Chapter 14: Battle Against Lt. Surge!
Chapter 14: Battle Against Lt. Surge!
Arrival at Vermilion Gym
After getting off the ship, Ron, Lillie, and Xiao Fei made their way to the Pokémon Center.
The moment they entered, they were met with a chaotic scene.
Everywhere they looked, Pokémon were scorched black from electrical attacks, awaiting emergency treatment.
Seeing this, Ron immediately knew—this had to be Lt. Surge's doing.
However, with Nurse Joy completely overwhelmed, it was clear that they wouldn't be able to heal their Pokémon anytime soon.
For Ron, this wasn't a big deal.
With his current team, he could easily defeat Lt. Surge.
After all, Lt. Surge's Raichu didn't even have proper move control.
Ron's Pokémon were in peak condition, so the battle would be a breeze.
But Xiao Fei's Pokémon were in bad shape, so he had no choice but to wait.
With no reason to delay, Ron headed to the gym with Lillie.
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Ron's View on Lt. Surge
As they arrived, they saw a trainer rushing out, frantically carrying a badly injured Raticate toward the Pokémon Center.
Seeing this weak Pokémon, along with the many low-quality Pokémon he had seen earlier, Ron couldn't help but sympathize with Lt. Surge.
It must be frustrating to keep battling these inexperienced trainers.
However, while Ron understood Lt. Surge's frustration, he couldn't agree with his methods.
His approach was far too extreme.
Ever since coming to the Pokémon world, despite having no real family, his Pokémon had always been by his side—traveling, eating, and living together.
To him, they were his family.
So, from the bottom of his heart, he despised anyone who mistreated Pokémon.
Lt. Surge's behavior had crossed a line, and Ron couldn't ignore it.
Suppressing his irritation, he entered the gym with Lillie.
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A Challenge to the Gym Leader
Inside the gym, Lt. Surge stood proudly in his military uniform, flanked by four apprentices.
His Raichu stood in front of him, looking round and sturdy.
The moment he saw Ron and Lillie, Lt. Surge smirked disdainfully.
"Hah! More babies have come to challenge me?!"
"Which one of you is first?"
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"Neither. I'm the only challenger."
"I'm Ron from Pallet Town. How many rounds will we battle?"
Lt. Surge raised an eyebrow.
"Hmm… two Pokémon each should do."
"Kid, you've got guts—I like that."
"My first Pokémon is Raichu!"
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"Then I'll go with Beedrill."
Ron said as he sent out his Beedrill.
Lt. Surge clicked his tongue.
"Oh? A Shiny Pokémon?"
"Still, it's weak to my Raichu."
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"That's only if you can catch Beedrill."
Ron replied calmly.
Then, his expression turned serious.
"Lt. Surge, I understand your frustration."
"But your approach is wrong."
"If you don't want to battle weak trainers, why not have your apprentices test them first?"
"That way, only strong challengers reach you."
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Lt. Surge was silent for a moment, then grinned.
"Hah! So you actually get me, huh?"
"I'll consider it."
"But don't think that means I'll go easy on you!"
"You attack first!"
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Beedrill vs. Raichu
"Alright, don't blame me later."
"Beedrill, Focus Energy!"
Beedrill instantly concentrated, increasing its critical hit rate.
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"Raichu, use Thunder Shock!"
Raichu fired a bolt of electricity toward Beedrill.
"Dodge with Agility!"
Ron ordered with just a glance, and Beedrill effortlessly dodged—its speed increasing further.
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"Too slow."
"Beedrill, use Poison Jab!"
Beedrill's twin needles glowed as it charged at Raichu.
"Raichu, counter with Mega Punch!"
Lt. Surge commanded.
Ron smirked.
"Too naive."
Beedrill sidestepped mid-flight, avoiding Raichu's attack.
Then—Poison Jab struck Raichu's side, sending it crashing into the gym wall.
Raichu collapsed, unable to battle.
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Lt. Surge inhaled sharply.
"That damage…?! What the hell?!"
Ron, however, wasn't surprised at all.
With Beedrill's high attack stat, Scope Lens for critical hits, Focus Energy, and Poison Jab's high crit rate—a single critical hit was enough to knock out a fragile Raichu.
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Lt. Surge's Last Pokémon: Magneton
Lt. Surge recalled Raichu and sighed.
"Alright, I underestimated you."
"Time to get serious!"
"Go, Magneton!"
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Ron saw Magneton appear and immediately recalled Beedrill.
With its Steel-Electric typing, Beedrill was at a huge disadvantage.
Instead, he sent out Charizard.
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"Charizard, set up Sunny Day!"
The moment Charizard took the field, it summoned intense sunlight, gaining an advantage over Magneton.
Lt. Surge wasted no time.
"Magneton, use Thunderbolt!"
A powerful bolt of electricity shot toward Charizard.
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"Protect, then use Flamethrower!"
Charizard's Protect shield absorbed the Thunderbolt, and in the next instant—a blazing stream of fire engulfed Magneton.
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Lt. Surge gritted his teeth.
"Lock-On! Then use Zap Cannon!"
Ron's eyes widened in alarm.
"What?!"
Lock-On meant Zap Cannon was guaranteed to hit!
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"Charizard, Protect!"
Ron prayed it would work.
Charizard's Flamethrower had left Magneton at critical health, but since its Sturdy ability prevented a one-hit KO, it had survived.
Now, Magneton fired a massive Zap Cannon.
Charizard tried to use Protect, but—
It failed.
The Zap Cannon landed directly, leaving Charizard scorched and paralyzed.
Ron's heart sank.
"Damn it! This is bad!"
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Final Stand
Ron gritted his teeth.
"Charizard, Protect! Then use Outrage!"
With psychic energy, Charizard managed to use Protect just in time.
Then, with a mighty roar, it launched into a berserk Outrage, slamming into Magneton with full force.
BOOM!
Magneton collapsed, unable to battle.
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End of Chapter 14
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