"The third match of the day is about to begin—a highly anticipated battle between our Cerulean Gym Leader, Misty, and the newly famous rookie trainer, Ryuuske, who has recently taken the internet by storm! Previously, there were sightings of Ryuuske arriving in Cerulean City, and as expected, he participated in the Gym Challenge.
What's more, he was personally certified by Misty herself, bypassing the preliminaries and going straight to the finals!"
"...No, I don't think we can call Ryuuske a rookie trainer anymore. He has already obtained two Gym Badges. That's right, folks—aside from the well-known Boulder Badge from Pewter City, Ryuuske has also earned the Rainbow Badge from Sabrina of Saffron City!"
"As one of Kanto's renowned beauties and a psychic expert, Sabrina needs no introduction. Her strength is undeniable. Even among all the Gym Leaders in Kanto, while some might dispute whether she is the absolute strongest, no one would deny that she is exceptionally powerful.
Even when Sabrina doesn't use her main Pokémon, very few challengers can defeat her. How Ryuuske obtained the Rainbow Badge remains a mystery, as he never participated in any official matches in Saffron City."
The MC's voice carried a hint of confusion, but it only fueled the curiosity of the tens of thousands of spectators in the arena and those watching from home. A staff member quickly approached the MC and handed him a document. After skimming through it, the commentator continued:
"...Ah, so there's actually a League rule stating that if someone defeats a Gym Leader in a private battle, the Leader has the authority to directly award them a Badge. However, since such battles aren't held publicly, this method is rarely used—most Gym Leaders avoid it to prevent damaging their reputation if the recipient isn't strong enough."
"...For Sabrina to personally hand her Badge to Ryuuske means she holds him in high regard. Or perhaps there's some kind of relationship between them?"
The MC's teasing remark was met with loud boos from the audience—mostly from men. Sabrina and Celadon City's Gym Leader, Erika, were incredibly popular in Kanto. Beautiful and powerful women like them were admired not just by men but by women as well!
"...Here's another interesting tidbit: just a short while ago, a reporter tried to interview Sabrina about her battle with Ryuuske. Unfortunately, they happened to encounter Sabrina during a moment of psychic instability. That reporter is now in the hospital with a cast. Let's salute his dedication!"
The MC's smooth commentary kept the energy high, ensuring there was no dead air during the preparation period, drawing laughter from both the live audience and viewers at home.
"Alright, let's get back to the match! Gym Leader Misty and Ryuuske have completed their battle formalities. Since Ryuuske already holds two Badges, this will be a 2v2 battle. Ryuuske has sent out his well-known Gabite and the ultra-rare Pokémon, Dratini!!"
The crowd erupted once again. Dratini was a national treasure in Kanto—everyone wanted to catch a glimpse of it. The sea of craning necks resembled spectators trying to catch sight of a giant panda.
"Gym Leader Misty, on the other hand, has chosen Staryu and Seaking. Misty seems a bit off today, but it's clear she's taking Ryuuske seriously—these two Pokémon were clearly handpicked for this battle..."
"The match begins! Wait—what's this? Ryuuske isn't employing any strategy at all! Just like in his battle against Brock in Pewter City, he's charging straight in! But Misty's Pokémon aren't the untrained ones that rookies usually face, especially—"
"...As expected, Ryuuske is being too reckless! Misty was prepared—both of her Pokémon know Ice Beam!! Ryuuske didn't even order his Pokémon to dodge; they took the Ice Beam head-on!
This is it—Dragon-types hit by an Ice-type move are doomed to suffer heavy—wait, WHAT?! Both Dratini and Gabite are completely unharmed! No, not just unharmed—the Ice Beam barely affected them! It was more like a regular attack!"
The MC's voice was hoarse from shouting, and the audience's collective gasp was deafening, as if they were about to blow the roof off. Not just the commentator and spectators—even Misty herself cried out in disbelief:
"...How?! Why is Ice Beam so ineffective against your Dragons?!"
She knew Ryuuske was strong, so she had prepared carefully, specifically choosing Pokémon that knew Ice-type moves. She had expected the Ice Beam to throw him off balance, but instead, he had his Dragons tank the attacks without hesitation!
The Cerulean Gym's battlefield was a water-filled pool. Seeing the frozen water and the rising mist, Misty knew it wasn't that her Pokémon's moves had failed—it was that Ryuuske's Dragons were simply abnormal!
"Don't compare my Dragons to ordinary ones. Under my guidance, they are flawless—the Perfect Dragons! Dratini, Thunderbolt! Gabite, Dragon Rage followed by Dragon Claw! Let's send our flat-chested Misty packing!"
"Crackle—BOOM!"
Countless blinding bolts of lightning erupted from Dratini's body, electrifying the entire pool and sending water splashing everywhere. The crisscrossing bolts struck Staryu directly, leaving it charred before it sank beneath the surface.
Meanwhile, Gabite let out a draconic roar—its body darkened from the effects of Dragon Rage, its eyes brimming with even greater ferocity. With a single slash of its razor-sharp claws, blood sprayed through the air, and Seaking followed Staryu's fate, sinking into the water.
"...OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD!! Ryuuske's Dragons are completely unfazed by Ice-type moves! And that Dratini knows Thunderbolt! While there have been records of Dratini using Thunderbolt, it usually requires extensive training to pull off! Seventeen seconds—look at Misty's stunned expression! She probably never expected to lose this quickly!"
"This wasn't a rookie battle—this was a match between a trainer with two Gym Badges and a Gym Leader! And it ended in less than twenty seconds! Ryuuske has shown us something truly unbelievable!"
"ROAR—"
Amid the roaring crowd and thunderous cheers, Ryuuske once again became the center of attention. Perhaps, from this moment on, even if he wanted to stay low-key, it would be impossible.
To be continued…