Chapter 13

Combusken used the momentum from its final strike on Graveler to somersault out of the smoke, landing gracefully while remaining on high alert.

As the dust settled, Graveler's eyes had turned into spirals—it was knocked out.

"Graveler is unable to battle! The challenger, Tetsuya Tamaki, wins the first round!" the referee announced, raising his flag.

Brock sighed and recalled Graveler into its Poké Ball, offering a small, wry smile.

"That's one incredible Combusken—lightning-fast, incredibly strong, and those flames pack serious power. Not to mention the seamless flow of its techniques. It was a perfect counter to Graveler."

Initially, Brock had thought Tetsuya's decision to chase down Graveler was a mistake.

After all, once Graveler built up speed with Rollout, most Pokémon couldn't keep up—especially after using Rock Polish.

However, Brock had been taught from a young age never to underestimate an opponent's orders. No competent trainer would issue a command without reason.

If Combusken had the speed to catch up, then Graveler wouldn't be able to dodge. Instead of ordering an ineffective evasion, Brock had opted for Endure to try and absorb the impact.

But Combusken's speed was overwhelming—Graveler didn't even have the chance to activate its defensive move before being completely overpowered.

Realizing he had no time to dwell on the loss, Brock quickly pulled out his second Poké Ball.

"Challenger, do you wish to switch Pokémon?" the referee asked Tetsuya.

Tetsuya shook his head. "No switch needed."

The referee gave Brock the signal to send out his next Pokémon.

Brock tossed his Poké Ball into the arena. "My second Pokémon—go, Dugtrio!"

"Start with Heat Wave to put pressure on them!" Tetsuya commanded immediately, taking advantage of the opening.

"Dugtrio!" The trio of moles had barely emerged from the Poké Ball before they were engulfed in a blast of scorching air, letting out pained cries as the attack landed.

Tetsuya assessed their condition.

"It's stronger than Graveler, but not by much. Looks like I won't need Pidgeot."

He wasn't surprised—Gym Pokémon were meant to match the challenger's level.

Graveler had been around level 29, and Dugtrio was likely level 35—similar to Tetsuya's Pokémon.

Unfortunately for Brock, neither Pokémon had the potential to match Combusken.

That's why the battle was so one-sided. Otherwise, no normal trainer would have such an easy time in a Gym Challenge.

"And Combusken keeps getting stronger..." Tetsuya noted with a grin.

Brock had no idea what was going through Tetsuya's mind—he was too focused on the battle and how ridiculously well-trained Combusken was.

"Dugtrio, use Dig and approach from underground!" Brock ordered.

The three-headed Pokémon burrowed beneath the ground, vanishing from sight.

"Increase speed and stay light on your feet," Tetsuya countered. Without moves like Earthquake, Combusken had no way to attack Dugtrio underground.

But stalling wasn't a bad strategy either.

Brock frowned as he watched Combusken rapidly dashing around the battlefield.

At first, he thought Tetsuya was just wasting energy—Dugtrio would eventually resurface for an attack.

But then, he noticed something.

"Wait... why is Combusken getting faster? And its movements... they're becoming even sharper."

Then it hit him.

"No way—that's Speed Boost!" Brock realized in shock.

This changed everything.

Normally, stalling for too long in a battle would be judged as a loss of fighting spirit, resulting in a forfeit.

But Speed Boost wasn't considered stalling.

As long as Combusken kept accelerating, it wasn't just running away—it was strategically increasing its advantage.

By the time the referee could even consider intervening, Dugtrio would have already lost the battle for failing to land a hit.

"Use Sand Tomb!" Brock commanded in an attempt to slow Combusken down.

But it was too late.

With Speed Boost stacking and Agility further enhancing its movement, Combusken was moving at speeds Dugtrio simply couldn't handle.

A vortex of sand appeared beneath Combusken for a moment—but in the blink of an eye, it had already escaped, taking minimal damage.

Dugtrio couldn't keep up.

Brock gritted his teeth. His odds of winning had just plummeted.

"Tch." He clicked his tongue in frustration. He had underestimated his opponent.

A Gym Leader's job wasn't just to win—it was to assess a challenger's potential. And Tetsuya had already demonstrated that he met Pewter Gym's standards for a badge.

But Brock wasn't about to give up so easily.

"Dugtrio, Sucker Punch, then follow up with Tri Attack!" he commanded, hoping for a comeback.

"Use Double Team, then follow up with Flame Punch!" Tetsuya countered, aiming to finish the battle.

Dugtrio lunged at Combusken with Sucker Punch, moving with blinding speed.

But Combusken was faster.

Before Dugtrio could land the hit, Combusken's Double Team split its image into multiple illusions, throwing Dugtrio off.

The real Combusken landed a devastating blow, sending Dugtrio flying backward.

Dugtrio tried to retaliate with Tri Attack, but Combusken dodged effortlessly—moving so fast that Dugtrio couldn't even track it.

Before Dugtrio could recover, Combusken's claws ignited with fire.

"End it! Flame Punch!"

One after another, Combusken's fists crashed against Dugtrio's exposed heads, sending the Pokémon reeling with each hit.

"Dugtrio!" Brock called out.

But Dugtrio was completely overwhelmed.

It let out one last pained cry before its eyes spiraled and it collapsed to the ground.

"Dugtrio is unable to battle! The challenger, Tetsuya Tamaki, wins the Pewter Gym Challenge!" the referee announced.

Brock sighed, recalling Dugtrio.

He had known the moment he identified Speed Boost that his chances of winning were slim—but losing so decisively still stung.

Tetsuya recalled Combusken, stepping forward to shake Brock's hand.

"Congratulations. You've earned the Pewter Badge." Brock smiled, though there was clear admiration in his eyes.

"Your badge will be processed at the front desk. Once your information is logged, you can pick it up with your ID."

Despite the loss, Brock held no bitterness.

Gym Leaders faced challengers every day, and sometimes, they encountered trainers who were simply too strong.

And Tetsuya was undeniably one of them.

"I'd like to get to know him better," Brock thought to himself as he watched Tetsuya leave the battlefield, victorious.

"Thank you," Tetsuya said simply before turning to leave.

Brock didn't stop him, only watching with his usual squinting eyes as Tetsuya walked away.

I'll see him again, Brock thought to himself. As long as he's still in Pewter City, I'll make sure of it.

But that wasn't his most urgent concern at the moment. A quick glance at the time made Brock's expression change.

"Oh no! It's almost dinnertime, and I haven't prepared dinner for my siblings yet!"

With that realization, Brock took off running, speeding past Tetsuya in a blur.

Tetsuya heard the rapid footsteps and caught a glimpse of Brock rushing by.

Huh? What's the rush? he thought, momentarily puzzled.

Shrugging it off, he continued toward the gym's front desk.

Upon arrival, he handed his ID to the receptionist, who checked his information before passing him a small case containing the Pewter Badge.

"Congratulations, Trainer Tetsuya Tamaki. This is your official badge, proof of your victory."

Tetsuya's excitement surged as he stared at the diamond-shaped Pewter Badge, crafted from solid rock.

Even though he had expected this outcome, holding his first badge in his hands filled him with pride.

With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the badge into the air like a coin, caught it smoothly, and nodded his thanks before leaving the gym.

The receptionist blinked in surprise at his confident, effortless movement, briefly distracted before snapping back to reality.

Once outside, Tetsuya carefully placed the Pewter Badge into his badge case—something he had prepared long ago.

Even though the League digitally recorded badge data, no real trainer would ever risk losing their badges.

They weren't just qualifications for tournaments; they symbolized the hard work of both trainer and Pokémon.

Pewter Badge! I finally got it! Tetsuya cheered in his mind as he walked through the city streets.

If not for his pride—and the fact that his combined years across two lives totaled forty—he might have actually jumped for joy.

Suppressing his excitement, he quickened his pace toward the Pokémon Center.

Even though Combusken had taken minimal damage in the battle, Speed Boost had drained a lot of its stamina.

A quick recovery at the Pokémon Center was necessary.

Besides, after a long day of training and an intense battle, Tetsuya himself was starving.

After handing Combusken over to Nurse Joy for a quick recovery, Tetsuya took both his Pokémon to the Center's restaurant to finally eat.

As he enjoyed his meal, he suddenly felt a firm pat on his shoulder from behind.

"Huh?" He turned his head in confusion. Who even knows me in Pewter City?

"Hey, Trainer Tetsuya."

The voice belonged to a familiar squinting-eyed young man holding a food tray.

"Oh, Trainer Brock. Hello, hello," Tetsuya greeted awkwardly, unused to casual conversations.

Brock grinned. "Mind if I sit here?"

"Of course not, go ahead," Tetsuya said, gesturing for him to sit.

Brock placed his tray down and took the seat across from him.

"Let's introduce ourselves properly," Brock said between bites. "I'm Brock, son of Pewter Gym's leader. I'm 16 years old, just like you."

"You can call me Brock. Mind if I call you Tetsuya?"

"I don't mind," Tetsuya replied, though his tone was slightly stiff. Socializing wasn't exactly his strong suit.

Brock chuckled. "You're not surprised? About me being the Gym Leader's son?"

"Not really," Tetsuya said, pulling out a Gym Guide and flipping to the Pewter Gym section. "Your photo, name, and introduction are right here."

"Oh... haha, right." Brock scratched the back of his head, slightly embarrassed.

"So, Brock, what did you want to talk about?" Tetsuya asked bluntly. He preferred getting straight to the point.

Social interactions are exhausting...

Brock was a little surprised by Tetsuya's directness, but he quickly adapted.

"Nothing too serious," Brock said casually. "I just wanted to get to know you better. It's rare to find a trainer at our age with such excellent Pokémon training skills. Your Combusken is proof of that."

Tetsuya remained silent as Brock continued.

"I noticed that your Combusken's feathers are thick, smooth, and have a healthy sheen, meaning you take great care of its diet and grooming.

Based on its battle movements, I could tell its speed, muscle development, and fire energy output are far beyond normal standards.

Most notably, its calf muscle development is at least 1.4 times greater than an average Combusken. Without any testing equipment, I can see that much just from observation.

Not only that, but its move execution is seamless—every attack transitions smoothly into the next.

And judging by its evolution speed, your Combusken must be what—three, maybe four months old? That kind of growth rate is insane."

Tetsuya stared at Brock in shock.

Brock, realizing he had been rambling, suddenly snapped back to reality.

"Ah! Sorry, sorry! I get carried away with these things. My goal is to become a top-tier Pokémon Breeder, so I tend to analyze without thinking."

Tetsuya waved a hand dismissively. "No worries. Your observation skills are impressive. Most people wouldn't be able to measure those details just by looking."

Brock blushed slightly. "Ah, it's nothing special. I just pay attention to details."

"No, no, you're really skilled. Most trainers could never measure muscle development with just their eyes. You're too modest!"

"No, no, no, really, it's just—"

After a few rounds of back-and-forth over-the-top modesty, they both burst out laughing.

"Hahaha, aren't we exaggerating a little too much?" Brock joked.

"Yeah, probably," Tetsuya admitted, chuckling. "But in all seriousness, if you're interested, we can exchange Pokémon training insights."

Brock's face lit up. "I'd love that!"

"For Combusken, my primary focus is speed and physical power, prioritizing Fighting-type techniques with Fire-type as a secondary element. Later, I might develop both evenly."

Without waiting for Brock's response, Tetsuya launched into an in-depth breakdown of his training regimen.

"At the start, I focused heavily on speed training. With Speed Boost as Combusken's Hidden Ability, stacking it with Fighting-type agility training makes it almost impossible for opponents to keep up.

So instead of balancing weaknesses, I reinforce strengths—speed so overwhelming that distance-based weaknesses don't even matter.

For training, I use Glitter Grass, mixed with Spore Powder, combined with specialized footwork drills to enhance acceleration. The principle behind this method is—"

Brock had already pulled out a notebook, scribbling down notes while occasionally offering his own insights.

Thus began an intense strategy exchange between two young trainers, both equally passionate about raising strong Pokémon.