"Hahaha I remember you! You did great in the Sandstorm Showdown; making it this far is well-deserved. Let's have a real clash between men!"
The moment Byron saw Haruki, he burst into hearty laughter. His infectious energy naturally made others want to engage in a fierce battle.
But Haruki glanced down at his innocent-looking Skiploom.
'Sorry, Gym Leader Byron. My Skiploom… it just doesn't do "hard-hitting" battles.'
Soon, both Trainers took their positions, and the referee began formally announcing the battle rules.
"This Gym Challenge will be a 2v2 single battle. The match ends when both of one side's Pokémon are unable to battle, or if a Trainer voluntarily surrenders. During the match, the Challenger is free to switch Pokémon at any time.
Now, let the battle begin!"
Bang!
Bang!
Two flashes of red light cut through the air, and Skiploom and Graveler appeared simultaneously on the battlefield.
Haruki wasn't surprised to see Graveler as his opponent.
Oreburgh City had always been a Rock-type Gym, and Byron only switched to Steel-type Pokémon when he moved to Canalave City to become a Gym Leader there.
Since this wasn't a Steel-type match, Haruki felt a real chance to win. Plus, this was his first official Gym Challenge, meaning Byron couldn't send out anything above the Veteran level.
"Graveler, start with a rolling impact, ROLLOUT!"
"Skiploom, Cotton Spore."
One side was fiery and intense, the other crisp and efficient.
Graveler's Rollout was incredibly practiced, its unpredictable path making it nearly impossible for Skiploom to land a direct Toxic hit.
'Fine, then. Lower its speed first.'
Skiploom spun its flower crown, releasing a thick cloud of white Cotton Spores that quickly spread throughout the battlefield.
"Graveler, charge through, DON'T STOP!"
Byron's enthusiasm was undiminished, making Haruki briefly wonder if this man shouldn't be running a Fire-type Gym instead.
In the next instant, Graveler surged forward, surrounded by a powerful, swirling air current that blew the floating Cotton Spores away before they could even touch it.
But at the same time, the lightweight Skiploom was also pushed back by the wind, sent drifting away like one of its own spores.
The two sides clashed, only to immediately separate again, like actors in a dramatic play.
"HAHAHA It's not over yet! Graveler, keep rolling!"
The Rollout was stacking power.
Haruki's eyes sharpened, realizing that even the same move, when used by different Pokémon, could produce vastly different results.
This Graveler was nothing like Roark's Geodude.
The difference was clear: like father, like son.
And if Haruki's guess was right, the usual tricks like Sleep Powder, Cotton Spore, or even Leech Seed might not be enough to break through that swirling air defense.
But he couldn't afford to wait any longer.
Seeing Graveler approaching even faster and more aggressively, Haruki dropped his hand in a decisive motion.
"Protect, Block it!"
"SKIIII~"
Skiploom let out a sharp cry, spreading its glowing protective barrier just as it charged toward the incoming Graveler.
The two forces collided, the absolute defense of Protect finally halting the double-stacked Rollout.
"Toxic!"
"SMACK DOWN!"
Both Trainers gave their commands simultaneously, and both attacks hit their mark.
The Toxic sludge splattered across Graveler's rocky body, seeping into its cracks with a chilling hiss, while Skiploom was sent crashing into the ground from the Smack Down impact.
"Graveler, Rock Blast!"
"Substitute, Grassy Terrain!"
Both sides issued their next commands in rapid succession, the pace of the battle accelerating instantly.
Graveler clapped its rocky hands together, launching a rapid barrage of three interconnected rock projectiles straight at the downed Skiploom.
Skiploom acted even faster, creating a Substitute to take the hit while simultaneously activating Grassy Terrain, transforming the ground around it into a lush green field.
Why was Skiploom moving so quickly? Because the initial Cotton Spore had finally taken effect, significantly lowering Graveler's speed.
At the same time, the Toxic poison was kicking in, draining a substantial chunk of Graveler's stamina.
"Don't give up, Graveler! ROLLOUT!"
Byron's voice boomed across the battlefield, his intensity so high it felt like he might jump in himself at any moment.
Haruki, by contrast, remained calm, his voice steady.
"Protect."
With that, the Toxic-Substitute-Protect strategy finally came into full play.
And it was being executed by a mere Skiploom… a Pokémon so common it was practically everywhere.
The protective barrier sprang to life, halting Graveler's momentum completely. This also triggered another wave of poison damage, draining yet more of Graveler's remaining stamina.
Meanwhile, the green glow from the Grassy Terrain pulsed, restoring a portion of Skiploom's.
Now that it had temporarily lost its ability to float, Skiploom could comfortably stand its ground without worrying about being blown away. It was the perfect setup for a stall defense.
"GRAVELER, don't back down! Use Rock Blast!"
Byron's fiery enthusiasm was gradually giving way to frustration. The pain of not being able to land a single solid hit was clearly wearing on him.
Then came the final straw: Haruki's calm, collected command.
"Substitute."
"Skip…"
"…"
"Graveler is unable to battle! Skiploom wins! Gym Leader, please send out your next Pokémon!"
The referee made the announcement with a straight face, though he couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for Byron on the inside.
A man who loved straightforward, head-to-head battles, forced to fight this kind of dirty, stalling tactic?
It just felt unfair.
The red light from Byron's Poké Ball enveloped Graveler, pulling it back into the ball.
When Byron's face reappeared, it looked like a man whose decades of rock-solid faith had just been shattered.
Haruki rubbed his nose awkwardly, wondering if he should switch to Marowak to spare Byron further mental trauma.
"Hahah… hahAHAHAHAHAH!"
The sudden burst of laughter startled everyone present.
Haruki instinctively took two steps back, half-expecting Byron to lose his mind.
"What a terrifying Skiploom… It didn't even use a single offensive move, yet it defeated my Graveler.
But this one… how will you handle THIS?!"
Bang…
The Poké Ball burst open, and a towering, two-meter-tall monster appeared on the battlefield.
"AGROOOOON!"
The deafening roar sent Skiploom staggering backward in shock.
Aggron: High Veteran level!
A Rock/Steel-type, the final evolution of Aron.
Staring into Byron's blazing eyes, Haruki couldn't tell if the Gym Leader was angry, furious, or just… enraged.
'But this is my first official Gym Challenge. Is it really fair to throw an Aggron at me already?'
Even Haruki felt a flicker of frustration in his chest.
'Fine then, let's see how my Skiploom handles this without using Toxic!'
"Aggron, Iron Tail!"
"Substitute, Cotton Spore."
For the third time, Haruki commanded a Substitute without a hint of panic. With Grassy Terrain still active, Skiploom had no reason to worry about being knocked out just yet.
The massive steel tail came crashing down, but Skiploom's decoy took the hit, allowing it to scatter a fresh wave of Cotton Spores in the chaos.
Unlike the rolling Graveler, Aggron had no chance of avoiding the clinging spores. Its entire body, despite being covered in metal armor, became matted with the fluffy white particles.
"AAAAAAARGH! I've had enough! Aggron, use ROAR!"
"…?????"