Chapter 19: A Battle That Reveals More Than Expected

Section 19: A Battle That Reveals More Than Expected

Silence settles for a moment before the battle begins.

Beedrill is the first to move.

— Poison Sting.

A violet streak shoots toward Wartortle at high speed.

Leaf reacts immediately, without a hint of hesitation.

— Withdraw.

Wartortle retreats into its shell at the last second. The toxic attack strikes its hard, solid exterior, dissipating almost without effect.

Well played.

Not only does she neutralize the offensive, but she also reduces the damage he might take later. She ensures that Beedrill gains no advantage.

Without waiting, Leaf follows up.

— Rapid Spin.

A fluid movement. Wartortle bursts out of its shell and begins spinning at a blinding speed. A second later, it slams into Beedrill.

The impact is clean.

Beedrill is thrown backward. Damian grits his teeth.

On the other side, Leaf displays a faint smile.

She continues.

— Water Gun.

A jet of water shoots toward the insect, but Damian regains his composure.

— Dodge!

Beedrill swerves at the last second, avoiding the attack. Then, without wasting time, it counterattacks.

— Poison Sting!

Once again, the same sequence.

— Withdraw.

Wartortle shields itself in its shell. The attack deals no significant damage.

Then, almost immediately…

— Rapid Spin.

Once more.

The pattern repeats.

Beedrill gets hit again, and this time, it staggers for a little longer.

Damian begins to lose patience. He feels the situation slipping away, but he refuses to admit he's trapped.

His gaze darkens.

— Cut!

He tries something else. But it's too late.

Leaf doesn't even need to think.

Wartortle applies the same method.

Withdraw. Rapid Spin.

And this time, it follows up.

— Water Pulse!

A blue wave cuts through the air and hits Beedrill head-on.

The insect is thrown backward. It tries to get up, but its wings tremble. It staggers… then collapses.

Beedrill is out of the fight.

Silence falls over the battlefield.

Damian stares at his Pokémon, then clenches his fists.

This isn't just a defeat.

It's humiliation.

He refuses to give up.

Without thinking, he throws out another Pokéball.

— Charmander, you're up!

But something is off.

Leaf doesn't move.

She doesn't reach for another Pokéball.

She doesn't give any orders.

She smiles.

Not a normal smile.

A subtle, almost mocking smile.

Then, she gives up.

— This isn't how you'll beat the Gym Leader, she says calmly.

Damian lifts his head, looking lost.

— You keep repeating the same attacks, thinking they'll eventually work.

She pauses, then says something that hits me like a direct blow:

— Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results.

I freeze.

This girl isn't normal.

She doesn't just fight.

She analyzes.

She knew from the start that the battle was already won.

She understood that stubbornness leads to failure.

So, rather than forcing a fight against Charmander, she chose to stop there.

She thinks differently.

She doesn't just seek victory.

She seeks understanding.

She absorbs the lessons her opponents are meant to learn.

It's formidable.

And yet…

She has never known defeat.

That's what unsettles me the most.

How can someone who has never lost understand defeat so well?

Most champions learn by losing.

But she…

She learns from the losses of others.

She observes. She absorbs. She adapts.

It's an intelligent approach… but incomplete.

A loss will never equal a victory in terms of emotion and frustration.

She may understand 40 to 60% of what a loss teaches…

But she will always lack that raw experience, that psychological shock.

Damian lowers his head.

I hear him mutter.

— Damn… How did this happen…?

His well-crafted ego just cracked.

I feel a slight pang of guilt.

— Sorry, Damian, I think. I triggered all of this.

But maybe it's a good thing.

He won't take battling for granted anymore.

He will think. Work harder.

Maybe he'll eventually defeat Brock.

Leaf, meanwhile, checks her watch.

— 9:11 PM… Oh no, I have to go!

She recalls Wartortle, waves at us briefly, then disappears.

Damian remains silent for a moment.

Then he glances at me, sighs, and gives me a simple wave before leaving as well.

Me?

I stay seated on this bench.

Thinking.

About her.

Then, slowly, I stand up.

Heading for the Pokémon Center.

Tomorrow, I'll go to the museum.

But tonight…

I have too much to analyze.