"Final match. Start!"
"Ready, soldier?" Surge barks to his partner.
Raichu slams his tail on the floor, electricity rippling across the tiles. His cheek sacs glow with bright, dangerous, alive.
William glance at Shocker. My partner cracks his knuckles, electricity humming faintly across his stripes.
He looks ready. No, he looks hungry for this.
"Let's finish this, Shocker," William say.
"Buzzz!"
"Raichu! Thunderbolt!"
"Shocker! Dodge and counter with Thunder Punch!"
Raichu releases a blinding bolt which is pure yellow fury splitting the air. Shocker slides to the side, his boots screeching against metal, and lunges forward with a charged fist.
The two auras collide. Thunderbolt meets Thunder Punch. An explosion of sparks and smoke bursts across the arena. William raise his arm to shield his face.
"Not bad!" Surge yells through the smoke. "But Raichu's faster! Quick Attack and keep him guessing!"
A blur of orange light shoots through the haze. Shocker tries to block, but Raichu hits him square in the chest and disappears again, circling, fast, too fast.
"Stay calm!" I shout. "Track his sound!"
Shocker closes his eyes for half a beat. I see the sparks twitch around his horns and he's focusing. Then he moves.
He pivots sharply, fists glowing white-hot with power, and slams the air beside him.
Raichu appears there, eyes wide and then BAM!
The impact throws him backward into the wall, leaving a sizzling dent.
"Way to read him, Shocker!" I shout.
Surge grins wide, unbothered. "Your Pokemon've got instincts, kid but instincts won't save ya from this! Raichu, Discharge!"
Raichu lands on his feet, eyes narrowing. Blue arcs of electricity ripple outward, spiderwebbing across the floor.
"Jump it!"
Shocker leaps but the current catches his leg midair. He lands on one knee, wincing, his body twitching as paralysis grips him.
"Damn it...."
Surge clenches his fist. "Finish this! Raichu uses Mega Kick!"
Raichu dashes in, glowing with blinding white energy. He's fast. Too fast for a paralyzed opponent. William grit my teeth.
"Shocker use the momentum!"
Shocker braces himself. At the last second, instead of dodging, he tilts forward and grabs Raichu's leg mid-kick.
The gym echoes with the heavy impact. Metal screeches. Sparks explode.
But Shocker doesn't let go. Electricity burns across both their bodies. Raichu struggles, Shocker's grip tightening through the pain.
"Now! Thunderbolt!"
A surge of energy bursts from Shocker's body, engulfing the field. It's a raw, primal explosion of power.
The lights flicker. The entire gym hums.
Raichu is thrown backward, slamming into a generator on the far end. The metal box sparks violently, smoke rising from the damage.
For a second, it's dead silent.
Only the sound of faint crackling remains.
Then Raichu steps out of the smoke, panting heavily but still standing. His fur's singed, but his eyes blaze with fighting spirit.
Surge smirks. "Heh. That's my boy. Looks like your Electabuzz ain't the only tough one!"
"Good," William say, heart pounding. "Because Shocker doesn't want easy fights."
Surge points forward. "Let's wrap this up! Raichu uses Thunderbolt at max power!"
"Let's go, Shocker! Thunder Punch with full charge!"
The two Pokémon roar, electricity flaring brighter than ever.
Raichu's body becomes pure lightning, the beam firing forward like a plasma cannon.
Shocker's fists ignite with golden energy, and he charges right into it.
The collision is instant with a blinding lights. My ears ring. The metal floor beneath them melts.
For a moment, all I can see is light.
Then, through the glare, I make out two silhouettes locked in a deadly tug of war. Raichu pushing with all his might, Shocker forcing his way through every volt of pain.
The room detonated into motion.
Raichu dashed forward, feet barely touching the steel plate with a blur of orange and lightning.
"Raichu, Thunder Punch!"
The attack was almost invisible which is just a streak of light and the crack of thunder.
Shocker blocked with his forearm, skidding backward, the impact spraying sparks across the arena. His own fist ignited with electricity in answer.
They collided again. Thunder against thunder, light filling the gym with every strike.
Raichu leaped back, tail glowing. "Iron Tail!"
The blow came down like a whip.
Shocker ducked under, countering with a quick jab to Raichu's ribs which is the sound metallic, solid.
Raichu retaliated with a shockwave that blasted them apart.
The air was hot now. Every breath hummed with static. The glass floor panels flickered beneath our feet.
Surge's voice boomed. "Don't hold back, Raichu! You're the current. So make 'em fry!"
Raichu's whole body glowed gold, arcs crawling across its fur.
"Thunderbolt!"
The blast hit straight, splitting the air. Shocker raised his arms and took it head-on, electricity pouring through him and his muscles tensed, light crawling over every line of his body and then he roared, flinging the energy outward like a mirror breaking.
The feedback wave rolled across the field, shaking the overhead lights.
For a heartbeat, both stood motionless with smoke curling off their bodies, eyes locked.
Then Shocker vanished.
A blur of yellow and black streaked across the floor, closing the distance in a heartbeat. His fist connected with Raichu's jaw, sparks exploding on impact.
Raichu was flung backward, hit the wall, and bounced back into the fray before the smoke even cleared.
They met again mid-field. Each of the punches colliding, lightning scattering like rain.
Every hit was light and thunder. Every second, the storm grew louder.
Surge's grin never faltered. "Now that's what I call a battle!"
Raichu leapt high, tail coiling. "Raichu, Volt Tackle!"
The air screamed as Raichu descended, wrapped in lightning.
Shocker braced himself and the blow hit dead on. The floor shattered beneath them, shards of glass flying.
For a moment, nothing but smoke and the smell of burned ozone.
Then the movement. William smiled and shouted. "Thunder Punch!"
From the cloud, a yellow arm shot out, grabbed Raichu by the shoulder, and lifted.
Shocker's eyes burned like twin sparks. His body crackled with leftover current, but he refused to go down.
He roared, lifted Raichu higher and brought his fist down in a single, blazing Thunder Punch.
The impact hit like a hammer.
Raichu's lightning flared once and then went out.
The referee raised a hand, voice ringing through the haze. "Raichu is unable to battle! Electabuzz wins! Victory goes to the challenger, William!"
The crowd erupted behind the safety glass.
Surge stood silent for a long moment. Then he laughed.
A deep, booming sound that filled the gym.
"Now that's what I'm talkin' about! You've got the guts, kid! And your Electabuzz. He's a real beast!"
"Shocker," I say, stepping closer. "You did amazing."
My Electabuzz gives a tired grunt, then flashes me a confident thumbs-up before collapsing backward with a grin.
I laugh under my breath. "Yeah, take a rest, tough guy."
Lt.Surge walked across the field, heavy boots thudding, and stopped in front of me. In his gloved hand was a small, jagged emblem which is gold, shaped like a lightning bolt.
"The Thunder Badge," he said. "You earned it fair and square."
I took it. The metal was warm to the touch, humming faintly with leftover current. He looked up at me again, grin still fierce. "Keep that spark alive, kid. World's full of storms and you'll need it."
I nodded once and said.
"Thank you for this exciting battle. I will try my best."
As I turned to leave, the lights overhead dimmed again. Outside the glass roof, thunder rolled through the sky, echoing the battle that had just ended.
And in the reflection of the badge, the stormlight flickered which is steady, alive, like a promise.