Gladion's smile widened as he heard Aaron's threats,"Oh… now this is interesting..... And so much for being polite."
He walked off from Aaron.
'Oh, you're gonna regret that, buddy,' he thought. He telepathically reached out to his assistant Kai, "Kai, find out more about this guy. His origin, past, background, social media, work experience—everything. If you can find out where his house his, who his partner is, it would be better." He cut the connection.
Gladion then thought back to Aaron's threat.
'He's a water specialist and name-dropped Mayor Victor. That ties him to Victor's network—either directly or through someone stung by his arrest.'
Gladion's mind flickered with calculation. 'Who'd send him? Not an individual customer—Victor's Pokémon trafficking clients can find other sellers. That leaves the supplier, someone who can't easily replace a middleman like Victor. Team Aqua fits the bill, especially with this guy's water specialty. He is someone connected to Team Aqua. And the organisation is angry that I helped arrest Mayor Victor who helped them gather funds for their illegal terrorist activities.'
Gladion chuckled a little just by thinking that Aaron gave him information about himself by just threatening him. Such a rookie arrogant villain mistake.
'Why do criminals think threatening their superiors is smart? He even handed me intel by mentioning Victor. Dumb fuck. I could get him arrested with this alone, but he probably thinks there's no proof.'
Gladion's eyes gleamed at that thought as realisation dawned on him. 'It's a fucking trap. He wants me to try arresting him, only for no evidence to surface, letting the League accuse me of baseless claims. Smart move. Not dumb after all. He forgot to consider that I am also not dumb enough to accuse him of being part of a terrorist organisation in front of such a large crowd without solid proof. But if he wants to humiliate me, I'll return the favor—first by crushing him in this battle, then digging to the bottom of this.'
He strode to the referee's podium, grabbing the mic with showmanship. "Ladies and gentlemen," he announced, his voice ringing through the packed stadium, "Mr. Aaron has given me, let's call it a warning, that he'll thrash me in battle. I commend his battle spirit. But as a trainer, I'm insulted that a lowly trainer like him thinks he can beat me and my Pokémon."
The crowd roared at the trashtalk, most of them siding with Gladion—most were Moonwood locals cheering their homeboy, while others, teleported from afar, hoped for a spectacle to watch Major Gym Leader Gladion. They don't even know who Aaron is.
They were here for Gladion—and a surprise. Gladion always debuted a unique Pokémon evolution in ace battles, and Gladion was not planning to disappoint them today.
He continued, his tone mocking. "It's a pity I'm not using Colossus for this battle, or he'd have no chance that way. So, to give him a shot, I'm benching Colossus. He'll have to wait for a worthy challenger."
Aaron glared as the crowd chuckled. The drama was deliberate from Gladion—more drama meant more views on PokéTube, translating to more cash.
'Every penny counts,' Gladion thought, his greed increasing as he grows.
'Plus, humiliating Aaron feels so good when he's trying to do the same to me. Let's see who cries first.' Gladion flashed a grin. "Alright, everyone, enjoy the battle and let's find out who thrashes who."
The crowd cheered louder as Gladion walked to his side.
The referee outlined the rules, and the battlefield for the battlewas desided to be a water one.
The arena was filled with water and floating platforms on top of it.
Gladion was amused. 'A dream field for a water specialist. At least, he is got luck running for him. Too bad that's where his luck ends.'
He eyed the dozen Poké Balls before him, his main team. 'Mystique and Hydros are perfect—both Water types, they'll match Aaron's game. I need to introduce Craggy to the world today. He's been sulking since I used Tengen in the last ace battle.'
'Hisoka's getting cranky too, itching for another fight. He would be a pain in the ass to deal with if I don't let him battle. So he is in. That makes four Pokemon for the match.' he thought.
'Four Pokémon should be enough to deal with Aaron. Mystique, Hydros, Craggy, Hisoka. Just in case Aaron's got surprises from Team Aqua, I'll bring Zeus to counter Water types and Eldergreen for backup. That lazy Tropius hasn't fought in forever.'
This confidence of Gladion wasn't arrogance. He knew that four of his Pokemon from his main team were enough to deal with Aaron.
His Pokémon were versatile, trained in every natural move and the best TMs to cover weaknesses, thanks to his wealth. Money bought TMs including super rare ones and
Gladion did not hesitate to buy them for his Pokemon to increase their stren6and versatility.
Gravity training had honed their speed, endurance, and strength, and his tactics, refined from thousands of hours playing Pokémon games, were unmatched.
Gladion looked at Aaron and thought,' He is in for a rude awakening. I'll crush his Pokémon so hard he'll retire to a farm with his Magikarps.'
The referee signaled the start, and both trainers reached for their Poké Balls, ready to release their first Pokémon.
-------Author Notes------
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