The Ghost Specialist

“You’re using Dragonite here?” Redi exclaimed.

Sam remembered this Dragonite, and images of it flashed through his head. The fright of being forewarned that something dangerous was coming, followed by the pseudo-legendary’s appearance over the Stantler herd in the valley. While they found out later that Dragonite just wanted to prove its strength, that meant little in that moment, where encountering a fully evolved dragon with that level of potential strength had caused Sam’s hindbrain to scream the entire time.

Currently, Redi had four Gym Badges. Sam had five. A Dragonite was beyond the level of anything expected here, yet it was still a Dragonite. And Clair had promised to use a tougher team.

“...I thought you sent Dragonite to Lance,” Sam managed to get out.

Behind him, he heard a soft cry. Dragonair seemed to question Dragonite for being here, and the fully evolved Dragon Type on the field snorted in response.

“Dragonite is currently Lance’s Pokémon,” Clair answered, “but I specifically requested him back for this battle. It only felt right to—”

“Sure, but you recognize how ridiculous this is, right? You said you were using seven-star Pokémon! How is something like a Dragonite fair?” Redi asked.

Clair narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms. Despite her annoyance at the question, Redi and Sam weren’t the only ones curious about Clair’s motivation.

“Yes, actually,” the elder Blackthorn Clan member said, smacking his lips and looking to Clair. “I’m quite interested in why you decided to bring Dragonite back here, as well.”

As Clair let out a sigh, her Pokémon seemed to recognize that this disruption in the match would last longer than they thought. Clair’s Kingdra used Rain Dance one more time to ensure the falling water would continue to allow it to stay in the air. Dragonite himself brought himself back to thump onto the ground, sitting with his arms crossed, impatiently waiting.

Quietly, Dragonair whined from behind Sam and Redi. Dragonair and Dragonite had been training together, but Sam wasn’t sure if they were related or not.

“Alright, so... yes, I’m treating this battle as the equivalent of a sixth Gym Badge challenge, albeit with a slightly stronger team than usual,” Clair replied. “None of the Pokémon I chose for this battle would be out of place on a seven-star team—save for the two at the beginning. On paper, a Dragonite would be an unfair challenge, but remember who this Dragonite is. He’s not only weaker than most Dragonite, but he evolved unprepared and is still picking up the pieces on how to fight like a true dragon after slacking in his training.”

An antennae twitched, and Dragonite turned around with a growl to snap at Clair. She easily met the apex predator’s gaze without flinching. In fact, the Pokémon almost looked cowed, but only for the briefest of seconds.

“Do you really think Lance was holding you back for no reason? Do you really think he was keeping you out of battles just to be mean?” Clair asked. “I’ve talked to him, and I stand by his decisions. You’re untested. Unwilling to work with others. This is a double battle—do well in this fight, and I’ll make sure my cousin dedicates more of his time into training you up.”

To that, a sharp grin flashed across Dragonite’s face. Exposing its teeth, the Dragon Type turned around, bringing itself up into a crouch and preparing a lunge.

Clair’s Kingdra briefly glanced at Clair, who answered its unspoken question with a single nod. It brought its focus back to Sam and Redi’s side of the field, but an eye twitched when Dragonite didn’t return its attempt to greet it.

“...Now that Haunter’s fainted, who are you going to send out?” Redi whispered to Sam.

“Misdreavus, probably,” Sam said, taking in the two opposing Dragon Types. “I think I want to set up for Primeape.”

On the side, the elder serving as the referee cleared his throat while waving toward Sam and Redi.

“Very well, then. Consider this a test for both sides, now. Young one, this battle will resume once you send out your Pokémon,” he said to Sam. “Please, make your choice.”

Sam nodded and sent Redi an attempt at a reassurance glance. Dragonair was motionless behind her, refusing to look away from the field for even a second.

“Misdreavus!” Sam called out, tossing up a Pokéball.

Like a gunshot, Dragonite took off the second Misdreavus appeared, and the battle resumed.

“Support him,” Clair told her Kingdra.

“Porygon, use Recover!”

“Misdreavus, Will-O-Wisp spread!”

It was telling that Dragonite needed no commands, and it was telling when Dragonite’s predatory eyes narrowed to focus on Porygon, aiming itself toward the injured Pokémon, first. Its tiny wings let it zoom through the air a foot above the field. Porygon’s treads slowed to an almost imperceptible level as it focused on healing previously sustained damage, but Dragonite was rapidly closing in on it. In an attempt to help, Misdreavus did her best to spread out a threatening wall of flames to warn away the pseudo-legendary Dragon Type.

However, Dragonite didn’t even blink at the burning motes. It pulled up, and the wind that followed in its wake continued its momentum forward. From the side, Quilava cried out to support her friend, who continued to try to build her wall of wisps even through the gale.

But the gust—not even a full move, just the passive result of Dragonite’s speed—slammed into her makeshift defense to utterly blow away. With most of it extinguished, Dragonite dived, pulling up at the last movement to swipe a glowing claw across Porygon’s side.

“Psychic!”

Dragonite curved in the air to face Misdreavus, chasing her down for a second Dragon Claw. However, though Sam had been relying on her status moves recently, Misdreavus was still primarily being trained as a special sweeper. Her attacks could come out faster, but even with the blue glow that surrounded Dragonite, it was still able to break through the force of the Psychic to land another Dragon Claw that smashed her right into the ground.

“Reposition!” Sam yelled.

With that single hit, Misdreavus was critically injured. The only reason she didn’t faint was because she had taken no damage the first time she was sent out. Being sent into the ground allowed her to dive into the floor, and she did her best to zip away in a splotch of Shadow Sneak.

“Kingdra,” Clair said, “finish off Porygon.”

It had been floating high above the field, simply watching the other Dragon Type until now. With Dragonite’s initial assault having finished, Kingdra raced downward, moving like a galloping Rapidash. Its snout began to inflate with water as it prepared a final move.

But that order revealed someone Sam had missed: Dragon Claw hadn’t finished off Porygon. Recover was just enough to allow Porygon to stay conscious, and Redi didn’t hesitate to yell out a single command.

“Zap!” she cried.

Porygon’s body was stuttering. Its movement was no longer smooth, and its head jerked back and forth like the gears of a ticking clock. Yet, Porygon could act, and electricity crackled across its body.

The call for a “zap” was not a Thunder Shock, a Charge Beam, or even a Discharge. Instead, it was a much weaker move, and with Dragonite’s focus on the fleeing Misdreavus, the pseudo-legend didn’t recognize it needed to avoid the incoming Thunder Wave.

“Yes!” Redi pumped a fist when her Pokémon’s move hit. “Like that, Dragonair? I wouldn’t have thought of this move if it wasn’t for you!”

She laughed when the Dragon Type behind her cried out to rub against her face. She patted the Pokémon’s cheek before bringing her gaze back to the field.

Thunder Wave did no damage, but it did something better; Dragonite was now paralyzed. Static electricity coursed through its body, intermittently locking up its muscles to prevent its fight and preventing it from moving at its full speed.

Unfortunately, Thunder Wave came at a cost. Porygon abandoned all defense to use it, and Kingdra’s Hydro Pump struck Redi’s Pokémon unimpeded.

The bounce sounded like the clattering of metal, and Porygon skidded across the battlefield ground. At the same moment, Misdreavus left her shadow, using the delay of Dragonite’s paralysis to try to pull off a new attack before Redi would be forced to switch.

“Hex!”

Needless to say, this was the perfect combination. Porygon’s Thunder Wave inflicted a status condition, and Hex made the most of that effect. Hex wasn’t exactly a move Sam had gone out of his way to teach her, but it was one of the many she was in the process of picking up from the other members of his team.

Honestly, it didn’t take much to combine Will-O-Wisp and Ghost Type energy to create a Hex, and Haunter had been giving so many miscellaneous lessons to wild Ghost Types that it was easy for Misdreavus to slip in and request lessons for herself as well.

So, barely hanging on, Misdreavus released an attack that was not too dissimilar from the Will-O-Wisp from before. Dark flames flickered into existence, coming to be already sailing forward at her opponent. Dragonite, unfamiliar with the move, didn’t realize the importance of needing to dodge. When it hit him, the flames jabbed into him like needles that pierced through his entire body, crackling alongside the electricity of paralysis.

He screamed.

Hex was twice as effective when used against a Pokémon with a status condition, so it was that much more painful for him. Through that pain, however, Dragonite pulled his head back, and he channeled its anger until a new move.

From his mouth, blue flames were exhaled, coming out shaped like the head of a dragon. After that Dragon Claw and her use of the brand new Hex, Misdreavus did not have the energy to dodge, and the fire of Dragon Rage utterly consumed her.

“Neither Porygon nor Misdreavus are able to battle,” the elder said placidly off to the side. “Both of you, please send out your next Pokémon. I recommend being quick, as otherwise Dragonite might have time to recover.”

Sam blinked.

A single Hex wasn’t enough; Dragonite was still up.

The pseudo-legend was still suffering from paralysis while gritting its teeth, but it didn’t look like it was going to faint anytime soon.

And then, alongside it, Kingdra had hardly taken damage. Poryon had disrupted its attacks, but it hadn’t suffered any direct hits. Not only that, but the one move it had been struck by wasn’t necessarily too effective. Like most multi-target moves, Discharge wasn’t as strong in a double battle as it was in a single battle, as the energy of the attack had to be split between opponents.

The damage Porygon inflicted was less as a result.

“I just have Primeape left,” Sam breathed in realization.

Haunter had fainted. Misdreavus had fainted. As this was a partnered double battle, he could supply only three Pokémon, so Quilava wouldn’t be stepping onto the field.

As for Redi, she had her extremely injured Ursaring, and then the untrained Dragonair behind her.

Meanwhile, Clair had both of these seven-star Dragon Types still in fighting state as well as whatever she had in her pocket for her sixth.

“Can we even do this?” Sam mumbled.

He hesitated to send out Primeape. Next to him, Redi was silent for longer than he’d have liked.

“Of course,” she said eventually. “We still have a chance. Think about who our next two Pokémon are. Kingdra’s injured. Dragonite’s hurt and paralyzed. Perfect condition to send out Primeape, and Ursaring’s primed for a final blow, yeah?”

Sam breathed out. Redi was right. Dragon Types were Dragon Types, but Sam trained something better.

Ghosts.

Although Primeape currently lacked Sam’s favored Type, the ape Pokémon hit the field with a howl befitting one. From inside his Pokéball, Primeape had at least some awareness of what was going on outside, and seeing how far Clair had pushed Sam’s team meant that he entered the field already mad.

“Can I hold my Pokémon back? Give Primeape a chance to fight two-on-one?” Redi called out.

The elder-slash-referee hummed curiously.

“What an interesting question. Normally such an act wouldn’t be allowed...” He looked over both Primeape and Dragonite, both of whom were itching to resume this fight. “But I’ll allow it. Continue the battle!”

Sam didn’t stop his smirk when Primeape immediately bounded forward. Dragonite tried to do the same thing it had done when it had first started to fight, but its wings tensed as lingering electricity coursed through its body, paralysis stopping a flying charge forward.

But those two still met one another on the field.

Primeape tried for a Low Kick, but even with his strength, he wasn’t able to hit hard enough for his leg to sweep Dragonite’s balance out from under it. The heavy Dragon Type tried to reply with a swipe of a Dragon Claw, but the muscle spasms from Porygon’s paralysis meant it moved at a reduced speed, and Primeape jumped to the side.

“Kingdra,” Clair said.

Her Pokémon moved behind Primeape, flanking him with the other Dragon Type. It breathed in to prepare its next attack—

Primeape rolled to the side, to circle his grounded opponent. Dragonite was interposed between him and Clair’s ranged, special attacker.

“Hah. I see why you wished to hold back your next Pokémon. But for fairness’s sake, I’ll give you only thirty seconds more to fight two-on-one,” the elder said.

Sam’s heart thundered in his chest. They only had so many advantages they could make use of here.

“Rage! Take glancing blows!”

A vein throbbed on Primeape’s head as he allowed his passive anger to flow through him, building with every attack.

In the ensuing exchange, Primeape’s swipes were hardly effective. Rage wasn’t the strongest move in the world, and it was only a Normal Type attack, too. Dragonite, being met head-on, carried a pride that saw it reply with only melee strikes of its own. Dragon Claw after Dragon Claw came out, but an important fact remained:

It’d only been a Dragonite for about a month. It hadn’t fully mastered having arms just yet.

The difference in experience was clear almost right away. Primeape allowed Dragonite’s moves to hit him as a scratch, but they never carved across his face or took out more than just the edge of his fur. Whenever Kingdra tried to attack him, he just rotated around to attack Dragonite from the other side. This situation almost perfectly aligned with his practice, too. With all of his spars against Ursaring, Primeape was uniquely familiar with fighting a much larger foe that over-relied on its claws.

“Ten seconds,” the elder said.

Primeape continued to take small nicks here and there, but the damage he was sustaining was adding up.

“Just a bit more!” Sam called out.

Clair bit her lip out of frustration.

“Kingdra, get ready to snipe. Once she releases her next Pokémon, use—”

“Giga Impact!”

Redi’s voice came out three seconds early, before their limited time ran out. With a flash, Ursaring was already glowing on the field. The same energy for a Hyper Beam now surrounded him to enhance his charge.

He was burned, too, the status condition from the start of the fight still lingering even now. His muscles bulged from the coursing adrenaline, and the pain allowed him to charge with a greater speed than before. Dragonite looked over, surprised, and Kingdra started to unleash its attack.

“Grab it!” Sam yelled.

Primeape jumped past Dragonite to latch onto Kingdra.

His weight dragged it down, and once on the floor, a yank threw off its aim.

A Hydro Pump hit the ceiling as Kingdra’s head was pulled back, and as for Dragonite—

“Dodge!” Clair yelled.

It ignored her, bracing itself to grab Ursaring like Ursaring had grabbed Gyarados from before.

However, Giga Impact wasn’t just any move. It was as strong as Hyper Beam in the form of a physical bash.

Ursaring slammed into it right when Primeape tore Kingdra toward the ground. Rain still fell as both of Clair’s Pokémon were subjected to grabbing moves.

Dragonite’s stomach bent inwards from the impact, and Ursaring carried himself forward to bring his entire weight into the Dragon’s Types chest.

Kingdra once more tried to use a move, but a smash to its stomach saw it cough out a splash rather than any dedicated attack.

“Between a bear and a Dragon Type, my money would have been on the Dragon Type, but I guess I was wrong,” Sam said.

From beside him, he heard a whisper.

“Wow. I can’t believe Giga Impact worked.”

One of Sam’s eyes twitched.

Dragonite had taken a status-boosted Hex. Now, it had taken a Guts-boosted, same-type-enhanced, strongest Normal Type move around, Giga Impact. No Pokémon should have been able to withstand not one but both of those moves.

But Dragonite wasn’t just a pseudo-legend. It was also trained by a Gym Leader.

Though it was on the verge of fainting, it was still up.

And after that Giga Impact, Ursaring now needed to recover.

“No,” Sam breathed.

“Finish it,” Clair ordered.

Primeape still had Kingdra locked down, but he was stuck in place to keep it pinned, whereas Dragonite had the freedom to do whatever it wanted.

Sam clenched his fists.

I hate this.

Everything about this battle was frustrating—more than that. It was infuriating.

They’d spent weeks training.

Faced so many challenges outside of main routes.

Experienced things no other trainer would ever experience.

Yet in the face of raw power, what they had wasn’t enough.

Sam grit his teeth so hard he felt one was liable to crack. And, at that moment, he hated the Blackthorn Clan. He hated how stuck-up they were. He hated their pride. But, most of all, he hated how they had the strength to back up their boasts, and he hated how his team didn’t have the strength to match.

He could do nothing but stare as Dragonite lifted a claw for a final slash. The world seemed to move in slow motion as it raised its arms. With Ursaring about to be knocked out, all of their heavy hitters would be eliminated.

They were about to lose this match.

However, it wasn’t just Ursaring on the field.

Sam wasn’t the only one feeling the burn in his chest.

Off to the side, Primeape had gone quiet. The Fighting Type had glanced over his shoulder to check on Ursaring only to witness Dragonite’s raised claw. Anger coursed through him much in the same way Dragon Type energy coursed through Dragonite. His hair stood on its ends as everything seemed to come to a point.

And then he looked calm.

So terrifyingly calm.

The sudden moment of relaxation granted Kingdra the freedom to move. On the ground, it brought up its head to try one of its faster attacks—a Water Pulse, which wouldn’t require the same build-up of a Hydro Pump.

However, the moment it breathed in to prepare the Water Type energy, a gloved hand snapped out faster than it could move. Primeape clenched its snout, preventing the water from leaving, and Kingdra’s cheeks inflated as the attack built without anywhere to go.

Something coalesced around Primeape as he used Curse. All of that Ghost Type energy was then released in a punch to Kingdra’s stomach.

“That was—”

The water left Kingdra’s mouth in a burst. The Pokémon deflated like a popped balloon.

Behind, Dragonite completed its swipe to finish off Ursaring. Two Pokémon remained on the field, but Sam couldn’t look away from his own.

Primeape’s attack hadn’t been a Normal Type move.

It hadn’t been a Fighting Type move.

It hadn’t been any elemental punch, either.

No, the attack Primeape used was a Ghost Type move.

“Rage Fist,” Sam breathed.

His Pokémon turned around.

Sam wasn’t sure if Primeape was conscious. His anger had built to a point it had never reached before. Right now, his eyes had turned white, and Sam had to question how much deliberate thought was behind his actions.

But Primeape had finally managed to combine everything into Rage Fist. It had just taken getting into a losing situation for everything to finally fit together.

“Is Primeape going to evolve now?” Redi whispered.

“No. He only just picked up the move. He needs to master it if he wants to reach his next stage,” Sam replied quietly.

Both Clair and the Blackthorn Clan elder stayed dead silent, watching Primeape with narrowed eyes. With Kingdra fainted, Primeape began to cross the field, but he didn’t jog, leap, run, or do anything to move faster than a slow, determined walk.

Dragonite saw him coming, and the Pokémon held out its arms to welcome the challenge. It was still paralyzed, but the energy from the Thunder Wave had mostly worn off. The worst of the condition had come and passed.

So, it walked forward, moving to meet Primeape with a feral grin on its face. Before, it hadn’t managed to land any melee attacks, but it didn’t seem like it was going to fall for the same limitation right now.

Before Primeape got too close, it breathed in, the blue flames of Dragon Rage licking up the sides of its mouth. Dragonite smiled as it prepared its move—

But then it stopped.

Dragonair snorted in amusement behind Redi.

On the field, Dragonite turned its head down to face where Primeape’s fist was now lodged in its stomach.

Scales bent. Muscles crumpled. Dragonite lost its grin to gain an expression of pain. No skin broke, but Dragonite’s stomach bent inwards as if Primeape had just punched a bean bag.

Rage Fist was a powerful attack. For every direct hit its user sustained, Rage Fist increased in base power, and Primeape had taken many hits earlier in the match.

“We win,” Sam said.

Now aware of what just happened, Dragonite was no longer able to resist. The air was knocked out of it, and its stomach righted itself. Scales shattered against its stomach, the pressure saw it explode backward over the field, with the air itself bursting in every direction as it flew across the field’s painted lines to slam into the wall, which cracked and caused the room to shake.

“YES!”

Sam’s voice was a roar through the ensuing silence.

“PRIMEAPE! THAT WAS EXACTLY WHAT WE NEEDED!”

Primeape blinked and looked down at his fist. Whatever state he was in vanished. He cocked his head to the side, unsure of what he just did.

In such a short time, two Dragon Types—albeit, one heavily wounded—had fainted in the face of Primeape’s power. Rage Fist might not have shared a Type with Primeape (yet), but it was an attack that had the potential to carry more power than even a Hyper Beam.

With Rage Fist, even if Dragonite had been healthier, Primeape would still have knocked it out. Rage Fist was truly his ultimate attack, and now they just needed to figure out how to repeat this situation if they wanted Primeape to evolve.

Sam grinned as Primeape stood in the center of the field. To his side, Quilava screamed her name, and Primeape stood taller for it.

Wait.

He paused, listening more closely to Quilava’s shouts.

Huh. Those don’t sound that encouraging, do they?

Quilava wasn’t yelling out her support.

She was yelling out a warning.

“Dragonair,” Clair named, casually tossing up a Pokéball. “Use Extreme Speed.”

Sam blinked, and he missed the subsequent attack.

In an instant, Primeape was sent flying back the same way Dragonite had before him. The move’s single impact came with such force that he was sent over the lines of the field, where he skidded to a halt past Sam’s side.

He did not get up.

Before now, Clair had already sent out one Dragonair in this battle, but that Pokémon had fallen quickly thanks to the combined efforts of Misdreavus and Ursaring. Now, the Dragonair she’d sent out next wasn’t just any other Dragon Type.

It was her ace.

Her strongest Pokémon.

One so powerful it should not have appeared in this battle—even more so than the Dragonite before it.

The imperious gaze of her primary Dragonair flicked over Sam and Redi before turning away, unimpressed. It glanced back to Clair as if to ask if its presence was even necessary, but Clair just silently stared ahead.

“...I’m out,” Sam said.

The realization hit him almost as hard as Primeape had hit Dragonite.

Haunter had fainted. Misdreavus had fainted. And now, his last of three Pokémon had fainted as well.

He could feel the lump growing in his throat; he didn’t have any Pokémon left to release. They even had a single switch left, but what was the point if they had no remaining Pokémon to use?

“Ursaring and Porygon are both out too,” Redi said, following up her statement with a self-defeating laugh. “But that’s fine. We aren’t eliminated just yet, yeah?”

Slowly, she turned around to look at Dragonair behind her. This whole time, the Pokémon had been watching with such excitement on its face, but now its blue scales had drained of color. Its eyes were as wide as they could go, and the wings on the sides of its head were down, pressed tight against its skin.

A Dragon Type like her should never have looked so afraid.

“Dragonair,” Redi said. “It’s fine. We can still do this.”

With how confident her tone was, Sam almost believed her words.

Dragonair didn’t react right away, but Redi stared right into the Pokémon's eyes. Eventually, she brought her gaze down to meet Redi’s, and in the face of such unyielding confidence, she smiled and nodded once.

Color returned to her face.

“You know what? Yeah! Who cares? We aren’t out just yet!” Sam shouted.

Next to him, Quilava did her best to cry out in support, but he could tell she had to fight to sound brave.

“You got this, Dragonair,” Redi said, patting the Pokémon’s side. “It’s like Sam said; we haven’t lost just yet.”

Dragonair slithered onto the field, eyes sparkling with determination as she did. She proudly faced Clair’s Dragonair, who floated in the air with its body moving back and forth like a snake in water.

Above, the clouds of Kingdra’s Rain Dance finally parted, allowing the room’s humming lights to peek out from behind.

“Hm. Though you challenged me to a double battle, it finishes as a one-on-one match,” Clair said. “And, what, nothing to say? Not going to complain about Dragonair as you did Dragonite?”

But to those taunts, Redi just smiled.

“Don’t need to,” she said. “Dragonair might be your ace, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still win.”

Clair replied with a snort, and off to the side, the elder called out a single command.

“Continue.”

Redi pointed at Clair’s Pokémon in the air.

“Dragonair!” she shouted. “Start with a Thunder Wave! Follow it up with a Leer into Wrap!”

Faced with an impossible opponent, Dragonair didn’t give up. She grinned, exposing her teeth with a determined snarl. Her body crackled with electricity that jumped off of her and onto her foe.

“Great!” Redi shouted as the Thunder Wave hit Clair’s Pokémon. “Keep it up!”

Following the command, Dragonair dived forward.

She brought her head close to the floor, glaring at her opponent, and raced to reach a point underneath it. There, she jumped up to wrap herself around it like a string twisting around a rope.

She proceeded to squeeze with all her might, trying to lean into any openings that might have been caused by her Leer. A few scales bent on the larger Dragonair’s body, but it didn’t seem to react, even with the paralysis Thunder Wave had caused it earlier.

In the back, Clair sighed. Her Pokémon looked just as tired as her.

“Dragonair’s ability is Shed Skin. Thunder Wave was pointless.”

“But Shed Skin still takes a moment to activate!” Redi yelled. “So now that you have it all wrapped up, spin it around with Twister, Dragonair!”

The eyes of Redi’s Dragon Type lit up with inspiration, and she raced to move herself around her opponent’s body. Twister was all about coiling up and releasing that tension to create a draconic tornado to trap its foes, but here, Dragonair was trying to use her already coiled body to create a Twister with Clair’s Pokémon inside.

She moved, squirming and wiggling without releasing her Wrap, doing her best to conjure her sole Dragon Type attack. Wings flapped on the sides of her head as she poured everything she had into this combination move.

A few winds whipped up, but nothing else happened.

Still in the air, Clair’s Dragonair looked utterly unimpressed.

“...Outrage,” Clair said.

Nothing Dragonair did affected Clair’s Pokémon. Instead, the very surface layer of the opposing Dragonair’s scales—a skin-thick wrap—peeled away to dispose of the lingering energy from Thunder Wave. Dragonair tried to prevent that by squeezing even tighter with Wrap, but she was forced off and away as yellow-purple fire lit up around the body of her foe.

As commanded, an Outrage built.

“It’s over,” the elder said off to the side.

As the smaller Dragonair landed on the ground, Clair’s Pokémon reared its head back before rocketing right into the Pokémon’s neck.

A cough.

Then a thump.

Dragonair was smashed into the ground.

Clair’s Pokémon brought itself high into the sky in an ever-growing rage, but before it could dive down again, Clair returned her final team member.

And the room became completely and utterly still.

“The challengers are out of usable Pokémon,” the elder commented casually.

“This battle is finished,” Clair declared.

Thus, the match was over.

Sam stared at the fallen Dragonair on the ground. Next to him, Redi was perfectly silent. Disbelievingly, she returned Dragonair to her loaned Pokéball. As the light was absorbed inside, her grip tightened.

She didn’t want to let it go.

Even after all of our training. Even after all of our new moves. We went through that entire battle, managed to faint so many Pokémon, and we still—

“Pft.”

The elder snorted.

As Sam and Redi snapped their heads toward him for a glare, he covered his mouth with a raised hand, allowing his cane to come to a rest against his knee.

“Sorry. Sorry! Please, ignore me. I’m just a tired old man whose presence isn’t important. Look to Clair, instead.”

Sam frowned. Redi shifted her gaze. However, her furrowed brow told him her frustration had given way to deep consideration.

“Wait, why did you use your Dragonair here?” Redi said to Clair. “It doesn’t belong on a seven-star team. I hate to say it, but none of your other Pokémon were too unreasonable, even Dragonite. How did you expect us to beat the strongest Pokémon you have, anyway?”

Clair didn’t respond for several long seconds.

“I didn’t,” she eventually answered. “Are you upset?”

Redi pursed her lips before shaking her head.

“Not anymore. You’re tricking us somehow, aren’t you?”

Confused, Sam glanced between the grinning elder and the expressionless Clair. Once he came to the same realization, he pinched his nose, letting out a sigh.

“Oh, you really—” He breathed in. “You really did only use a seven star team against us, didn’t you?”

“Wait, what do you mean?” Redi asked.

Clair let out a breath, and her expression changed. Instead of being unreadable, she now looked faintly amused.

She still held the same Pokéball that contained her ace Dragonair, and she held it out to release her Pokémon next to her. The incredibly strong Dragonair quickly shook its head to break out of the effects of Outrage. While Outrage was a powerful Dragon Type attack, it also inflicted its user with Confusion.

“You weren’t supposed to win, but I had to at least keep the battle fair,” Clair answered. “Yes, most of the Pokémon I brought with me were above your level, but that’s part of the reason I led with Charmeleon and my in-training Dragonair. Those two are still training themselves up, and their presence let me gauge your strength. I had hoped to give them a chance to get some experience in this battle, but—”

“They fainted pretty quickly,” Redi said, now grinning.

“...Yes. At least they know to not underestimate their foes,” Clair said tiredly. “ Personally, I’d rate your teams to be at around a six-star level. As for the Pokémon you faced, Gyarados, Kingdra, and Dragonite wouldn’t be out of place on a seven-star team, but they each have their flaws.”

Sam spoke up.

“Gyarados is extremely weak to Electric Type moves. Kingdra is physically fast but has to spend time building up its strongest attacks. And Dragonite has too much pride—he isn’t great at working with others on a team,” he answered.

Clair nodded.

“Strong Pokémon with abusable flaws—the perfect Pokémon to use in a mid-stage Gym Battle. If this was a seventh or eighth Gym Badge match, I would have relied on strategies that minimize those negative traits, but I had to make sure this battle was somewhat in line with the Pokémon League’s rules.”

“But that still doesn’t explain your Dragonair,” Redi said.

Clair chuckled.

“It still doesn’t explain my Dragonair,” the Gym Leader repeated. “Yes. To get to the short of it, this battle was over the moment Dragonite was knocked out.”

Redi’s eyes widened, and Sam’s did too the moment Clair confirmed it.

“Wait, so your Dragonair really was—”

“A test,” Clair finished. “Would you give up in the face of impossible adversity? Or would you flee and back off like a coward unworthy of training Dragonair?”

Sam could hear Redi sniff next to him. She was doing her best to keep a straight face.

Meanwhile, he chose to bite his tongue.

He heavily disagreed with what Clair just said.

Genuinely, there was nothing wrong with running away. Faced with an incredible challenge, fleeing was not a coward’s choice; it was strategically wise to avoid impossible enemies and search for alternative angles of attack. Throwing yourself and your Pokémon at something they weren’t able to defeat was the height of flawed thinking.

But there was more to it than that. The test wasn’t completely wrong.

This wasn’t a life or death situation—it was just a Pokémon battle. Not necessarily a casual one, but it wasn’t anything dangerous. Redi had little to lose by facing Clair’s Dragonair since she could technically try again. I’d say this was less of a test of will and more of a test of making the correct decision.

But it would have been a mistake to continue if we were in the wild.

Clair was unaware of Sam’s thoughts, and she looked over both of them before turning toward the elder.

“Your thoughts?” she asked.

His eyes were closed, and once against, he pulled at his chin as if his bare skin once supported a thin beard.

“It was interesting. Very, very interesting,” he said. “It’s always a surprise to see something new at my age. I didn’t expect to see a previously unknown Pokémon, and I didn’t expect to witness not just one but two brand new moves.”

He chuckled, and Sam’s heart skipped in his chest.

“The Blackthorn Clan likes to present itself as a unified entity, but the truth is, like most organizations, it is divided from within,” the old man continued. “There are those who stick to tradition, and there are those who seek to move forward. Both sides have their costs and benefits, and I tend to lean toward tradition more often than not.

“But this... This is a unique situation,” he said. “You clearly care for Dragonair, and I doubt she would have faced Clair with such confidence if she had been paired with anyone else. The Blackthorn Clan has never handed a Pokémon to a trainer outside of our Clan. However...”

He opened an eye to look at Redi.

“Dragonair was never ‘our’ Pokémon in the first place, was she?”

Redi clutched Dragonair’s Pokéball in her hand and grinned.

“Very well, then.” The elder grunted and used his cane to lift himself out of his chair. Clair took a step closer as if intending to help, but before she could move further, he shook his head to wave her off. “You two have given me quite a bit to think about. And I’ve learned more than I expected, too. Some say that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but perhaps that saying is simply rooted in stubbornness. There’s always more to learn in this vast world of ours, and that is a fact I find myself understanding more and more every day.”

He chuckled and started to slowly walk to the entrance of the room, his cane supporting him with every step. As he passed where Sam and Redi stood, Sam heard the old man mumbling under his breath.

“Was I wrong to hold him back?” he said quietly. “No, no. Still the issue of improper mindset.”

And then he was gone, having disappeared into the underground hallways, the clicks coming from his cane slowly fading away. Once he was well and truly gone, Clair walked over. Her large Dragonair followed in the air.

“You defeated the five Pokémon I prepared for this battle, but you would not have won if I used a full team of six,” she said, looking over the two of them. “Celebrate this as a victory, but also take it as a lesson. Don’t get cocky. If you challenge someone to a battle so confidently, you better be sure you can win.”

She paused.

“Or, I suppose you could purposefully enter a losing battle as a training opportunity, but that’s beside the point.”

She shook her head, pulling her cloak to reach into a pocket hidden underneath. Next to Sam, Redi was practically bouncing. She didn’t let go of Dragonair’s Pokéball in her hands.

“Here,” Clair said, holding out a pair of metal pins in the shape of a dragon’s head. “These are Rising Badges, named to reference how all trainers who overcome Blackthorn Gym are rising stars. It’s rare for someone to claim a victory here and not make it to the Conference. You’ll do well if you keep the lessons you learned in this battle in mind.

“As for Dragonair...” Clair breathed out, shaking her head with a slight smile. “Take care of her, alright?”

“Alright!” Redi exclaimed.

Clair moved to walk away, but Redi spoke up to stop her before she left.

“Wait, hold on! What about everyone else?” she shouted after her. “We came here in a group. Are they getting a chance like this, too?”

Facing away, Sam could see the Gym Leader rolling her jaw in thought.

“Yes and no. It’s complicated. Their situation is different than yours, as they didn’t make the foolish mistake of challenging a Gym Leader to a bout off-route,” Clair said with a smirk. “While you came here as a group, the fifth test’s challenge can only be done paired or as individuals, as its battles are about proving yourself against members of the Blackthorn Clan. If your friends truly care about Pokémon, they will be fine, even if they lose. But if they don’t—”

“What about Terry and his Gible?” Redi interrupted.

Clair huffed.

“The boy’s an idiot.” Sam had to take a moment to recover after she said that. “His Gible is young—likely freshly hatched when he first received it. Dragon Types don’t evolve through power alone. Age is also important. It’ll evolve into a Gabite in time. He just needs to be more patient.”

Redi went silent, and Clair crossed her arms to wait for any further questions.

“Then why not tell him that?” Sam asked.

Clair rolled her eyes.

“Did he ask?” she said. “He went to the Blackthorn Clan for help, but he didn’t come to me. I can only assist a trainer as much as they’re willing to ask for help. Some lessons must be learned the hard way, and if he wants to focus on only one avenue of support and worry about something not worth worrying about, then I say let him.”

Clair then breathed out, recognizing she was getting a little heated.

“But,” Clair continued, “the point of these Trials is to support upcoming trainers—the Blackthorn Clan’s political motivations aside. No matter what, he’ll get what he seeks today and likely a bit more past that. Not just anyone has the determination to stay in one place for months on end just to make sure his Pokémon will be okay. Rude or not, he’s earned something from us. He’s a strong trainer, and I’d be surprised if he doesn’t make it to the Conference, too.”

Redi nodded slowly, and Clair breathed again. She finally turned to resume her exit from this room.

“This was certainly an experience for me, I’ll say that. Once more, feel proud for earning my badge.” She stopped at the door. “But with the Gyms you have left, be careful from here. While none possess the strength of a true Dragon, Gym Leaders are Gym Leaders for a reason. Don’t let yourself become arrogant. Don’t forget how close you were to a loss.”

And then she left.

Sam and Redi stayed in the room.

After taking a moment to let Clair’s words settle in, Sam looked to his friend, and Redi returned that look with a smile.

It was about time that they left, too.