In an instant, it was as if a miniature nuclear bomb had gone off. A ring of blinding white light rippled across the sky, bursting like radiant fireworks at high noon.
The entire crowd, both those gathered in the square and the thousands watching online froze in collective awe, mouths agape, eyes wide. They stared, unblinking, at the heavens where it all had unfolded.
And then, from that shining sky, something fell.
A black silhouette plummeted from the light, crashing to the battlefield like a broken kite. The impact left a crater in the stone plaza, dust and debris surging outward from the epicenter. When the smoke cleared, the fearsome Hydreigon lay at the bottom of the pit, unconscious. Tongue lolling, limbs splayed, eyes swirling like a stunned cartoon.
It was over in a single move.
"The challenger's Hydreigon is unable to battle!" the referee called out, running to inspect the fallen Pokémon before declaring the result.
"Hydreigon!" Wright's voice cracked. He stared at the battlefield, frozen in disbelief.
Across from him, the seemingly fragile and gentle Jirachi gently floated down from the sky, its expression innocent and wide-eyed.
There was no doubt about it.
That was a one-hit knockout.
The livestream chat exploded:
[Arceus above! It ended in one hit?!]
[What was that move??]
[Wasn't Jirachi supposed to be a support Pokémon?! How does it have that kind of destructive power?!]
[A champion-tier Hydreigon… completely obliterated…]
[Okay, I believe you now. Zapdos is NOT his strongest. Holy crap.]
While the audience was still processing what had just happened, Naoki looked across the battlefield and calmly asked,
"Do you want to continue?"
For the first time in his life, Wright felt fear. His arrogance, his dignity as a noble, began to crack. The fury in his chest was now a confused, trembling heat.
Why? Why was this Gym Leader so powerful? Why had he been using Pokémon like Jolteon and Pikachu earlier, as if holding back?
But his pride wouldn't let him back down.
"I'm not done yet," he growled, withdrawing Hydreigon and pulling out another Poké Ball.
With a flash of white light, a Zoroark appeared on the field.
Three minutes later, Zoroark was defeated by Jirachi's radiant attack.
Then came his third Pokémon, Bisharp. Instant knockout.
His fourth, Volcarona. Defeated before it could flutter its wings.
His fifth, Braviary, proud and wild. Dropped in a blaze of comet light.
Finally, his ace, Haxorus, the axe-jawed Dragon. Even it fell, unable to endure the onslaught of Jirachi's wrath.
By the end of the sixth battle, the entire audience had gone deathly silent.
The spectators, both present in the square and watching online, were all gripped by the same astonished thought:
This Jirachi… is terrifying.
[Okay but seriously, if Jirachi is this powerful… how strong are Naoki's other Pokémon we haven't seen yet?!]
Naoki's performance had now become legendary. The livestream had broken viewership records, with trainers and fans from every region tuning in just to see what would happen next.
Back in the square, Wright looked shattered.
All six of his prized Pokémon, trained since childhood, raised with care, some of the finest in Unova, had been defeated in single blows by a Pokémon he had mocked just minutes earlier.
He stared at the battlefield, pale, struggling to process the humiliation. He could already imagine what people were saying about him online.
Naoki let out a sigh, his tone respectful yet firm.
"I'm sorry, but you didn't pass the Gym's assessment. I can't award you the badge. Please leave."
Wright stared at the trainer across from him. After a long pause, he slowly took a deep breath, recalled his final Pokémon, and walked away in silence.
His pride as a League Champion had been shattered. The strength he once believed was unrivaled was still far from enough.
He had a long road ahead. More training. More growth.
Naoki scratched his head as he watched the boy's figure disappear into the distance.
"That was weird. Where did that guy even come from?"
Shaking it off, he turned to look at the time. The sun was setting, and the clock was ticking toward the end of the day.
"Alright, looks like work's done for today. Time to go home!"
He turned toward his companion. "Jirachi, thanks for your hard work!"
Jirachi, still glowing faintly from its earlier burst of power, twirled happily in the air. "It's so nice to help you, Naoki! Jirachi likes it best when you smile!"
Naoki chuckled, reaching up to gently pat the floating Pokémon's head. "I mean it, you guys make me happy every single day."
With the last challenger gone, the Levincia Gym finally entered a rare moment of peace.
Naoki shut off the Rotom Phone livestream, packed up for the day, and left the Gym behind.
As he returned to Tree House Ranch, Cyclizar was already bounding toward the gate to greet him.
With a laugh, Naoki leaned in and kissed on his head. "I'm back!"
"Gaoo!" the Pokémon chriped proudly.
From the porch, Iono stepped out with a radiant smile, Ogerpon waddling beside her.
"You're home!" she said brightly.
"Yup." Naoki dropped his bag and wrapped her in a gentle hug.
"Dinner's ready!" she said as she stepped back and handed him his slippers. "Come in and wash your hands first."
Inside, the dining table was already set with a hearty spread. Naoki paused at the doorway, a warm feeling spreading through his chest.
"You really didn't need to go all out like this. I could've helped when I got back."
"Oh, come on. I've been cooped up in the house all day, I've practically turned into a bush!" Iono laughed, flashing a playful smile. "This much, I can handle."
Naoki smiled back. "Well, just don't overdo it, okay?"
He washed up and joined the table. The smell of roasted vegetables and berry stew filled the air. The Pokémon gathered around, each in their own spot.
As they ate, Iono excitedly shared the day's stories from the ranch:
"Dragonite came back with a gift from Madam Dantes after a delivery. Fluttermane spent all day hiding in the bushes, watching something, we still don't know what. And Ogerpon invited me to a Pokémon tea party!"
Another trainer came to challenge Hero Trial and so on.
Naoki listened with a big grin, playfully interjecting and teasing the Pokémon involved.
At that moment, Naoki's Rotom Phone, which he'd set aside during dinner, began to ring.
He picked it up and saw the caller ID: Geeta.
Tapping the answer button, her face appeared on the screen, bright as ever.
"Naoki, you did excellent work today!" Geeta greeted him with a proud smile.
Naoki blinked. "Huh?"
"You defeated the trainer who challenged Levincia Gym and made a clear statement about the strength of our Paldea region's Gym Leaders. That was very well done!"
Hearing her tone, Naoki finally pieced things together.
"So that guy really came to challenge me on purpose?"
Geeta nodded. "Yes. He's a noble from the Unova region. Apparently, he's always been extremely proud, looks down on others, flaunts his accomplishments, that sort of thing. This afternoon, he made some arrogant remarks online questioning your ability, and the livestream crowd didn't take it kindly."
"I heard he got absolutely roasted by the viewers."
Naoki scratched the back of his head. "That explains the attitude."
Geeta chuckled. "He probably never expected that kind of backlash. He wanted to prove himself by beating you… and, well, we all saw how that turned out."
Naoki sighed, shaking his head. "I didn't even use my full team."
"I know," Geeta smirked. "That's what makes it better."
He gave a wry smile. "Honestly, I almost felt bad for him at the end."
There are plenty of arrogant nobles in the world, just like those who once mocked Ash for being from a 'backwater town' like Pallet.
"Yeah," Naoki murmured.
"But people like you remind them what really matters," she continued. "Strength. Kindness. And the willingness to train your team and fight fair, no matter the opponent."
Naoki paused, then smiled. "Thanks, Chairwoman. I'm just doing what I can."
"And doing it very well," Geeta said warmly. "I knew I chose the right person."
...
Bonus CHapter @1K $tonks
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