The scene changed once again.
This time, the setting was the Cerulean Gym battlefield.
But the person standing on the field wasn’t Misty.
It was Rainbow.
Her orange hair hung loosely behind her shoulders, and the seriousness in her eyes made it hard to believe she was still only a child.
Standing across from her was a boy several years older, wearing a look of complete confidence.
“Little girl, are you sure you want to battle me?” he said smugly.
“I’ve already earned two Gym Badges.”
Rainbow nodded.
“I’m sure.”
“Don’t start crying when you lose.”
“…You’ll have to beat me first if you want the Cascade Badge.”
The boy snorted.
“Then don’t blame me when it happens.”
Rainbow pulled a Poké Ball from her belt and tossed it forward.
“I’m counting on you, Wartortle!”
A flash of red light erupted.
A Wartortle noticeably larger than average appeared on the battlefield.
The moment it landed on one of the floating platforms in the water arena, it adjusted its stance and settled into a calm, composed posture.
The boy threw his own Poké Ball.
“Go, Jolteon!”
A well-trained Jolteon landed on another floating platform.
Its fur stood on end as tiny sparks crackled across its body.
Electricity danced around it with sharp snapping sounds.
The boy grinned confidently.
“I prepared specifically for this Gym battle.
Jolteon, Quick Attack!”
Jolteon transformed into a streak of yellow lightning, darting across multiple platforms so quickly that only afterimages remained.
“Wartortle, Protect!”
Wartortle crossed its arms.
A pale green barrier instantly formed in front of it.
Bang!
Jolteon crashed into the barrier and was bounced backward, flipping through the air before landing on another platform.
“Interesting.”
The boy snorted.
“But how many times can you keep that up?
Jolteon, Charge!”
Electricity surged around Jolteon’s body.
The sparks surrounding it grew even more intense.
Rainbow frowned slightly.
After using Charge, Jolteon’s next Electric-type move would hit with double power.
If Wartortle took that attack head-on, it would be severely injured even if it didn’t faint outright.
“Wartortle, withdraw into your shell!
Rapid Spin!”
Wartortle immediately retreated into its shell.
The shell began spinning rapidly across the water.
However, instead of charging straight at Jolteon, it circled around the edges of the battlefield.
The boy blinked in confusion.
Then he shouted,
“Ignore it!
Jolteon, use Thunderbolt!”
Jolteon threw its head back.
Electricity gathered above it before erupting into a massive golden bolt that blasted toward Wartortle.
“Use Water Gun on the pool beneath you!”
Wartortle suddenly poked its head out of its shell and fired a Water Gun directly into the water below.
The impact sent a huge curtain of water spraying upward.
Thunderbolt crashed into the watery barrier. New chapters come out on novelping.com first.
Electricity exploded through the spray, scattering it apart.
But Wartortle remained untouched.
“What?!”
The boy’s eyes widened.
Rainbow’s voice remained calm and steady.
“A Gym Battle isn’t won through type advantage alone.”
“No matter how powerful your Electric attacks are, they mean nothing if they can’t hit.”
The boy clenched his teeth.
“Quit talking!
Jolteon, use another…”
“Wartortle, Ice Beam!”
A brilliant blue beam shot from Wartortle’s mouth.
Jolteon leaped into the air to dodge.
But the Ice Beam swept across the floating platforms instead.
Instantly, a layer of ice formed across their surfaces.
The moment Jolteon landed, its paws slipped.
Its body staggered.
“Now!
Water Gun!”
The pressurized stream struck Jolteon head-on.
The attack blasted it backward and sent it tumbling into the pool.
Water soaked its entire body.
“Jolteon!”
The boy panicked.
“Are you okay?!”
Rainbow took a deep breath.
“Now your Electric attacks will be much harder to aim.”
“Wartortle, finish it!
Water Pulse!”
Wartortle swung its blue tail.
A glowing sphere of rotating water shot forward and slammed directly into Jolteon.
The impact sent Jolteon flipping end over end.
When it landed, its eyes had turned into spirals.
“Jolteon is unable to battle!
Wartortle wins!”
The referee’s voice echoed throughout the arena.
The boy recalled his Pokémon.
The earlier arrogance on his face was gone, replaced by frustration and unwilling acceptance.
After several moments of silence, he walked over to Rainbow.
“You’re strong.
I lost.”
Rainbow smiled softly.
“You’re really strong too!
I could tell your Jolteon was trained very well.
It can definitely become even stronger.”
The boy froze.
Then he chuckled.
“Are you trying to comfort me?”
“No, I’m serious!”
Rainbow replied earnestly.
“Your Jolteon is incredibly fast.
If the water arena hadn’t limited its movement, Wartortle might not have been able to hit it at all.”
The boy studied her eyes.
After confirming she wasn’t just being polite, he nodded.
“Thanks. This chapter is updated first at novelping.com.
I’ll come back and challenge this Gym again someday.”
“Okay!”
Rainbow beamed.
“I’ll be waiting!”
[VIP Chat Group]
Ash: She won!
She’s only eight years old and already beat a trainer with two Gym Badges!
That’s incredible!
Brock: It really is.
And did you notice how clear her tactical thinking was?
First she used the water curtain to block the powered-up Thunderbolt after Charge.
Then she used Ice Beam to create slippery terrain and limit Jolteon’s movement.
Finally, she finished the battle with Water Pulse.
The whole strategy flowed together so smoothly that her opponent barely had a chance to react.
Gary: Hmph.
Not bad.
But that challenger was way too weak.
Thinking type advantage alone would guarantee victory?
Trainers like that could collect ten Badges and still get nowhere.
Ash: Hey!
Do you have to be so harsh?
He was battling seriously too!
Gary: And what’s that worth if he doesn’t use his brain?
Effort without strategy is just brute force.
Ash: Who are you calling brute force?!
Gary: Whoever answered first.
Misty: BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!!!
Misty: This is a battle at my Gym!
Show a little respect!
Misty: …Though, ahem, Rainbow really did battle well.
Daisy: My, my.
Misty, are you praising your own daughter?
Misty: Daisy!!!
Violet: Alright, alright, we’ll stop teasing.
But honestly, an eight-year-old pulling off tactical combinations like that?
In our world, she’d absolutely be considered a prodigy.
Lily: So her inheriting the Cerulean Gym later on would be completely natural, wouldn’t it?
Misty, this could be the chance for the Cerulean Gym to return to glory~
Misty: You guys…
Lorelei: Wait a moment.
Did anyone notice how little delay there was between Rainbow’s commands and Wartortle’s actions?
The instant she gave an order, Wartortle reacted almost immediately.
That level of synchronization is extraordinary.
Bruno: Exactly!
That’s trust!
Absolute trust between Trainer and Pokémon!
Lance: Bruno, can you stop making everything about trust?
Bruno: Because it is!
Look at that Wartortle!
It never hesitated for even a second.
Whatever Rainbow told it to do, it did immediately.
You can’t build that kind of bond through training alone.
Professor Oak: A strong connection between a Trainer and a Pokémon truly does require years of shared experiences and emotional investment.
Wartortle has been by Rainbow’s side since she was four years old.
After all this time, they’ve undoubtedly formed a remarkably deep bond.