's award them the gold medal and championship trophy…"

As the ceremony concluded, Paul had achieved his goal. With his newly earned privilege of purchasing items from the League's discounted store, he made his selection—

A Mega Stone! Specifically, a Garchompite!

Of course, Mega Stones were available. However, even within the League's inventory, their numbers were limited.

The previously obtained Garchompite had already been handed over to Cynthia, leaving them temporarily out of stock.

According to the event organizers, they could acquire another one but it would take time to negotiate an exchange with another League.

Since he couldn't get it immediately, Paul chose to wait instead of settling for something else. He even asked about a Metagrossite, but naturally, they didn't have that either.

With nothing left to do but wait for the delivery, Paul shifted his focus to prepare for his next Gym battle.

It was common knowledge that each Gym Leader in every region varied in difficulty.

Some granted Badges to Trainers who merely met the minimum requirements, while others had stricter standards, demanding challengers defeat their ace Pokémon to prove their worth.

Volkner, however, was different.

As the longtime rival and friend of Flint, the Fire-type Elite Four member, Volkner had once possessed strength on par with an Elite Four-level Trainer before his period of disinterest.

Now that he had regained his motivation, his strength hadn't declined much. For his Gym battles, he typically used his secondary team, which was still on par with the ace Pokémon of most Gym Leaders—perfect for testing challengers.

As a result, Sunyshore Gym had transformed from a place that gave away free Badges into one of the toughest Gyms in Sinnoh, boasting an almost undefeated record.

Badges handed out in a year? Almost none.

Yet, due to Volkner's immense strength, deep connections, and significant contributions, no one dared to challenge his authority. If the Sinnoh League had to accept a low number of challengers completing the Gym Challenge, then so be it.

"Not bad. This should be an interesting battle."

After watching recent footage of Volkner's Gym battles, Paul's lips curled into a smirk.

The Pokémon that Volkner used in Gym battles weren't much stronger than Paul's Electivire or Garchomp, making him an ideal opponent.

Sunyshore Gym

Located near the city's outskirts close to Sunyshore Tower, Paul arrived at the Gym with his Pokémon.

Before he could even ring the doorbell, a mechanized voice spoke from the door's intercom.

"Welcome. Please state your business."

"Paul from Veilstone City. I'm here to challenge the Sunyshore Gym." He replied coolly.

"Understood. Request acknowledged. Please wait a moment."

Just as Paul was waiting, a voice suddenly called out behind him.

"Yo! Another challenger? That's rare. I'll take you inside."

A man with wild flame-red hair, wearing a yellow T-shirt, strolled over with a cocky expression, and his hands stuffed in his pockets.

At his side was an Infernape.

It was none other than Flint, one of Sinnoh's Elite Four and its Fire-type specialist.

"Mr. Flint."

Recognizing him immediately, Paul greeted him politely.

"Oh? You know me? Guess I don't need to introduce myself, then. C'mon, I'll take you to Volkner."

Stepping up to the door, Flint casually spoke.

"It's me, Flint. Open up."

"Identity verification in progress… Identity confirmed!"

"Welcome, esteemed Mr. Flint. Opening the door now."

With a mechanical click, the door swung open.

"Let's go. Hope you're strong enough to make things interesting… but not too strong. That'd be troublesome." Flint led the way inside, making idle conversation.

"Too strong? Troublesome?" Paul frowned.

Volkner was widely known as the strongest Gym Leader in Sinnoh. Losing with his Gym team was one thing, but in full power battles, he was easily one of the top ten Trainers in the region.

Even Elite Four-level Trainers wouldn't dare claim a guaranteed victory over Volkner at full strength.

So why did Flint look so… concerned?

"Well… let's just say Volkner was in a slump for a long time—completely unmotivated."

"But after watching the last Indigo League tournament, he started getting his fighting spirit back. At least now, he's willing to accept challenges again."

"A kid named Lucas battled him a few days ago, and that seemed to light a spark."

Flint spoke casually, but at the mention of Lucas, his expression suddenly darkened.

Paul noticed this immediately.

"Lucas? He made you and Volkner concerned?"

Paul knew Lucas' current strength in this world. At best, he was on Paul's level—challenging, yes, but nothing that would trouble Flint and Volkner.

"Not Lucas." Flint's voice dropped slightly.

"It was a quiet kid with a Pikachu. Last year's Indigo League Champion. If I recall correctly… his name was—"

"Red."

Paul finished the sentence for him.

Flint nodded.

"Yeah. Red."

Flint's expression grew serious as he recalled the memory.

"I remember it clearly. That kid showed up, standing silently across from Volkner… with a round-faced Pikachu by his side."

"In that moment… I could feel it. Volkner's fighting spirit reignited."

"They fought a full battle, and the outcome was shocking."

"Volkner's six strongest Pokémon… only managed to defeat one of Red's Pokémon."

Paul's eyes narrowed.

Flint continued, his voice grim.

"And then… fresh off that intense battle, the kid turned to me."

"After a short break, we had a 6v6 full battle. I fought with everything I had…"

"I only managed to take two of his Pokémon down."

A heavy silence hung between them.

"That kid… gave me the same feeling as battling Cynthia."

"It was terrifying."

"Honestly… I don't think it'll be long before…"

Flint trailed off, shaking his head.

"Anyway, we're here. Let's see how your battle goes."

As an automated door slid open, a vast battlefield came into view.

Standing at one end was a blond-haired man, his Raichu calmly by his side—waiting.

"Volkner, I brought your challenger. Give him a good fight."

Flint waved dismissively before heading to the spectator stands to watch.

Paul stepped forward.

"Mr. Volkner, I'm Paul from Veilstone City. Please, let's have a great match."

Volkner's gaze was steady.

"Let's see what you've got. Don't disappoint me."

A small referee bot floated to the center of the battlefield.

"Gym battle commencement. Each side may use three Pokémon. Victory is determined when all of one side's Pokémon are unable to battle. The challenger may switch Pokémon, but the Gym Leader may not."

"Challenger has the first move."

Volkner tossed his first Poké Ball into the air.

"Go, Electivire!"

"Electivire!"

A powerful-looking Electivire stepped onto the battlefield, grinning as it locked eyes with Paul.

Electivire, huh…

Originally, Paul had planned to enter this battle with Torterra, Electivire, and Garchomp, using Elec's training methods to hone his own Pokémon's skills.

An Electivire vs. Electivire matchup would have been a perfect opportunity to identify weaknesses and refine their strategies.

But after seeing Flint and listening to what he had to say, Paul's mindset has changed.

This battle would serve one of two purposes—either force his opponent to reveal something he didn't already know… or achieve a complete and overwhelming victory!

"Get ready to battle—Garchomp, you're up!"

"GAAAR!"

With a mighty dragon's roar, a towering Garchomp emerged onto the battlefield, standing several meters away and gazing down at Electivire with an imposing presence.

"Garchomp?"

What the heck?! Big Bro?!

The moment it let out its first battle cry, Garchomp hadn't even registered its opponent clearly. But when it finally got a good look, realization struck, followed immediately by an uncontrollable surge of excitement.

Garchomp genuinely looked up to Electivire as an older brother. But that didn't mean it wasn't dying to take him down.

Right now, even though its opponent wasn't actually Big Bro, it had finally found an Electivire that was close to its own strength.

And that was more than enough to get Garchomp fired up.

I might not be able to beat Big Bro… but I sure as hell can beat you!

"Electivire…"

Seeing the increasingly aggressive glint in Garchomp's eyes, Electivire suddenly felt a little nervous.

But hey—Paul had been on the receiving end of enough crushing defeats himself.

Maybe it was about time he got to be the one dishing out the pain.

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