The stadium roared.
Fifteen thousand spectators filled the Vermillion Gym's battle arena, their voices creating a wall of sound that pressed against Sasuke's senses as he walked through the challenger's tunnel. The crowd was larger than any he'd faced, larger than Pewter, larger than Cerulean, drawn by a matchup that had captured the region's attention.
Uchiha Prodigy vs The White Fang.
The headlines had been running for three days. Sports networks analyzed every aspect of the upcoming battle. Betting markets favored Sakumo heavily, but the smart money was watching to see if the "Supernova" could upset expectations. Camera drones hovered at approved distances, feeding live coverage to viewers across Kanto and beyond.
Sasuke emerged into the arena proper and was momentarily blinded by the intensity of the stadium lights. The field stretched before him, a regulation battle platform of compressed earth and stone, designed to withstand the forces that Pokémon combat could generate. Electric-type banners hung from the rafters. The Vermillion Gym's lightning bolt emblem blazed from massive screens on all sides.
His companions were somewhere in the stands, Miyuki, Kasumi, and Kiyomi had secured front-row seats through Kakashi's intervention, but he couldn't spot them amid the sea of faces. Victini chirped encouragement from its usual shoulder perch before he recalled it to its Pokéball. This battle would be fought alone.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" The announcer's voice boomed through the stadium's speaker system. "Welcome to today's official Kanto League Gym Challenge! In the challenger's corner, from Blackthorn City: Sasuke Uchiha!"
The crowd's response was mixed, cheers from those who'd followed the Supernova's progress, skeptical murmurs from longtime Vermillion loyalists who knew what challengers typically faced here.
"And in the Leader's position, undefeated in his last forty-three consecutive battles: Gym Leader Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang of Vermillion!"
The opposite tunnel opened, and Sakumo emerged.
He looked different from their private meeting, fully dressed in his gym leader regalia now, white coat trimmed with gold lightning bolts, silver hair swept back from a face that radiated calm authority. But what struck Sasuke most was the warmth in his expression. This wasn't a man approaching combat with aggression or intimidation. This was someone who genuinely loved what he did.
Sakumo crossed the field with measured steps, stopping at his designated position across from Sasuke. The crowd's roar faded to expectant silence as both trainers faced each other.
"Sasuke Uchiha," Sakumo said, his voice carrying despite not being amplified. "Three days of preparation. I've heard reports of your training. Impressive dedication."
"Thank you for the opportunity, Gym Leader Hatake."
"Sakumo. Call me Sakumo." The older man's smile was genuine. "Formality has no place between trainers who are about to give everything they have."
The referee, a League official in traditional black and white, stepped to the field's edge. "This is an official Kanto League Gym Challenge for the Thunder Badge! Standard rules apply: one Pokémon per trainer, no substitutions, battle continues until one side is unable to continue! Trainers, are you ready?"
Sasuke nodded.
Sakumo's smile widened slightly. "Show me the Uchiha fire, young man."
"Ready!" the referee declared. "Trainers, release your Pokémon!"
Sakumo moved first. His Pokéball flew in a gentle arc, releasing its contents in a burst of light that resolved into,
Pikachu.
The Electric-type stood perhaps half a meter tall, its yellow fur crackling with ambient electricity, its red cheek pouches pulsing with contained power. It should have looked small, insignificant, a starter Pokémon facing the legendary creatures Sasuke commanded.
It didn't.
The aura surrounding Pika was unmistakable, concentrated power refined by four decades of relentless training. Her black eyes held an intelligence that went beyond typical Pokémon awareness. Every movement, every shift of weight, spoke of absolute control. She was a predator wearing prey's clothing, and the crowd's knowing murmurs suggested that long-time attendees understood exactly what challengers faced.
Sasuke's response came without hesitation.
"Landorus!"
The Legendary emerged with ground-shaking impact. The Forces of Nature member towered over the arena, its muscular orange form dwarfing its opponent ten times over. Sand and stone responded to its presence, small tremors radiating outward as the earth itself recognized its master.
The size differential was almost comical. Landorus could have crushed Pikachu under a single hand. Type advantage was absolute, Ground immune to Electric, super-effective in return. On paper, this match shouldn't even be close.
But the veterans in the crowd weren't laughing. They'd seen this scenario before.
"Battle begin!"
Pika vanished.
Sasuke's eyes couldn't track her.
One moment the small Electric-type was standing at Sakumo's feet. The next, she was a blur of yellow lightning, moving so fast that she left afterimages burned into the retina. The stadium's high-speed cameras might capture her path, but human perception was hopelessly outclassed.
Landorus sensed her through the earth, a brief vibration, the whisper of displaced air, but even that warning came too late.
Thunder Punch.
Pika materialized behind the Legendary's head, her tiny fist wreathed in crackling electricity. The blow landed before Landorus could react, impact transferring through the massive Pokémon's skull with force that belied the attacker's size.
Landorus staggered.
The crowd gasped. Thunder Punch was an Electric-type move, it should have been completely ineffective against a Ground-type. But Pika's attack had landed with such speed and precision that the physical impact transferred regardless of type immunity. The electricity might not penetrate, but a fist was still a fist.
"Earthquake!" Sasuke commanded.
Landorus recovered its balance and slammed both fists downward. The arena floor shattered outward in concentric waves, stone and earth erupting in a display of raw power that would have devastated any grounded opponent.
But Pika was already airborne.
She'd launched herself into the air the moment Landorus moved, her trajectory calculated with superhuman precision. The Earthquake passed beneath her harmlessly, its devastating force wasted on empty ground.
"Agility," Sakumo said calmly.
Pika began to glow mid-air, a brief pulse of energy that somehow made her even faster. She landed on a falling chunk of debris, used it as a springboard, and was moving again before Sasuke could process her previous position.
"Quick Attack chain."