After taking hit after hit, Rhydon's massive frame finally began to show the cracks around its arms.
Wild stood still, eyes trailing across the trembling battlefield. The terrain beneath them was in constant flux. One second it was Grassy terrain, the next crackling with Electric terrain, then shifting again. Bits of rubble and broken crystalized terrain sparked under Rhydon's feet as his stone armor slowly began to flake and crumble under the relentless attacks.
The crowd had become a blur of sound behind Wild. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the Electivire's pokeball. The yellow beast inside was asleep, unaware of the chaos above.
Wild exhaled slowly, raising his gaze to the shimmering, ever-changing battlefield. He then looked to Rhydon.
With a heavy heart, Wild closed his yellow eyes and extended Rhydon's Poké Ball, finger hovering over the button to call him back.
Across the field, Khan's face changed in an instant.
"Stop!" he shouted, his voice booming over the crowd.
Electabuzz, already mid-swing, hesitated at the command. Its charged fist veered at the last second, slamming not into Rhydon's arms but the ground instead. The grassy terrain cracked beneath the force, a spiderweb of shattered earth bursting outward.
Wild lowered his hand slightly, confused, the Poké Ball still clenched in his fist.
Rhydon dropped to one knee. His massive arms gave way beneath him, and for the first time, the titan looked ready to fall.
Wild blinked in surprise. "Why did you stop?" he asked, eyes changing between Khan and Electabuzz.
"What the hell were you doing just now!?" Khan yelled, throwing his arms out.
Wild looked back at Rhydon."You said I should returnRhydon and use Electivire. I was gonna do that.."
Rhydon turned his head in instant, eyes wide with disbelief.
"That was before Rhydon started givinghis all!" Khan roared. "If you pulled him out now! Then I'm ninety-nine percent sure Rhydon would completly nevertrust you again!"
His finger stabbed the air toward Rhydon. "You really think he's fighting like this for himself? He's doing it for you, you dumb fuck!"
Wild stood frozen.
"I don't care if you win or lose!" Khan bellowed, his voice rising with the weight of passion. "Just battle, you piece of shit!"
Then he turned to Electabuzz.
"ELECTABUZZ! USE BODY SLAM!"
Electabuzz snarled, crouching low, power gathering in its limbs. Wild felt something in his throat tighten. He swallowed hard.
Then, quietly just loud enough for Rhydon to hear. He whispered, "Rhydon… use Bulldoze."
Among the chaos of the crowd, the stadium lights, the electric buzz of cameras and terrain. Rhydon heard him.
And Rhydon stood on its legs.
His red eyes flared like a furnace reignited. With a defiant roar, he stomped his foot, and the ground rippled. Dirt and stone swirled upward, coating his legs and chest like fresh armor. He charged.
Electric Terrain sparked beneath his steps.
Across the field, Electabuzz was bathed in a radiant white light, surging with raw energy. The Grassy Terrain bloomed beneath its feet as it sprinted forward, answering Rhydon's challenge with a roar of its own.
They collided at the center of the stage.
Fists met fists. Roars clashed.
The shockwave blew dust off the rafters. The audience gasped as the stage trembled under their strength.
"Electabuzz! STRONGER!" Khan shouted, his voice nearly drowned by the eruption of cheers.
Electabuzz began to glow even brighter. So bright that it looked like a second sun, his form nearly eclipsing the stadium lights.
Wild stood silently, fists clenched.
He couldn't say anything.
But Rhydon didn't need words. He believed in the boy who once promised to become the brightest star in the world.
Stone surged up Rhydon's limbs like molten armor. The crowd, feeling the shift, began to chant his name. Voices shaking the walls of the arena.
Rhydon stomped again, this time harder. The stage cracked beneath him. Dust sprayed. His legs sank into the ground, anchoring him.
Then, with a roar that silenced the world, he lifted Electabuzz into the air.
Every breath in the stadium caught.
Wild raised his hand.
"SLAM IT, RHYDON!!!" he screamed, his voice raw and desperate.
With a savage cry, Rhydon seized Electabuzz by the neck and hurled him downward with everything he had.
The impact was like a bomb. The stage exploded in a cloud of dirt and stone. The force shook the foundation, sending a shockwave through the arena and raising a dust storm so thick it consumed everything.
The crowd fell silent.
And for a moment, no one could see what had become of either Pokémon.
A full minute passed in silence.
Then, at last, the dust began to settle.
What emerged from the haze was Rhydon still standing, massive arms locked around Electabuzz's limp form. Electabuzz twitched, gritting his teeth, struggling weakly against the crushing grip.
The battlefield flickered once more, and the Electric Terrain surged across the stage, bathing everything in brilliant yellow light. The crowd rose to their feet as they began to chant a single name, over and over, their voices echoing like thunder:
"RHYDON! RHYDON! RHYDON!"
Referee Will stepped forward, raising his voice above the roar.
"Rhydon is unable to battle! Electabuzz is the winner!"
A collective gasp swept through the crowd.
Even after that brutal slam, Electabuzz had endured. It had survived. Rhydon, on the other hand, had pushed past his limits to deliver that final blow… and in doing so, had collapsed into unconsciousness on its feet.
The stadium erupted into cheers.
Wild walked slowly toward his fallen partner. He placed a firm hand on Rhydon's broad back just a brief moment of thanks, of silent pride between them before tapping the Poké Ball against his rocky hide. With a red shimmer and a soft thud Rhydon was drawn back inside.
Then Wild turned, just in time to see Electabuzz pull himself to his feet. He staggered toward Khan, who raised his hand with a wide grin.
The two met with a sharp, triumphant high five.
Wild watched them for a long second. Then, wordlessly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the shining Thunder Badge.
He stared down at it.
To most, it would be a symbol of honor, of achievement.
But to Wild, it looked like nothing more than a piece of metal.
Referee Will, now climbing onto the battlefield, spotted the badge in Wild's hand. He sprinted over, nearly tripping on the uneven terrain.
"Mr. Wild please wait!" he called, panting. "You can't give him the badge yet! I let it slide the first time, but please stop handing them out before the match is officially over! This is against Leagueregulations!"
He reached out, grabbing Wild's wrist, his bald head gleaming under the lights.
Wild sighed and pulled his hand away with a tired breath.
"Who's the Gym Leader here?" he asked, locking eyes with the referee.
Will hesitated. "Of course… it's you, sir. But regulations state—"
"Enough. If you want to cry about it, take it up with my father or the League. They're the ones who shoved me into this job." His voice didn't waver.
He turned away, walking toward Khan, still holding the badge between his fingers.
"That kid would've beaten me anyway," Wild said, his voice rising so the whole field could hear. "With that switching technique? If he'd been more ruthless, I wouldn't have stood a chance from the very start. So why wait?"
He stopped in front of Khan and offered the badge with a tired pride.
"Here. Take it."
As he adjusted the fur-lined collar of his coat, Khan stepped forward and extended his hand. The badge dropped into his palm. The golden emblem of lightning, warm from Wild's grip.
Khan held it for a second before tightening his fingers around it.
"I can't know what you've been through," Khan said quietly, raising his head. His voice was calm, steady. "And I probably never will."
He placed a firm hand on Wild's shoulder.
"But I hope… someday, you'll be able to use the other Pokémon in your team. Not just Rhydon."
Wild met his eyes and let his face gor covered with a nervous smile.
"I'll try," he said.
Then,without another word, Wild turned and walked toward the backstage.
As he jumped down from the elevated stage, his gaze caught mine. For a second.
Then Khan followed, leaping down behind him, grinning wide as if the weight of the whole world had lifted from his shoulders.
"So, do you have any plans other than 'Double Team go brrr'?" Khan asked with a grin, throwing himself onto the seat beside me.
I let out a quiet chuckle. "First of all what the hell does that even mean? Second… if it's not broken, why change it?"
Khan laughed under his breath and glanced around the stands. "Did the other guy leave?"
"Yeah," I said, leaning back as well. "He left after he saw you were getting close to winning."
Khan tilted his head slightly, the grin fading from his face. "So… what do you think of him?"
I looked out into the crowd, scanning for Amaris and Rhea amid the sea of excited spectators. "I don't know. He's complicated. What about you?"
Khan rested an arm behind his head. "He's a good person. But I think he's blind to what others actually feel. especially when it's something good. Rhydon gave everything in that battle, and instead of supporting and fighting alongside Rhydon. Wild tried to return it like it was just done."
"Yeah… I saw that too." I shifted forward, planting my elbows on my knees. "Do you think there's a chance he could change?"
"There's always a chance," Khan replied, his voice calm now, thoughtful. His eyes lingered on the stage before he continued. "But it's up to him. No matter what we say or do, we're only poking at his mindset. his hatred of Electric types runs deep. Words alone can't and aren't going to flip a switch in his head."
A silence settled between us for a moment.
Then the quiet was broken as Wild stepped back onto the stage, dragging the mic stand toward the center with a bored expression. He pointed the microphone lazily in my direction.
"Trainer Number Five," he said. "Get up here and tell us your name."
I stood, heart thudding in my chest, and made my way down the steps, across the walkway, and up to the stage and looked around.
Even though it hadn't even been a month, I had been in front of many more people than that. It felt good. I flapped my arms like wings and yelled. Imitating Khan, "My name is Alex Carter! Remember the name of the trainer who will become the champion!" I shouted as the crowd responded to my call by changing the terrain.
I looked towards Wild but he didn't say anything. He just looked at me tired eyes, unreadable face before with a swift motion, tossed a Poké Ball into the air.
Rhydon burst onto the field with a roar, the sheer force of its presence shaking the ground beneath us. The crowd erupted as arcs of yellow lightning crackled across the stadium floor, forming an active Electric Terrain in response to the roar.
I reached for my belt and unclipped a Poké Ball.
"Let's go, Oddy!"
A dark blur shot out in a flash of red light. Oddy landed with a snarling growl. The small mouths on the top of his head howled alongside him, creating a strange, unsettling harmony that made a few people in the crowd annoyed.
Oddy glanced around the stage seeing the Electeic Terrain active,Then he turned back to me.
I gave him a thumbs up.
A crooked smile formed on his face, and he reached into the mossy growth atop his head. From within, he pulled out a small yellow seed and popped it into his mouth. The Electric Seed shimmered with energy as his body glowed briefly. His defenses rising further then what it already had.
Another growl, deeper this time, rumbled from his chest as he turned to face Rhydon.
The atmosphere thickened. All background noise faded as Wild and I locked eyes.
"Oddy, Leech Seed! Go!" I shouted.
Wild raised his hand. "Rhydon! Don't let that Gloom pin you down! Rock Polish, then run!"
Rhydon bellowed and charged. Its rocky hide began to gleam as its movements grew faster, lighter. Oddy leapt forward, the mouths atop his head spitting out clusters of glowing seeds. They arced through the air toward Rhydon.
But Rhydon dashed to the side, the Rock Polish giving it just enough speed to evade. Its steps grew heavier, shaking the stage as it danced around the seeds.
Oddy kept firing them out in bursts, trying to tag him, but Rhydon suddenly spun on its heel grinding the stage beneath it and surged forward, raising a massive fist overhead.
"Oddy, Vine Whip! Get out of there!"
One of the writhing mouths atop Oddy's head lashed out, forming a thick vine that wrapped around Rhydon's swinging arm. With a powerful jerk, Oddy launched himself into the air by using Rhydon's own strength as leverage. As the ground exploded where he had just been.
Rhydon's fist hit the stage with a crash.
"GIGA DRAIN NOW!" I roared, slashing my hand forward.
Mid air, Oddy twisted the vine, flinging himself backward. He landed just behind Rhydon, who was still crouched from the failed attack. A glowing green orb pulsed in Oddy's hands, and he slammed it point blank into Rhydon's back.
The energy exploded on impact.
Rhydon let out a roar of pain as the life force was pulled from its body and absorbed into Oddy's. Green light wrapped around the Gloom, restoring his stamina as his eyes glinted with hardened focus.
The crowd roared again but this time, it wasn't just for Rhydon.
They were watching the Hero Oddy.
The terrain shifted just seconds after the impact. The yellow sparks of Electric Terrain faded, replaced by a cool, verdant glow spreading across the battlefield. The Grassy Terrain had taken over. Rhydon dropped to one knee, breathing heavily, while Oddy's leafy form seemed to absorb the green energy rising from the floor, a faint glow pulsing at his feet.
His power spiked and his Grass type moves would hit even harder now. Meanwhile Rhydon's Ground type moves would hit weaker than it already did.
Oddy turned to me with a grin, and I raised a thumb in return. He nodded, then spun back toward the battlefield. Just in time to see Rhydon rising again.
The Ground type stood tall, fury carved into his features. His fists clenched as he locked eyes with Oddy, who flinched for a heartbeat under the weight of that glare. But then he shook it off, took a breath, and charged forward.
"Rhydon, Rock Blast! Smash that Gloom with everything you've got!" Wild commanded.
Rhydon let out a bellow and slammed its feet into the ground. With a tremor, five jagged rocks materialized from the earth, floating in the air around him. He drove his fists forward, hurling each stone in rapid succession.
"Oddy!" I called out sharply. His eyes flicked toward me. "Return them to their sender with Vine Whip!"
I punched the air for emphasis. Oddy grinned.. only for the first rock to crash into his side, sending him skidding across the floor in a tumble of limbs and leaves.
"Finally it hit" Wild muttered, just as the second rock closed in.
Oddy twisted mid-roll and launched one of the vines from a mouth on his head, snagging the incoming rock. He yanked it toward himself, spun, and hurled it back, intercepting another stone mid-air. The collision shattered both.
He landed lightly and locked eyes with Rhydon, who was already preparing the another attack.
"Get ready!" I shouted.
Oddy surged forward, legs pumping with everything he had. Another rock spun toward him but he caught it with one whip and hurled it toward Rhydon's raised arm. Then, in a blur of motion, he leapt again. One vine lashed around Rhydon's wrist; the other snapped toward a loose rock on the ground.
With a snarl, Oddy yanked the stone toward himself and slammed it straight into Rhydon's face.
The impact staggered the giant but neither of us waited.
"Now! Close the gap with Vine Whip! Giga Drain! Go for the finish!"
Wild reacted instantly. "Rhydon, Bulldoze! Slam that grass joker into the ground!"
Both of us shouted at the same time, our voices clashing like the Pokémon on the stage.
Rhydon snarled, stomping down hard as the earth cracked and surged beneath him. He surged forward, covered in dust and grit, ready to crush Oddy beneath his charge.
But Oddy was faster to act and think.
He whipped both vines tight around Rhydon's arms, launching himself forward like a slingshot. Just before impact, he conjured a glowing green orb in his hands. Giga Drain, fully charged and aimed right at Rhydon's face.
"FASTER!!" I shouted.
Oddy didn't hesitate. He slammed the orb straight into Rhydon's face at point blank range.
A pulse of green energy burst outward, crackling with raw life. Rhydon reeled back,its momentum broken, its body drained.
Then, with a low groan, the titan collapsed.
The crowd held their breath as Oddy stumbled forward but kept his footing. He raised one leaf-covered hand in victory, then sprinted toward me.
I crouched as he reached me, patting the leaves on his head. "You did amazing," I said quietly.
Across the stage, Wild stood motionless, staring down at the Poké Ball in his hand. He looked… lost. Like he was weighing something heavy for himself.
I stood tall, watching him.
The stage glowed with the green hue of Grassy Terrain.
"Just use it!" I called out.
Wild glanced at me, uncertainty growing in his eyes. His grip tightened around the ball.
Then he exhaled, squeezed the ball tighter and threw it high into the air.