Rin didn't wait for the referee. "Weather Ball plus Ice Ball, version III."
Tiffany's sleek form shimmered, her tail whipping the moisture-heavy air into a spiraling orb of condensed energy. The ball shrank to the size of a baseball, its watery core spinning rapidly as the frigid air condensed around it, encasing it in a solid layer of ice.
"Fire!"
The first shot ripped through the air like a bullet, followed by another, then another—an unrelenting barrage mimicking a high-caliber machine gun.
Flint's eyes widened. "Aerodactyl, Dragon Pulse! Tear through it! Knock them all down!"
Aerodactyl shrieked, its maw crackling with draconic energy before unleashing a spiraling Dragon Pulse. The beam coiled like a serpent through the rain, colliding with the first frozen projectile and shattering it into glistening shards. But the next shot was already on its way.
The battlefield erupted into a dazzling storm of colliding energy. Ice met dragonfire in an aerial dogfight, sending explosive bursts of frost and violet flames scattering across the gym. Aerodactyl dodged, twisted, countered every shot with razor-sharp precision. But Tiffany adjusted, forcing tighter angles, leaving fewer escape routes with every perfectly aimed strike.
Flint gritted his teeth. Damn it. She's boxing me in.
He needed to break free before Aerodactyl lost all maneuverability. "Aerial Ace—cut through and strike from above!"
Aerodactyl folded its wings, twisting through a narrow gap between incoming shots. It dove, accelerating like a missile, closing the distance in a blink.
"Trap it!" Rin's crimson eyes gleamed. "Iron Tail plus Stored Power!"
Tiffany slammed her tail against the soaked battlefield, sending a pulse of psychic energy through the flooded arena. The residual force twisted the rain into a sudden upward draft, disrupting Aerodactyl's dive mid-motion.
Before it could recover, Tiffany spun, her tail gleaming with hardened steel, and lashed upward with pinpoint precision.
The impact landed midair.
Aerodactyl screeched, its frame rattled by the blow as it was flung back. It barely managed to stabilize itself, wings flaring desperately.
Flint gritted his teeth. "Not bad, but you're not keeping us grounded that easy. Stone Edge!"
Aerodactyl's wings sliced through the rain, jagged shards of rock materializing before launching toward Tiffany in a deadly arc.
"Detect!" Rin snapped.
Tiffany's eyes gleamed, her body shifting effortlessly just before impact. The shards slammed harmlessly into the flooded ground.
Rin smirked. "Oh dear, dost thou not yet understand? This storm is my kingdom. Tiffany, finish the sequence—Hidden Power!"
Tiffany's aura pulsed, the rain momentarily parting around her as shimmering emerald orbs shot into the air. They twisted through the storm like guided missiles, locking onto Aerodactyl's form.
Flint's eyes widened; the color is green. "Shit—Aerodactyl, evade!"
The prehistoric Pokémon twisted midair, dodging one, two—three orbs. But the last two struck home, slamming into its frame with a resounding crash.
Aerodactyl let out a choked cry, wings faltering. It spiraled downward, unable to stabilize in the relentless rain.
With a final crash, it hit the battlefield, twitching weakly.
The referee raised his flag. "Aerodactyl is unable to battle!"
The stadium erupted in a mix of stunned silence and deafening cheers.
Flint exhaled sharply, recalling Aerodactyl without a word. His fingers were tight around the Pokéball, his mind racing. She's too damn good. This isn't just strategy—this is complete battlefield control. She's not just fighting; she's dominating.
He shook his head, forcing himself back into the present. Fine. Let's see how she handles this one.
With a flick of his wrist, he hurled his next Pokéball. It burst open with a crack of energy, revealing a hulking behemoth as it slammed into the drenched battlefield.
Rhyperior.
The ground trembled under its weight, the spikes barely making a dent in its armor.
Across the battlefield, Rin gave an exaggerated yawn, stretching her arms as if thoroughly unimpressed.
"Ahhh, 'tis good to see thou art still willing to entertain me, Flint. I feared thou wouldst collapse from despair already." She flicked her fingers toward the battlefield. "And what dost thou bring forth? A great oaf of a beast, dressed in clunky armor? Tsk, such an uninspired choice."
Flint scoffed, rolling his shoulders. "Oh, don't worry, Princess. This 'oaf' is about to wreck your entire performance."
The battlefield trembled as the storm raged on, water pooling at Rhyperior's feet. Flint's aura pressed outward like an unbreakable wall.
She's good. Damn good. But I still have one shot at this.
"Rhyperior, Rock Polish!"
Rhyperior grunted, its rocky hide shifting, its massive frame suddenly moving with alarming fluidity.
Rin's crimson eyes flashed. "So thou dost believe speed shall grant thee salvation? Foolish. Tiffany, Chilling Water!"
Tiffany surged forward, her tail radiating icy energy as she aimed for a precision strike.
Flint smirked. "Power-Up Punch!"
Rhyperior's fist clenched, glowing with a red-hot aura as it met Tiffany's attack head-on.
The impact sent a shockwave across the battlefield, water exploding outward in all directions. Tiffany cried out as she was hurled backward, skidding across the drenched arena.
She struggled to rise—then collapsed.
The referee's flag shot up. "Vaporeon is unable to battle!"
The stadium exploded into cheers.
Flint exhaled sharply, rolling his shoulders. "She put up a hell of a fight, but you're not drowning this one, Rin."
Rin merely smirked as she recalled Tiffany. "Oh, thou dost believe this is thy turning point? How utterly quaint. All I see is a beast stacking its power, preparing for its inevitable fall."
She reached for her next Pokéball, her aura pulsing.
"Very well. Let us see if thy fortress can withstand the wrath of the stars themselves. Grace, Moonblast!"
With a burst of light, Grace materialized onto the battlefield, poised, elegant, unwavering. The Gardevoir's mere presence shifted the stadium's energy, her piercing gaze locking onto Rhyperior.
Flint exhaled. Alright. This one's going to be tough.
"Rock Polish again!"
Rhyperior's body gleamed once more, its sluggish movements turning frighteningly sharp.
Rin's smirk didn't fade. "Thou may sharpen thy blade as much as thee desire—but 'tis nothing before divinity itself. Grace, Moonblast!"
Grace summoned radiant energy, condensing it into a sphere of pure lunar power before launching it in a streak of silver light.
"Block it with Power-Up Punch!" Flint roared.
Rhyperior's fist ignited, swinging upward to smash through the attack. The impact shattered the blast, but the force sent Rhyperior skidding backward.
Flint clenched his fists. "Another Power-Up Punch!"
Rhyperior lunged, attack strength rising with every strike.
"Protect," Rin said coolly.
A shimmering barrier flickered to life, blocking the blow entirely.
Flint growled. "You can't block forever!"
Rin chuckled. "Dost thou think I need to? Grace, Shadow Ball!"
Grace fired a swirling pulse of ghostly energy at close range. The dark energy slammed into Rhyperior, crackling across its rocky form.
"Rock Wrecker!"
Rhyperior roared, unleashing a massive boulder straight at Grace.
"Teleport!"
Grace vanished as the attack obliterated the ground where she once stood, reappearing behind Rhyperior, hands glowing.
"Moonblast!"
A dazzling burst of energy crashed into Rhyperior's back, sending it stumbling.
But it wasn't down yet.
Flint clenched his jaw. "Power-Up Punch—one more time!"
Rhyperior turned sharply, its fist swinging with blinding speed—faster than Grace could react.
The blow struck clean.
Grace tumbled across the battlefield.
Then, she exhaled softly and collapsed.
The referee raised his flag. "Gardevoir is unable to battle!"
The stadium roared.
Rin recalled Grace with an unreadable expression.
Then she smirked.
"Oh, sweet Flint, thou dost mistake me. I have but one piece remaining—a dragon most divine."
She held up her final Pokéball, crimson eyes glowing.
"Ishtar, bring forth the storm!"
With a thunderous roar, the Garchomp burst onto the field.
The final battle had begun.
The stadium's energy shifted the moment Ishtar hit the battlefield.
The Garchomp's piercing blue eyes locked onto Rhyperior, her stance poised, muscles coiled like a spring, her presence radiating dominance. The very air around her crackled with latent power, her aura flaring—wild, untamed, suffocating. A predator among warriors.
Flint wiped the sweat from his brow. He could already tell how this would end.
'Damn. That's not just a strong Pokémon—that thing's a monster.'
Even so, he wasn't about to hand Rin an easy victory.
"Rhyperior, this is it! Let's go down swinging!"
"Earthquake."
The moment Rin spoke, Ishtar slammed her claws into the ground, sending a bone-rattling tremor across the battlefield. The waterlogged field only amplified the devastation—waves of force surged through the drenched ground, splitting the cracked gym floor even further.
Flint's eyes widened. "Rhyperior, brace yourself! Hammer Arm, stabilize!"
Rhyperior roared, slamming its glowing arm into the battlefield, trying to break the seismic destruction with sheer brute force. The impact sent a secondary shockwave through the field, but the floodwater had already compromised its footing.
Crack.
"RHHYYY!!"
The hulking Pokémon roared in agony as its right leg buckled, the fractured battlefield betraying it. Rin's smirk was downright bloodthirsty.
Like a shark sensing blood in the water.
"Ishtar, bury this wretch—Dragon Rush."
Ishtar snarled, launching forward in a blur, her entire body cloaked in a raging aura of draconic fury. She closed the distance in a blink, her strike landing with catastrophic force, sending the hulking Rock-type flying into the solid stone walls of Pewter Gym.
Flint barely had time to react.
Rin's voice rang out like a royal decree. "Thou didst fight well, dear knight. But the queen's dragon shall show no mercy. Ishtar, let us end this farce—Draco Meteor."
The air itself trembled.
Ishtar rose into the sky, glowing with draconic energy. A deafening roar erupted from her maw as she summoned an apocalyptic storm of draconic meteors.
Flint's eyes widened in horror. "Rhyperior, Protect! Get up! Do something!"
But it was too late.
One meteor struck.
Then another.
And another.
The final, largest meteor descended like judgment itself, slamming into Rhyperior with a colossal explosion that shattered the remaining battlefield and engulfed the Rock-type in a plume of raw, golden energy.
Silence.
As the dust settled, Rhyperior lay unconscious, its armor dented, limbs twisted in unnatural directions.
The referee raised his flag. "Rhyperior is unable to battle! The winner of this match is Rin Hunter-Pendragon!"
The stadium erupted.
Flint let out a long breath, staring at Rhyperior before finally recalling him. He ran a hand through his damp hair, shaking his head before looking at Rin.
"You," he admitted, smirking despite himself, "are something else."
Rin flipped her hair back, her crimson eyes glowing with satisfaction. "Ah, dear Flint. Didst thou truly believe mere stone could break the dragon's rule?"
She stepped forward with poise, extending her gloved hand.
"My badge, if thee would."
Flint chuckled, pulling the Boulder Badge from his vest. He placed it into her waiting palm. "You earned it. And then some."
Rin closed her fingers around it, holding it up to the roaring crowd.
"The queen reigns victorious."
And with that, the Gauntlet Challenge had been conquered.