There wasn't much Nozomi could do in this situation.
He glanced at the hulking body of his Steelix, then at the Electrode that was rolling nimbly around it, darting left and right with unpredictable, floating movements. It was proving quite troublesome.
Now he could clearly see Lt. Surge's strategy.
Lt. Surge was using Electrode's superior speed to kite Steelix, wearing it down from a distance.
And because Electrode had Explosion as its trump card, Surge's command style was far more relaxed than when he'd been directing his Raichu earlier. That smug "If I can't win, I'll blow you up!" look on his face made Nozomi's teeth itch with irritation.
"Fortunately," Nozomi murmured, "I've got a trick or two myself."
He mentally reviewed the moves Steelix knew, and as soon as an idea came to him, a confident smile spread across his face.
"Steelix—use Autotomize!"
At his command, a flash of white light shimmered across Steelix's massive frame. To the untrained eye, nothing seemed to change, but a closer look revealed a subtle shift.
Steelix's exterior looked the same, but internally its body had become lighter—its immense mass reduced.
Autotomize, as its name implied, was a Steel-type move that lightened the user's body to increase speed. Only certain Steel-type Pokémon like Steelix, and a few Rock-types such as Golem, could use it.
In the games, each use could cut the Pokémon's weight by 100 kilograms—sometimes even reducing it to a mere 0.1 kg—massively increasing its speed without sacrificing strength. It was, in short, an absurdly powerful technique.
Nozomi didn't need to go that far, of course. Many of Steelix's moves relied on its own massive weight.
But even a partial reduction was enough to make Steelix much faster.
So, you think only you can move quickly?
Nozomi's grin widened as he watched Steelix's newly heightened speed chase Electrode across the battlefield, forcing the Electric-type to dart frantically to escape. Lt. Surge's face was even darker now than it had been when Raichu was defeated.
Nozomi felt a rush of satisfaction, especially when Steelix's tail or body occasionally scraped Electrode, leaving shallow marks on its glossy surface.
"Damn it!"
Lt. Surge's expression turned grim, but he still wasn't desperate enough to order Explosion. Not yet. He wasn't ready to give up on defeating Steelix outright.
"Electrode, use Swift!"
Golden stars flew from Electrode's body toward Steelix, while a sharp Sonic Boom followed in its wake.
Even though it had lost its speed advantage, Electrode's spherical body still made it nimble enough to maneuver around Steelix—for now.
"Steelix! Don't let it dance around! Use Dragon Breath!"
That's right—Dragon Breath! Steelix could use Dragon-type moves too.
With a thunderous roar, Steelix opened its jaws and unleashed a surge of bluish-green draconic energy straight toward Electrode's path.
Electrode, used to Steelix relying on its body to attack, hesitated for just a moment at the sudden long-range move.
And that brief hesitation was all it took—it couldn't dodge in time.
As an Electric-type Pokémon, Electrode was immune to Dragon Breath's paralysis effect, but the damage still hit hard.
Its spherical face twisted in pain, its features contorting.
"Electrode!"
Lt. Surge called out anxiously. His gaze locked on Steelix, his mind calculating furiously. One wrong move, and he'd trigger Explosion immediately.
Attack now—or hold back?
Nozomi studied Surge's expression and could roughly read his thoughts.
If he pressed the attack, Surge would definitely have Electrode self-destruct. But if he hesitated, the chance to finish off Electrode would slip away, turning the battle into a tedious war of attrition.
He made his decision in a single heartbeat.
"Steelix, use Iron Tail!"
But as he shouted the command aloud, Nozomi used telepathy to transmit a secret instruction directly into Steelix's mind:
"Pretend to use Iron Tail—then immediately use Protect!"
He was gambling.
He was betting that Surge would command Explosion the instant he heard "Iron Tail."
It took only seconds for Nozomi to think, decide, and act.
With a mighty sweep, Steelix's tail swung forward.
"Electrode, dodge it—and use Explosion!" Lt. Surge roared.
The decision made, his tension melted into grim resolve.
If I can't win, fine. We'll go down together. At least I'll take that kid's Steelix with me.
Electric-types struggled against Ground-types like Steelix. Surge was confident that once Steelix was gone, the rest of the battle would go smoothly.
As for whether Explosion would actually take Steelix down—he had no doubt.
His Electrode was high-level, and the two were close enough that the blast would be devastating.
Electrode rolled backward rapidly, its body glowing with an increasingly blinding white light. But then Surge's eyes widened—
The tail that was supposed to strike Electrode suddenly recoiled and curled protectively in front of Steelix.
A familiar green aura shimmered across its steel body.
"Damn it! I've been tricked—it's Protect!" Surge shouted. "Electrode, stop!"
But Electrode was already past the point of no return, lost in the manic energy of its own impending detonation.
The white light grew to a blinding glare, as if a miniature sun had ignited on the battlefield.
Nozomi shielded his eyes.
A deafening BOOOOM! shook the entire gym. A wave of hot air rippled across the floor, nearly knocking him back.
"Did it blow?" he muttered, squinting through the thick smoke.
As the haze cleared, a charred and motionless Electrode lay at the center of a deep crater.
"So it did explode," Nozomi said with a satisfied smile.
He turned toward Steelix—its body was blackened in spots but otherwise looked unharmed.
"Protect really is a fantastic move," he said with a low chuckle, then glanced at Lt. Surge's scowling face.
The grin that followed was positively radiant.
"That's for calling me baby," Nozomi whispered.
Yes, Nozomi could hold a grudge.
Around them, the Vermilion Gym trainees were frozen in stunned silence, unable to believe what they'd just seen—their Gym Leader defeated once again.
"Electrode is unable to battle! Steelix wins!"