"That's impossible!!!"
Misty let out a loud shout, her face filled with shock.
"There's nothing impossible about it, Gym Leader Misty."
Red revealed the smile of a victor.
"Your Psyduck has already lost its ability to battle. Please send out your second Pokémon."
"…Damn it~!"
A flash of annoyed indignation passed through Misty's eyes. Her gaze swept over Luffy, and she muttered bitterly, "You're definitely not a beginner Trainer!"
"I never said I was~!"
Red replied calmly, showing not the slightest trace of shame at his blatant advantage. Instead, he urged her again:
"Alright, don't waste time. Gym Leader, please release your second Pokémon."
"You bastard!!!" Misty snorted angrily. "Don't get too full of yourself!!!"
With that, she directly threw out her second Poké Ball.
Having realized that Red and Luffy were anything but ordinary, she immediately displayed the level befitting a Gym Leader.
Before the Pokémon even fully appeared, Misty was already shouting:
"Starmie—use Psybeam!!"
"What!? You're going for a sneak attack too!?"
Red was momentarily startled by Misty's decisiveness, but he recovered instantly and shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Luffy! Use Shave—don't let that attack hit you!"
Psybeam, a Psychic-type Pokémon move.
Though it only had a base power of 65, it carried a chance to inflict confusion on the target!
If Luffy were unlucky enough to hit that low-probability confusion effect, then with his free-form body and the inherent weaknesses of a Devil Fruit user, the consequences would be unthinkable!
Fortunately, Red reacted quickly—and Luffy's Observation Haki also sensed something dangerous in the air.
The instant Red's voice fell, Luffy turned into a jet-black blur and vanished from his original position.
Boom!!!
The Psybeam, having lost its target, slammed into the crystal tiles, producing a tremendous crash.
The vibrations even traveled up through Red's feet.
"A Level 20 Pokémon can unleash power on this scale!? That's already comparable to an average Marine Captain!"
Based on Starmie's combat strength, Red mentally estimated how Pokémon levels might correspond to power tiers in the pirate world.
Just then, Misty's voice rang out again:
"Starmie, use Confuse Ray!"
Whether it was due to Misty's sharp judgment as a Gym Leader, or simply blind luck…
She ordered Starmie to use yet another move that inflicted confusion!
And this time, she abandoned raw damage entirely—Confuse Ray was a move that guaranteed confusion upon hitting!
But now that he was on guard, how could Red let her succeed?
"The same trick won't work twice!!!"
"Luffy! Jump into the air!!!"
"Got it!" Luffy shouted.
At that moment, dark purple light shimmered within Starmie's brilliant red gem, releasing a circular wave of eerie radiance.
Tap!
Under Red's command, Luffy leapt straight into the air.
With the Pokémon Center available, Red wasn't worried about Luffy expending too much stamina and affecting tomorrow's training.
He immediately issued another command:
"Activate Gear Third! Finish it with one decisive blow!!!"
Sorry, Miss Misty.
I admit—you really do have some skill.
But if I let a Level 46 Luffy go all out with Gear Third… how will you respond!?
Misty: That's inhuman!!!
Staring at the massive arm that suddenly appeared in midair—large enough to block out the entire Gym roof—Misty's mouth fell open as she froze on the spot.
"Th-this… what kind of move is that!?"
A spark of realization flashed through her mind, and she hurriedly shouted:
"Starmie, use Protect!!!"
Protect, a Normal-type move, was famous in Pokémon battles for completely negating an opponent's attack.
But…
This was a world that leaned far closer to reality.
In the face of an overwhelming difference in raw power, even the strongest defensive moves would become fragile!
"Gear Third!"
"Gum-Gum Gigant Pistol!!!"
Whoooosh—!
A violent pressure of wind descended from above, pressing down so heavily that Misty found it hard just to breathe.
A dark, muted sheen appeared over Starmie's body.
Despite having no facial features, Starmie now clearly conveyed a feeling of tension—
Even fear.
And in the very next second, the godlike giant fist descended!
BOOOOOOM!!!!!!
A deafening crash echoed throughout the entire Cerulean Gym.
Under the terrifying impact, all the crystal tiles shattered instantly. The water from the pool was violently squeezed outward, surging in all directions like a miniature tsunami!
In an instant!
The inside of the Cerulean Gym looked as if a Pokémon had used Rain Dance—torrential rain poured down endlessly.
Crash—splash—crash—
Red stood atop a crystal tile he had deliberately chosen in advance.
Watching the battle field slowly fade away and the notification showing Luffy gaining experience, a satisfied smile gradually appeared on his face.
"Battle over! The winner is Red, from the Straw Hat crew!"
Mimicking the referee from the anime, Red formally declared the result of the match.
At the same time, he extended his arm and perfectly caught the doll-sized Luffy falling from the air.
"Great job, Luffy!"
Red praised him without restraint, then set the plush-like Luffy down by his feet.
As the battle concluded, the Gym entered its self-repair phase.
The shattered tiles sank one by one into the water, automatically replacing themselves with pristine crystal tiles that returned to their original positions.
Meanwhile, the lingering fear on Misty's face faded away, replaced by the standard mechanical smile of an NPC.
Stepping on the newly restored crystal tiles, Red walked up to her, triggering the dialogue prompt.
"I never imagined you would truly defeat me."
"As proof of your victory, this blue badge is yours!"
"And also…"
"This is a move I take pride in—a Technical Machine: Scald!"
"After learning it, eligible Pokémon can unleash searing hot water to damage enemies, with a high chance of inflicting burn."
"Thank you very much."
Politely taking the two items from Misty, Red instantly felt a refreshing current of energy surge through his body, nourishing his organs and every single cell.
He knew it—
The reward for the achievement [Badge Collector] had arrived.
And once he returned to the pirate world, he could use this Blue Badge to draw a Water-type Pokémon move!
Combined with the TM for Scald, and Luffy successfully reaching Level 47…
Today's journey through the game world could only be described as unbelievably rewarding!!!
…
…
Flash—
As a white light passed before his eyes, Red's consciousness instantly returned to his real-world body.
Almost immediately, a loud, excited shout burst out from the adjacent room:
"Wahahahaha—!!!"
A moment later, the door was slammed open as Luffy pushed it aside from outside.
He held up a fist shimmering with a faint dark metallic sheen and shouted excitedly at Red:
"Red! I did it!!!"
(End of Chapter)