"Gengar! ヽ(￣▽￣)"
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Gengar stuffed its stubby hands into its pockets before pulling out a perfectly square object.
Then, it patted the microwave and flashed a toothy grin at Rotom Pokédex.
"Gengar!"
Get in and do your thing!
Rotom Pokédex froze for a second before declaring with full confidence:
"It's the referee's time to shine, Rotom!"
Who said a Pokédex couldn't join the fight?
The revival of household appliances starts today!
Rotom, its body crackling with electrically charged plasma, shot out of the Pokédex like a streak of red light and dove straight into the microwave.
A faint red glow emanated from the appliance as the microwave levitated, its newly formed plasma arms flexing before it grinned.
"Heat Rotom, reporting for duty!"
For a moment, the onlookers—Lucian included—could only stare in stunned silence.
"He… actually pulled out a microwave."
Lucian adjusted his glasses.
A Fire-type Heatt Rotom had a natural advantage against Candice's Ice-type specialists.
Seemed like Natsume had come prepared!
Ash, meanwhile, whipped out his Pokédex and aimed it curiously at Rotom.
[Beep… Heatt Rotom! A Rotom that inhabits a specially designed microwave, excelling in flame control!]
The temperature in the room steadily climbed, steam rising from the melting ice.
Natsume-sensei's Rotom had mastered its Fire-type form to a degree far beyond Candice's expectations.
"Even if the flames are tough to handle—"
Candice's gaze sharpened as she stared down the levitating Heatt Rotom.
"I won't back down!"
She hurled a Poké Ball, red light flashing.
Elegant and poised, a Froslass materialized on the ice, its kimono-like sleeves covering its face as it peered at Rotom with a single, calculating eye.
"Rotom, Will-O-Wisp!"
Heatt Rotom hovered midair before spewing a searing cluster of flames—Will-O-Wisp—its orange-red blaze surging forward like an unstoppable tide!
The fire raced across the ice.
Froslass flicked its sleeves, summoning a blizzard of ice crystals as a freezing gust howled, attempting to encase the flames in ice!
BOOM!!
An explosion erupted, steam billowing.
In the haze, Froslass's form flickered—suddenly, multiple afterimages surrounded Rotom.
"System Overload… (O_o)"
Rotom spun in confusion, unable to pinpoint the real one—until a chilling gleam shot from behind!
Froslass lowered its sleeve, revealing its face as it unleashed a piercing Frost Breath—a guaranteed critical hit!
CRACK!
Blue static arced across Heatt Rotom's back as frost crept along its body.
"Even a Fire-type can be frozen solid."
Candice smirked in triumph.
"That's the power of Ice!"
On the sidelines, Lucian frowned. "Candice's entire strategy revolved around freezing Rotom from the start."
"But isn't freezing hard to trigger?" Ash asked.
Lucian nodded.
"One, as an Ice-type specialist, Candice has impeccable timing."
"Two…" He hesitated. "She's battling Natsume-sensei."
Natsume-sensei—infamously dubbed Heaven's Scourge—had luck so absurd it defied logic.
But if skill could win the battle, why leave it to chance?
"Seems like I got you this time, Natsume-sensei." Candice's eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
"The first lesson of being a teacher is staying humble at all times."
Natsume chuckled before his expression hardened.
"Rotom, Electric Terrain—"
"Then Rising Voltage!"
ZZZT—CRACKLE!!
Electricity erupted from Rotom's body, blue arcs rippling across the battlefield.
At the same time, Heatt Rotom was fully encased in ice, crashing onto the frozen floor with a THUD.
"If it's frozen, how can it possibly attack—?"
Candice's instincts screamed danger as she barked:
"Froslass, Blizzard! Now!"
Froslass twirled like a dancer, its movements graceful—yet behind it, a monstrous vortex of ice swirled, the storm's howl sending chills down the spine!
"A fallen Rotom… can better utilize the terrain."
Lucian adjusted his glasses, a glint flashing behind the lenses.
Once Froslass stepped into the Electric Terrain, Rising Voltage would deal double damage.
"This was… a trap!"
The blizzard raged, jagged hailstones crashing down as the gale even rattled the stands.
Ash held his breath.
This… is Gym Leader Candice's true strength!
Then—
BOOM!!
The entire arena lit up in a blinding blue surge.
The terrain's currents skyrocketed, the once-harmless Electric Terrain now raging like a living storm.
Bolts clashed with hail, explosions rocking the battlefield!
Hail fell from above—but from below, electricity lanced upward, shredding Froslass's afterimages until only the battered original remained.
"Oh!" Ash gasped. "Since Rotom's frozen, Blizzard's damage is reduced too, right?!"
Lucian blinked.
Logically, Fire-type Heatt Rotom already resisted Ice moves.
Now, frozen—Fire + Ice resistance stacked, making it quadruple-resistant?!
"I hadn't considered that…"
Even the Psychic-type Elite Four was swayed, murmuring, "That… does make sense."
Hearing this, Natsume's eye twitched.
You think I wanted to get frozen?!
Luck was unpredictable!
As the blizzard faded, hail still pelted the field—Froslass vanished into the storm, its Snow Cloak ability boosting its evasion.
"Now!"
Candice seized the timing and shouted, "Use Ice Beam!"
Hail pelted down as a blue beam shot through the white mist, freezing layered ice flowers across the battlefield before striking Rotom with razor-sharp precision!
Crack—
The ice encasing Rotom began to shatter.
Revealed within was a Heat Rotom, steam rising from its body as red energy pulsed around it. Golden electrical currents surged from the Electric Terrain, converging onto Rotom!
After Snow Cloak, Rotom's Move Power and Special Defense had both increased!
"Will-O-Wisp!"
A torrent of flames erupted, clashing with the Ice Beam.
BOOM!!
The icy light pierced through the fire, steam billowing as the attack shot toward Rotom!
"Discharge," Natsume said calmly.
Candice's eyes widened.
The entire arena was illuminated by a blinding electric light—the Electric Terrain and charging earlier had all culminated in this devastating surge.
"Rotom!!"
The electrical currents exploded outward from Rotom, engulfing Froslass in a violent storm of lightning.
The glow reflected in Ash's eyes as he muttered in awe,
"Natsume-sensei… he's incredible."
"His predictions, his counters… he's thought of everything."
Lucian, legs crossed, flipped a page in his book and smirked.
"And he hasn't even gone all out."
On the battlefield, Candice took back Froslass who had lost his battle strength, and her expression was heavy.
The pressure Natsume-sensei exerted was overwhelming—the kind she'd only felt once before, during the Ice-type Expert Tournament, when she'd glimpsed that elderly man carrying a Swinub.
Taking a deep breath, Candice threw her next Poké Ball.
A heavy thud shook the ice.
"Abomasnow!!"
Amid falling ice crystals, her absolute ace—Abomasnow—stood tall.
Regaining her confidence, Candice grinned.
*"Natsume-sensei, I'm giving this my 100%!"
Natsume raised a second finger.
"When you think you've got the upper hand… that's when you should be most cautious."
"Huh?" Candice blinked.
Heat Rotom's body glowed red, the temperature skyrocketing. The ice beneath it began to Acid Armor, melting rapidly as steam distorted the air.
Natsume smiled. "Because the moment you think you've got it… something always goes wrong."
Snap.
He flicked his fingers.
"Rotom—Overheat."
A scorching wave of fire erupted. Candice crossed her arms, her braid whipping back from the heat.
"How…?!"
Her vision filled with blazing red.
The ice shattered as Rotom, cloaked in orange flames, crashed into Abomasnow like a meteor.
The ultimate Fire-type move, Overheat, had turned Rotom into a living explosion.
The sheer power left Candice breathless.
Natsume nodded approvingly.
Hmm… next time, maybe Rotom Oven can try even more advanced cooking.
BOOOOM!!!
Steam billowed. Abomasnow stood frozen—then its icy branches shattered.
THUD.
It collapsed, leaving a massive crater.
"A… one-hit KO?!" Ash stammered.
Lucian adjusted his glasses.
"That was Heat Rotom's strongest Fire-type move."
"Its power… rivals even a Fire-type expert's!"
Silence.
Candice stood dazed, wiping sweat from her forehead before realizing she was drenched.
From the crater, a wobbly microwave floated up—Rotom, crackling with residual electricity, grinned at Natsume.
"Victory secured fair and square, Rotom! "
"Good work."
Natsume chuckled, making a mental note to pay this guy's electric bill later.
"Take a break now."
Rotom wobbled back into the Pokédex, its battery icon flashing red.
"Gengar~!"
Gengar scampered over, stuffed the microwave back into its pocket, bowed to Candice, and trotted off.
Candice smiled weakly. "You… still have more to teach me, don't you?"
Natsume nodded. "The third lesson is—"
"To enjoy the journey with your Pokémon. The battles, the growth… all of it."
Candice absorbed his words, then slapped her cheeks, reinvigorated.
"Natsume-sensei, I'm not done yet!"
Her next Poké Ball burst open—a colossal Mamoswine landed with an earth-shaking BOOM, tusks gleaming.
Against this Thick Fat beast, even fire would struggle.
Natsume tossed a Luxury Ball.
"Go, Arcanine!"
"Arcanine!! (｀0′)"
The majestic and powerfully built Arcanine threw its head back with a commanding howl, radiating dominance.
Its flaxen, flowing fur gleamed under the light, its expression fierce and regal.
From the sidelines, Lucian couldn't help but show admiration.
"Natsume-sensei's Arcanine is exceptionally well-bred."
"But… isn't it a little too bulky?" Ash tilted his head in question.
"A tanky-build Arcanine needs ample HP reserves."
Lucian adjusted his glasses, a smirk playing on his lips.
"This Arcanine is undoubtedly Natsume-sensei's ace!"
Ash counted on his fingers, gazing skyward, lost in thought.
"What are you calculating?" Lucian asked.
"I'm trying to figure out which number ace this is."
Boom!!
A deafening collision drew their attention back to the battlefield.
A mammoth-like behemoth shattered the icy terrain, its long, fearsome tusks inspiring dread!
"Mamoswine, High Horsepower!"
"Groooar!!"
Mamoswine charged forward like a moving fortress, ice shards flying as the crimson glow of High Horsepower surged around its tusks.
CRASH!!
The distance between the two closed rapidly. Just before impact—
Natsume commanded, "Arcanine, Iron Tail!"
A chilling metallic sheen coated Arcanine's fluffy tail as it pivoted and swung with devastating force, clashing against Mamoswine's tusks!
Boom!!
"Mamoswine!!" Mamoswine staggered, violently knocked back several meters. On the icy field, a solid pillar of ice shattered with a thud under Mamoswine's weight!
The impact of High Horsepower was terrifying.
Even without a direct collision, the tusks still left a gash along Arcanine's flank.
"Arcanine!!" Arcanine bared its fangs savagely, its massive frame shifting as flames erupted along its mane!
"Arcanine, Flare Blitz!!"
A golden-flame-wrapped juggernaut tore across the field toward the sluggish Mamoswine, the ice beneath instantly vaporizing from the intense heat.
"So fast…!"
Candice's pupils contracted, once again overwhelmed by the sheer force of the flames.
In an instant, Arcanine—now a blazing tank—leaped and slammed into Mamoswine, driving it deep into the shattered ice!
Realizing the danger, Candice shouted:
"Mamoswine, push Arcanine away!"
Razor-sharp ice shards stabbed into Mamoswine's thick hide.
"Mamoswine!!" Mamoswine rolled onto its side, eyes burning red, before rearing its massive head and tusks for a desperate lunge, trying to shove Arcanine off.
But to its horror—
Its strength meant nothing against this Arcanine!
"Arcanine!" Arcanine pinned Mamoswine firmly under its paws, eyes filled with disdain as its maw brimmed with swirling Fire Blast energy!
"Now, Earthquake!!" Candice ordered.
Yet she paled when she realized Mamoswine couldn't break free at all!
"Mamoswine!!" With a last-ditch effort, Mamoswine drove its tusks into the ice, sending violent tremors rippling outward.
But Arcanine was already gone.
Mamoswine looked up—only to see a blazing figure descending from above like a meteor.
Natsume's voice rang out:
"Burn Up."
BOOOOOOM!!!
Candice stared at the inferno, lips pressed tight.
Once again, Natsume had demonstrated the ultimate Fire-type move before her very eyes.
The flames reflected off Lucian's glasses.
Adjusting the frames, he murmured:
"It's over."
CRASH!!
The firestorm swept across the battlefield, leaving behind a crater as if a meteor had struck.
Arcanine stood atop the fallen Mamoswine, flames wreathed around its claws, its gaze imperious—like a lion king surveying its domain.
Steam rose from the shattered ice, the battlefield in ruins.
"Arcanine…?"
The flames along its mane faded as it turned back to Natsume, wisdom glinting in its eyes.
"Arcanine!"
--------------------------------------
No More Waiting - The Story is Complete!
Love what you're reading? Get instant access to the entire story—all 420+ chapters are available right now!
👉 Unlock everything: patreon.com/PokemonStoryWeaver
--------------------------------------