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Thick black smoke now engulfed the entire battlefield. The lingering Smokescreen from earlier, combined with the explosions from the recent attacks, had filled the arena with an impenetrable haze—making it impossible to see anything happening inside.
Kim stared intently into the smoke, her expression serious. She couldn't help but shout:
"Delibird! Can you hear me? Fly up—quick! Get above the smoke!"
"Deli!"
Her call was met with a sharp cry. The red-and-white Delibird burst upward from the smoke, trailing wisps of soot, flapping its tiny wings with all its might—its beak still clutching its tail.
Although Delibird was a Flying-type Pokémon, without the help of a TM, the only true Flying move it could learn on its own was Drill Peck. Lacking wind-type moves like Hurricane or Air Slash, it had no way to clear the dense black smog now spreading below.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, Delia stood motionless, staring into the darkened field, her heart filled with confusion.
Because just moments earlier—when the clash between Delibird and Cyndaquil happened—though her sight was blocked, she had suddenly felt something… different.
In that instant, her heartbeat had quickened, and it was as though every detail on the battlefield was perfectly clear in her mind. It was like a flash of absolute clarity—everything visible, even through the smoke.
But it lasted only a moment. Like a wave that surged and then quickly receded, the feeling vanished almost as soon as it came, leaving Delia standing there in a daze, unsure of what had just occurred.
Bzzz...
"Hm?"
Just then, the Pokémon egg that Liam had been holding quietly in his arms gave off a faint buzzing sound. The sky-blue shell quivered slightly, and a tiny glimmer of azure light pulsed across its surface—then fell still again, as if nothing had happened.
"Huh? What was that? Is it about to hatch?"
Liam looked down, puzzled, at the now quiet Pokémon egg in his arms, his eyes filled with curiosity.
…
"Delibird! If we can't see the opponent, then forget aiming—just use Present! Send them all out! Dump everything!"
Kim frowned slightly as the smoke stubbornly refused to clear. She hadn't heard any follow-up commands from Delia, and assumed she was plotting some counter-strategy in secret. But Kim knew she couldn't let this drag on any longer.
She looked up at Delibird and shouted firmly.
"Deli~!"
Delibird nodded back at Kim, released its tail, and started pulling out one colorful present after another from behind it with its wings. Without aiming, it flung them wildly into the smoke—completely random, completely chaotic.
Boom! Boom boom! Boom boom boom!
A series of loud explosions echoed through the arena as the presents detonated.
"Cyn-da! Cynda!"
Deep within the smoke, Cyndaquil was doing its best to dodge the barrage using its nimble agility, crying out urgently as it sought instructions from Delia.
But the bombardment was too dense. Eventually, one gift exploded right next to Cyndaquil, hurling it into the air with a pained yelp.
"Delia! Focus!"
At that moment, Liam noticed something was off with Delia. His brows furrowed, and he quickly shouted from the sidelines.
"Huh? Ah! Cyndaquil! Are you okay, Cyndaquil?!"
Snapped out of her trance by Liam's voice, Delia blinked in confusion before her expression turned to regret. She looked toward the now-settling smoke, her voice filled with guilt.
Delibird had stopped its attack, now hovering in the air, panting heavily—clearly drained from its relentless assault.
A strong gust of wind swept through the arena, dispersing the last of the smoke and revealing the battlefield beneath.
The once-flat terrain was now pockmarked with craters—holes of all sizes scattered across the ground. There wasn't a single intact patch of land.
In one corner stood Cyndaquil, trembling and unsteady, its body scorched and battered. The damage it had taken was clearly severe.
"Cyndaquil! Oh no… I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry…"
The moment Delia saw how injured Cyndaquil was, huge tears began streaming down her face. Her heart overflowed with remorse, and her legs gave out as she collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Cynda! Cynda!"
Just as Delia buried her face in her hands, crying bitterly, a small voice reached her ears. She stopped sobbing momentarily, opened her hands, and through tear-blurred vision saw Cyndaquil standing right in front of her—looking up, its body shaking with pain but still trying to cheer her on.
Her tears flowed again like an opened dam, uncontrollably.
"Cyn… da…"
Cyndaquil looked at her, helpless and unsure what to do as her crying worsened.
"Sigh… You two are honestly touching. Even I feel bad continuing. But this is a Gym battle. If you want to surrender now, I won't judge you. Honestly, it's the best option."
Delibird flapped its way back down to Kim's side. Kim looked at Delia and Cyndaquil, her own eyes slightly red as she tried to suppress the tightness in her chest. Her voice was sincere as she called out.
"Ugh... I—I surre—"
"Cynda! Cynda cynda!!"
Just as Delia reached out a trembling hand, ready to admit defeat, Cyndaquil suddenly jumped up and shouted with defiance.
"…Cyndaquil, you're already this badly hurt… Can we please just surrender this time? It's my fault—I didn't guide you properly. You wouldn't be hurt like this if I had done better. I promise I'll improve…"
Delia wiped her tears away and reached to pick Cyndaquil up—but it dodged quickly.
"Cynda cynda!!"
Evading her hand, Cyndaquil shouted again and turned to face Delibird. Its round little back suddenly ignited with flames—hotter and more intense than ever before.
"Huh? That's… Blaze? Delia! Stop crying and get yourself togethere! The battle is still on!"
Liam's eyes lit up instantly. He recognized the surge of fire and knew it meant Cyndaquil's Blaze ability had activated—a rare and powerful moment. He couldn't stay silent any longer and shouted from the stands.
"Just a little fire? If you're not quitting, then we won't go easy on you! Go, Delibird—use Drill Peck! Finish this!"
Though Professor Oak had already published his findings on Pokémon Abilities, it was still early days. The knowledge wasn't widely spread, and Kim clearly wasn't familiar with the Blaze trait Liam had mentioned.
Still, as a Gym Leader, her instincts kicked in. She sensed a dangerous shift in Cyndaquil's presence and didn't hesitate to give her command.
"Deli~!"
Delibird dashed forward, flapping its small wings to take flight. Its sharp beak glowed with white light, transforming into a long, spiraling drill as it flew straight toward Cyndaquil.
"Cyndaquil! Then let's go—all-out Ember! Now!!"
With Liam's advice and Delibird rushing in fast, Delia didn't have time to hesitate. Her voice cracked slightly with emotion, but she shouted her command with conviction.
But no one noticed the invisible ripple that spread out from Delia as she shouted—subtle, but real—a silent wave pulsing from her heart outward.
"Cynda! Cynda…QUIL!!!"
At that very instant, Cyndaquil opened its eyes wide—bright and fierce. Flames erupted from its back with renewed fury, and then—
From its snout burst a torrent of fire.
No longer just Ember—it was a blazing inferno. A full-blown Flamethrower, like a volcano erupting.
The stream of fire engulfed Delibird midair, swallowing it whole. The flames soared higher and higher, even breaking past the roof of the Gym, carving a brilliant arc of fire in the sky above the Violet Gym—a beautiful, flaming canvas painted in midair.