Bang!
Snorlax squinted its eyes and wobbled to the ground, not getting up again.
Houndoom, on the other side, was panting heavily, its limbs slightly trembling.
Clearly, Houndoom had won the battle, but it hadn't been easy.
Norman returned Snorlax to its Poké Ball and handed it to the young kid waiting nearby, instructing him to use the healing machine to restore Snorlax's health.
"Houndoom need a rest too?"
"Yes, thank you."
Sato nodded and returned Houndoom, then also handed the Poké Ball to the young kid.
Every League Certified Gym was allowed to be equipped with a Pokémon healing machine so the Leader could quickly restore their Pokémon's health/stamina and get ready for the next Gym Challenge.
After all, Gym Leaders lose battles at a considerable rate. It's an unavoidable compromise in the process of filtering and nurturing new Trainers.
In fact, losing too much can severely affect the intimacy and bond "values" between Trainer and Pokémon, which is why Gym Leaders often raise entire batches at once.
Taking turns is better than having one Pokémon shoulder everything alone.
Watching the young kid bounce out of the battlefield, Norman let out a sigh. "You've progressed way too fast. That was an Elite-level Pokémon… have you really accumulated enough?"
"You couldn't tell just now?" Sato replied with a light smile.
"...Fair enough."
Norman was left with no comeback, if Sato hadn't, what did that make him, the one who just lost?
"Forget it. Don't forget to come to my opening ceremony in three days! There'll be lots of pretty girls there!" Norman winked at the three of them.
"Pretty girls! We'll be there for sure!" Mark jumped in with a look of wild excitement.
Sato glanced at Mark's bedhead that even hair gel couldn't save and silently prayed for him.
'Hope some girl is blind enough!'
----
After finishing the tour of Petalburg Gym, the three of them didn't plan to stick around.
Norman, as the Leader about to open his Gym in three days, was clearly very busy. The fact that he'd taken half a day to host them was already quite generous.
After a brief farewell, Sato and the others strolled through the streets of Petalburg City.
Bang bang bang!
Crackle crackle...
Zing zing zing!
Petalburg City's rhythm was "chaotic," thanks to Pokémon battles happening everywhere, keeping the whole City in a constant state of hustle and noise.
Most of them were low-level Trainers scuffles or neighborhood aunties putting on "glamorous" contests.
But among the chaos, there were always a few high-quality matches that drew big crowds.
"Sceptile, Leaf Blade!"
"Zangoose, use Crush Claw!"
On an open patch in a small park, two speed-type Pokémon clashed in a fast-paced melee, both evenly matched, neither giving an inch.
Leaf Blade was sharp and graceful, almost flowing, while Crush Claw was fierce and precise, targeting the weak points every time.
The intense exchange drew loud cheers from the spectators, but Sato could clearly feel that neither Trainer nor Pokémon on the field was the least bit distracted.
They were true experts Trainers.
The duel between Zangoose and Sceptile continued, but over time, Sceptile began gaining the upper hand, landing several clean hits.
"Zangoose is running low on stamina," Mark muttered quietly, and Sato and Joseph both nodded in agreement.
On a clear sunny day, Grass-type Pokémon naturally gain an advantage, the most obvious being faster stamina recovery.
Though it's subtle, in a battle between equally matched opponents, even a small edge can change everything.
Sure enough, when Sceptile once again used Leaf Blade to block Zangoose's Crush Claw and disrupted its rhythm, the outcome of the battle began to look increasingly certain.
"Zangoose, now! Use Flamethrower!"
"Not good! Sceptile, dodge it!"
"Scep~"
Fiery flames roared through the air. Even though Sceptile tried its best to dodge, it still got hit across half its body and was heavily wounded on the spot.
"That Zangoose Trainer sure knows how to wait! Only now does he use Flamethrower," Mark blurted out, a mix of admiration and a hint of disapproval.
If it were him, having access to a move like Flamethrower, he wouldn't have let Zangoose hold out for so long, even if it couldn't deliver the surprise effect of Sucker Punch.
"He has full confidence in Zangoose, he believes it can endure," Joseph offered his view.
Because neither the Zangoose nor its Trainer had shown any panic under pressure; they'd played it steady the entire time.
"What about you, Sato? What would you do?" Mark turned to Sato, eyes full of curiosity.
Joseph also looked over, clearly interested in his answer.
Sato shook his head. "Neither. I'd change tactics immediately; I wouldn't need Flamethrower to win faster."
"Geez," Mark muttered, realizing he'd just handed Sato the perfect setup to show off.
Joseph chuckled helplessly, turning his gaze back to the now clearly one-sided battle.
Even though Zangoose had gained the upper hand, it didn't rush in recklessly. It steadily built on its advantage.
Sceptile, on the other hand, was struggling. The burn kept gnawing at its nerves, and facing such a stable and relentless opponent, it felt completely powerless to resist.
It had to gamble…
With a command from its Trainer, Sceptile suddenly broke free from Zangoose's pressure. With another leap, it shot high into the air, even blotting out the sun from Zangoose's view.
Zangoose reflexively looked up, only to be momentarily blinded by the sunlight.
At that moment, the six large yellow bulbs on Sceptile's back began rapidly absorbing solar energy.
By the time Zangoose had mostly recovered, what awaited it was Sceptile's fully charged, STAB signature move.
Solar Beam.
Whoosh~
BOOOM!
Zangoose was blasted into a nearby flower bed and immediately lost consciousness.
Boom!
The crowd erupted in thunderous applause and lively chatter. The match had been even more intense than expected, full of twists and excitement.
Both Trainers had displayed remarkable strength. Even the one who lost wore a smile, accepting the cheers and praise of the spectators.
"Zangoose is unable to battle. Sceptile wins. The winner is Trainer Ryoko."
That's right, Sceptile's Trainer was an incredibly skilled female trainer named Ryoko?