"I'm going to get serious now, so get ready for a barrage of attacks!" Brawly declared, his eyes narrowing as he raised his hand to issue the command.
"King, use Fake Out!"
Hariyama, at LV 32, lunged forward with surprising speed, its massive hands swiping toward Kirlia in a powerful fan-like motion.
John winced at the sight. That slap looked big enough to knock Kirlia out in a single hit. Fake Out was a Normal-type move, so it wouldn't suffer from the usual Fighting-type disadvantage, but it still wasn't something to take lightly.
"Fly, and use Confusion on Hariyama!" John called, his mind racing.
Kirlia immediately activated her psychic powers, lifting herself off the ground with Confusion while simultaneously sending a wave of psychic energy toward Hariyama. The energy wrapped around the large Fighting-type like an invisible force, pushing him back.
But Hariyama, even with the psychic pressure, wasn't done. He reached up with his giant hands to swipe at Kirlia in mid-air, his strength undeterred.
The air vibrated as a gust of wind shot out from Hariyama's hand, a powerful fan move that looked like a miniature hurricane. The wind cut through the air, fast and fierce.
"Teleport !" John shouted immediately, not giving Hariyama a chance to land a blow.
Kirlia blinked out of existence just as the gust closed in, reappearing behind Hariyama and narrowly avoiding the impact. She looked down at the damage to the dojo's ceiling, where the wind had crashed, leaving a large hole in the tiles.
"Great, that move works like a Gust." John muttered under his breath, barely keeping up with the speed of the battle.
But Brawly wasn't backing down.
"Aura Sphere!" He commanded with confidence.
Hariyama grabbed the glowing blue energy ball that materialized in his hand. It was large, about the size of a basketball, and pulsated with power. He hurled the sphere toward Kirlia with deadly accuracy.
John's heart skipped a beat. 'Aura Sphere? That's impossible!' John knew this was no ordinary Pokemon.
'Aura Sphere never misses, I'll have to counter somehow.' John thought.
"Disarming Voice." John called out, his voice steady.
Kirlia opened her mouth and released a powerful, musical cry, a blast of sound that rippled through the air. It wasn't just a mere noise; the sound waves disrupted the path of the Aura Sphere, forcing the attack to lose some of its precision.
Still, the Aura Sphere hit its mark, striking Kirlia with a direct hit. But the Psychic-type, though rocked by the blast, stood strong, her determination unwavering.
"That's not enough, Hariyama!" Brawly shouted, refusing to let up.
"Kirlia, use Growl!" John called.
Kirlia's eyes narrowed as she projected an eerie aura around her, lowering Hariyama's attack power. Her voice rang out like a soft, discordant hum, causing Hariyama to hesitate slightly.
"Don't get cocky!" Brawly growled, unshaken. "King, Bulk Up!"
Hariyama flexed, his muscles swelling with power as his attack and defense increased. John knew the stakes had just gotten higher.
"Now's our chance, Kirlia!" John shouted, his voice filled with anticipation. "Double Team!"
In a flash, Kirlia multiplied, creating six exact duplicates of herself. The seven Kirlias now filled the battlefield, each one identical in appearance.
Hariyama, unsure of which one to focus on, began to swipe at the air. His big hands tried to grab any Kirlia they could, but they only ended up grabbing thin air. The clones danced and swirled around him.
"Go! Psybeam !" John ordered, confident that this was the moment.
Each of the seven Kirlias raised their hands in unison, sending a barrage of Psybeams flying toward Hariyama. The light purple beams exploded with radiant force as they collided with the Fighting-type, striking him from every direction.
"Not enough! Aura Sphere, now!" Brawly shouted, refusing to back down.
Hariyama formed another Aura Sphere, this one larger than the last, and hurled it toward the real Kirlia, the energy ball streaking through the air with devastating precision.
But Kirlia had a plan.
"Draining Kiss!" John called, and with a playful smile, Kirlia darted forward and planted a kiss of psychic energy right on the Aura Sphere.
The kiss was not only a psychic attack, but it also absorbed some of the damage, healing Kirlia a little as the move connected. The Aura Sphere exploded, but Kirlia, now slightly more invigorated, grinned through the smoke.
"You'll have to try harder than that!" John called, his confidence growing with every successful move.
Brawly's eyes narrowed, frustration mounting as his Pokemon took hit after hit. But he wasn't about to give up. "Hariyama, give it everything you've got! Aura Sphere again!"
With a powerful bellow, Hariyama formed another glowing ball of energy and launched it straight toward Kirlia.
"Kirlia, Teleport." John commanded quickly.
Once again, Kirlia vanished in a flash of light, reappearing behind Hariyama. The Aura Sphere whizzed harmlessly past her.
"Now, Psybeam again!" John shouted.
Kirlia's arms flared out as she fired yet another Psybeam directly at Hariyama. This time, the beam connected full force, knocking the Fighting-type off his feet, and he crashed to the ground with a loud thud.
"King!" Brawly cried out.
Hariyama struggled to rise, his massive body trembling. The battle was clearly taking its toll on him.
"Hariyama is unable to battle. Kirlia wins!" the referee announced, the sound of his voice almost as shocked as the audience.
"Gym Leader Brawly has no Pokemon left, the winner is Trainer John!"
John's heart raced, his chest swelling with pride as the victory message flashed across the screen. The crowd erupted in cheers, though John's mind was focused on the battle that had just taken place.
[Defeated Hariyama LV32, gained 960 experience.]
[Kirlia's level increased to 21]
[Defeated Dewford Gym Leader Brawly. You have earned 3200 Pokedollars]
[Brawly: Seems like you're an even bigger wave than I am!]
[Brawly: This is proof of your victory in Dewford Gym. The Knuckle Badge is yours, and your Flash technique has been upgraded to the Secret Flash.]
[Brawly: Additionally, you'll receive the Bulk Up TM, and I'll share my experience as a Breeder of Fighting Pokemon. I hope we meet again in future tournaments, where I'll show you a wave that really shakes the world!]