"This match is won by Aoki Taji from Aoki Town!"
The referee glanced at Teng Dou, who had already conceded, before announcing the result. At the same time, he handed over a Rock Badge and a Rock Smash Move Skill Ball to Icarus.
"Thank you."
Icarus put away the items, thanked the referee, recalled Weepinbell, and returned to the contestant area.
"Moo moo~"
Weepinbell seemed a little unhappy after being recalled.
"I haven't even had time to enjoy the cheers yet."
"Cheers? Those people are probably about to start demanding refunds again."
Icarus tapped the trembling Poké Ball and replied.
"Refunds! Refunds!"
"Both matches ended in surrender! It must be rigged!"
"Why did they give up so quickly? Where's their backbone?"
"Refunds!"
"That Weepinbell is really strong, though!"
"Today's challengers are pretty good!"
"Rigged! Rigged!"
As expected, countless voices soon erupted from the stands.
Most people were questioning why the Gym battles had ended so quickly through surrender. Only a handful were discussing Weepinbell's strength, and those comments were quickly drowned out.
"Buzz~"
Hearing the crowd, Weepinbell's Poké Ball trembled once before settling down again.
"Moo moo~"
"These spectators are awful. What do they mean by rigged? It's obviously because I'm too strong!"
Through their Mind Contract, Weepinbell conveyed its indignation before sulking inside the Poké Ball and drawing circles.
"Alright, alright. You're the strongest."
Seeing Weepinbell's expression through the transparent Poké Ball, Icarus smiled and comforted it.
"Next up is the third challenge match. Contestant Murayama Stone, please come to the stage!"
Ignoring the continuing demands for refunds, the referee calmly switched to a new battlefield and called Stone forward.
"One ticket lets them watch three matches, and they're still dissatisfied? What else do they want? If the challengers are too strong, is that our fault?"
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Stone strode onto the battlefield.
His towering, muscular physique instantly caught everyone's attention.
"Awoo! It's the big guy!"
"Look at those muscles!"
"With a body like that, he probably won't use type advantages!"
"Let's see a real man's battle!"
"My blood is boiling already!"
As locals of Pewter City, many spectators had a natural admiration for strength and muscle. The atmosphere quickly became excited.
"Next is a Gym challenge between Murayama Stone from Aoki Town and Intermediate Apprentice Rosen of the Rock Gym.
This battle will be 2-on-2 with no first-strike priority and will use Rush Battle rules. The challenger retains the right to switch Pokémon."
After explaining the rules, the referee allowed both sides to prepare.
Stone also took the opportunity to examine his opponent.
Rosen was a bald, sturdy man, but compared to Stone's massive frame, he looked noticeably smaller.
"Both contestants, please send out your Pokémon!"
"Go, Graveler!"
Stone immediately released his ace Pokémon.
"Hehcha~"
A large Graveler with a dark metallic sheen landed heavily on the battlefield.
"Hehcha!"
To everyone's surprise, Rosen also sent out a Graveler.
It was clearly larger than most wild Graveler, though it lacked the glossy black luster of Stone's.
"Ohhhh! Graveler versus Graveler!"
"That's what I call a battle!"
"Look at those fists!"
"Go, Graveler!"
The crowd instantly became excited.
This was exactly the kind of head-on clash they had come to see.
"Battle start!"
Even the referee looked slightly surprised by Stone's Graveler.
As a Rock Gym member and Trainer himself, he had seen countless Graveler.
In his opinion, Stone's Graveler ranked among the best.
The reason was simple.
Most Gym apprentices possessed techniques but lacked resources.
Stone, however, had invested nearly ten million into his Pokémon.
He spared no expense on his starter Pokémon, always following the best cultivation methods available.
"Graveler, Stomp!"
The moment the battle began, Rosen launched a direct attack.
"Graveler, Stomp!"
Stone immediately responded.
"A real man fights head-on!"
"Hehcha!"
Boom!
Both Graveler gathered Ground-type energy and slammed their fists into the battlefield.
Rumble! Rumble!
The arena shook violently as a massive cloud of dust exploded outward.
"This is the violent beauty of battle!"
"That's it!"
"Keep fighting!"
The crowd roared with excitement.
"Graveler, Rock Blast!"
Before the dust even settled, Stone gave another command.
He knew his Graveler had barely suffered any damage.
That dark metallic skin wasn't for decoration—it was the result of consuming countless rare metals.
"Hehcha!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Dozens of rock projectiles erupted from the dust cloud and shot toward the opposing Graveler.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Rosen's Graveler was still suffering from the impact of the previous clash and couldn't react in time.
The barrage slammed directly into its body.
"Rock Shield! Then Rock Polish!"
Rosen's expression darkened as he hurriedly issued commands.
He already knew from the first exchange that his Graveler was outmatched.
Still, seeing the difference so clearly was difficult to accept.
"Hehcha!"
The opposing Graveler barely managed to raise a Rock Shield while simultaneously activating Rock Polish.
"Heh. Graveler, Small Earthquake, then Rock Rain. Finish it!"
Stone grinned.
After observing the battle, he no longer intended to drag things out.
"Hehcha!"
Boom! Boom!
Graveler smashed the ground twice.
An even stronger tremor exploded across the battlefield.
Crack! Crack!
The Rock Shield shattered instantly.
Even Rosen's Graveler developed cracks along its body.
"How is that possible?"
A Gym disciple watching nearby widened his eyes.
"That combination technique actually has considerable power!"
He immediately recognized it.
The move was recorded within the Gym.
By perfectly combining Magnitude and Stomp, one could create a miniature Earthquake.
Although it sounded simple, it required exceptional timing, physical conditioning, and move transitions.
Even many Gym members couldn't perform it reliably.
"My Rhyhorn needed guidance from an Elite Golem before it could barely manage this."
The disciple became increasingly interested.
At that moment—
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Countless stones floated around Stone's Graveler.
Then they descended like a torrential downpour.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The fallen Graveler was relentlessly bombarded and never managed to stand back up.
"Hehcha…"
After two pained cries, it lost its ability to battle.
This was the Rock Rain combination move that Stone had developed over the past two years by combining Stealth Rock and Rock Blast.
"That's amazing!"
"Those rocks really do look like a rainstorm!"
"So satisfying!"
"That Earthquake combo was incredible!"
The spectators finally got the battle they had been waiting for.
Fast or not, this kind of direct clash was exactly what they wanted.
"Damn it! He even learned Stealth Rock!"
Rosen stared at Stone's Graveler with envy.
His own Graveler hadn't even mastered the move yet.
"A very interesting young man."
The Gym disciple stroked his chin.
"Perhaps he's inherited some specialized Rock-type techniques."
The referee was equally surprised.
If a Gym apprentice had used those moves, it would have been normal.
But an outsider defeating one of their own with them was impressive.
"The first round goes to Murayama Stone. Rosen, please send out your second Pokémon."
"Go, Sandslash!"
After taking a deep breath, Rosen recalled Graveler and released Sandslash.
This time, he intended to rely on speed.
"Come back, Graveler. Go, Big Rat!"
Stone immediately exercised his right to switch and released his own Sandslash.
The crowd erupted once again.
"Sandslash versus Sandslash!"
"Now this is interesting!"
"He beat him with power, now he's challenging him with speed!"
"Hahaha!"
Rosen's face darkened.
Was this guy really here just to make a statement?
"Battle start!"
"Sandslash, Rollout Barrage!"
"Big Rat, Rollout Barrage too!"
"Kuga~"
Both Sandslash curled into balls and began rolling at high speed.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The two spinning spheres raced around the battlefield while continuously firing Poison Sting attacks.
However, Stone's larger Sandslash was noticeably faster.
Its attack frequency was also much higher.
"Damn it! Sandslash, use Swift!"
Seeing the disadvantage, Rosen quickly changed tactics.
"Kuga!"
The smaller Sandslash spun rapidly in place.
While deflecting the incoming Poison Stings, it released a shower of shining stars.
For a moment, the entire battlefield sparkled with brilliant light.