"When you say it like that, I feel even more pressure!"
Misty had grievances she couldn't even put into words.
She'd been forced onto the roster by her three sisters.
And the very first match was against Grey.
This wasn't an evenly matched battle at all!
Misty stroked Togepi's head in her arms, smiling bitterly as she shook her head.
As a Gym Leader called back at the last second to fill in, her strength among Kanto's Gym Leaders was honestly pretty decent.
But running into a monster like Grey…
"My luck is seriously awful…"
Misty stared at Grey's silhouette and muttered under her breath.
She'd watched Grey battle before.
That smooth, flowing rhythm of combat was the kind of level you could only hone after countless life-or-death fights.
How could a Trainer who spent most of the year traveling around compare to someone who trained day and night in a Fighting Dojo like some kind of beast?
Besides, Grey was an Elite Four–level Trainer!
Sigh. One step at a time.
That was all she could do.
…
…
Time quickly reached 9:00 a.m.
Golden sunlight spilled across the battlefield as Grey walked in with a light step to one side of the arena.
Misty sprang out from the competitor tunnel, her orange-red ponytail cutting a clean arc behind her.
"Gym Leader Grey." Misty clasped her fist in salute, her voice clear and bright. "Please show me your skills."
Grey gave a slight nod, already considering which Pokémon he should use for this battle.
And Misty didn't have many options with her team, either.
Starmie, Psyduck, Togepi… and also a Slowbro and an Omastar.
Those last two were a little different from the Misty team he remembered.
Omastar was probably the one she'd gotten back at the Seafoam Islands.
As for Slowbro, Grey honestly had no idea where that came from.
But the strength of these Pokémon was around the mid-40s.
If he was going to match Pokémon to Pokémon…
Grey already had a choice in mind.
"Gym Leader Misty, I won't be using my main team this time. I want us to have a battle with no regrets."
Grey took out a Cherish Ball.
He'd specifically swapped Poké Balls based on color matching.
And since the Pokémon inside happened to be around the same level as Misty's, Grey decided to let it get some real experience in this fight.
"The match rules are three-on-three. When one side's Pokémon are all unable to battle, the match ends."
A League-appointed referee hosted Grey and Misty's battle. After stating the rules, both of them grew serious.
Their large portraits appeared on the screens near the battlefield, with three empty Poké Ball icons beneath each of them.
Three-on-three was the rule most Gym Leaders preferred.
Not too many, not too few.
Just right.
In the stands—
"Brock, how many moves do you think Misty can last against Gym Leader Grey?"
Ash ate popcorn while watching.
As for Misty's odds, Ash didn't even need to look to know the answer.
If it were anyone else, maybe.
But her first match was against Grey.
Even though Ash wanted to root for Misty…
Her strength just wasn't enough against Grey.
Even with a miracle Psyduck, it might not be enough to beat Grey.
Ash had battled Grey multiple times—Grey's strength was unfathomable, and even his commanding was better than Ash's.
So Ash really couldn't be optimistic for Misty.
"Now, the match officially begins!"
At the referee's signal—
Grey flicked the Cherish Ball in his hand.
Bang!
Light burst outward.
A silver Metagross appeared on the field!
That's right—a shiny Metagross!
Days ago, Grey's Metang had evolved into Metagross "in its sleep."
Its looks had skyrocketed, to the point it could go toe-to-toe with a whole lineup of gorgeous Pokémon.
That kind of leveling speed was still normal.
If a week had passed and Metang still hadn't evolved, Grey would've had to check whether his "Sleep-Dream Arhat Fist" training was malfunctioning.
Luckily, it really had evolved.
Besides Metagross, the Machoke and Gurdurr in Grey's hands had also evolved through trade into Machamp and Conkeldurr.
Putting that aside, focus returned to Misty.
The Pokémon she sent out was Starmie—a purple body with a red crystal at its center, the source of its power.
[Pokemon: Starmie]
[Type: Water, Psychic]
[Level: 43]
[Ability: Illuminate]
[Moves: omitted]
A Level 43 Starmie—Misty's training was honestly pretty good.
If her luck were a bit better this time, making top eight wouldn't be a problem.
But the issue was… judging by her luck today, it really wasn't looking good.
"What a cool Metagross…"
This was Misty's first time seeing a shiny Metagross up close.
That silver color scheme was absolutely lethal.
Misty wasn't even a Steel-type Trainer, and she was already completely captivated by Metagross.
[I swear, the first camera shot is Gym Leader Grey?]
[Too bad it's not on Grey's own account, otherwise we could spam gifts.]
[Once-every-three-years Gym mealtime tournament? Interesting, but I wonder if it'll last until dinner time.]
The strict regulations of the Gym Leader tournament meant Grey's streaming equipment had all been left outside the venue.
Grey patted his empty pocket and laughed helplessly.
Looks like he could only focus on battling now.
"Klang."
Metagross's massive body settled onto the battlefield, its metal limbs striking the steel platform with a crisp, ringing clang.
Its crimson electronic eyes rapidly scanned the Starmie across from it. Data streams flickered in its pupils for a moment, then went still.
The analysis result was simple: win rate 98.7%.
That number didn't even make it feel like taking the match seriously. Even the engine-like hum from its back sounded lazy.
Noticing that, Misty raised an eyebrow.
She could tell roughly what a Pokémon was thinking from its emotions and body language.
And from how it looked right now…
Grey's Metagross was looking down on her Starmie?
"Starmie, don't let Metagross look down on you!"
Misty shouted sharply. "Starmie, use Surf!"
Starmie's core erupted with deep blue light. Its five-point body spun at high speed, whipping up a towering wave that surged forward like a raging tide!
Splash…
Water roared, but staring at that massive, churning wave, Metagross somehow felt it wouldn't amount to much.
Grey didn't tell it to dodge. Instead, he ordered a head-on clash. "Metagross, Thunder Punch!"
"Klang!"
Metagross slammed its arms together, and electric light instantly crawled across its silver body.
Crackle—
Arcs of electricity burst. Staring at the Starmie right in front of it, Metagross put power into all four arms at once.
Surf wrapped around Metagross's arms first, but when Metagross threw its heavy punch, those mechanical arms blazing with lightning—
the wave was torn straight in half.
Misty: ????
If I withdraw from the tournament right now… is it still in time?
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