"Surrender? With only two Pokemon down? Isn’t that a bit premature for a six-on-six battle?" John asked, genuinely puzzled.
In standard Pokemon battles, losing two combatants barely qualified as the opening act, let alone reason to throw in the towel.
"I can’t beat you," Craig said with a resigned shrug. "Why pretend otherwise?"
The Gym Leader had run a quick mental calculation of strength differentials between himself and John, and the math was decidedly unfavorable. Any further resistance seemed pointless.
If his memory served correctly, Mega Blaziken’s ability was Speed Boost, with each passing moment, its already impressive speed would increase, making it progressively more untouchable. For a trainer specializing in Dark-type Pokemon like himself, not a single creature in his roster could challenge it head-on. The longer the battle dragged on, the more Speed Boost would widen the gulf between them.
Why wait for Mega Blaziken’s next Blaze Kick to connect with his own spine? Furthermore, his trump card, Mega Houndoom, had already fallen.
Craig had been saving Houndoom specifically to counter John’s formidable Mega Gardevoir, but the hellhound had barely materialized before launching a Hyper Beam and getting systematically dismantled by Greninja and Hariyama’s Aura Sphere.
Playing his trump card first only to watch it fold immediately? It was like opening a poker hand by throwing down all your aces and watching them burst into flames.
Craig wanted to scream, "This game is rigged!"
Intelligence gathered before the match indicated John also commanded a Mega Garchomp alongside his Mega Gardevoir. The unholy trinity of Mega Blaziken, Mega Gardevoir, and Mega Garchomp was enough to make any trainer reconsider their career choices.
True, Craig had a few specialized counters held in reserve, but they’d be like bringing a squirt gun to extinguish a forest fire, technically an attempt, but ultimately futile.
Better to surrender now and salvage his dignity, not to mention secure that promised hotpot dinner, than suffer the indignity of a complete wipeout.
The referee double-checked with Craig, confirming his surrender was intentional and not the result of volcanic heat stroke, before making the official announcement.
"Craig Fuller of Lakeside Gym has surrendered. The winner is John of Grassmere Gym!"
The two trainers recalled their Pokemon and exited the arena to scattered applause. The Gym Leaders watching from the stands had little commentary to offer on the battle’s outcome.
Initially, most had favored Craig. While John had developed a reputation, he remained a rookie in the Gym Leader circuit with presumably limited capabilities. His victory over Cameron had relied heavily on his special Aura Sphere technique, a move Craig had successfully countered, effectively neutralizing half of John’s advantage.
Moreover, type matchups had seemed to favor Craig, his trump card Houndoom had a clear type advantage over John’s presumed ace, Gardevoir.
But the moment Mega Blaziken entered the fray, expectations shifted dramatically. Craig’s surrender wasn’t so much shocking as it was the sensible conclusion to an increasingly one-sided affair.
Though the Gym Leaders kept their verbal assessments moderate, each silently raised their estimation of John’s abilities by several notches. There was a vast difference between defeating another Gym Leader with a special technique versus overwhelming them with raw power.
Special techniques could be analyzed and countered, as Craig had demonstrated.
But superior strength? That was a problem without an elegant solution.
As John passed through the player tunnel, he found Harrison waiting. Craig was jogging toward them from the distance, looking remarkably cheerful for someone who had just been thoroughly outclassed.
"Let’s go! Hotpot time, John’s treat!" Craig called out with infectious enthusiasm. For someone who’d just suffered defeat, he displayed the resilience of a Wobbuffet, instantly bouncing back with greater energy than before.
True to his word, Craig selected the most expensive hotpot restaurant in the area, where ingredients were either airlifted in daily or had more certifications than a professional trainer. He also invited Cameron and several other Gym Leaders to join the feast.
Add in several bottles of premium liquor, and the final bill climbed into six figures.
For Gym Leaders, this represented little more than pocket change, the equivalent of tipping a valet.
Midway through the banquet, Cameron raised his glass toward John.
"John, I’m officially retracting my challenge for a private match," he announced solemnly. "Having witnessed your battle with Craig, I’ve come to the sobering realization that even in a private setting, I wouldn’t stand a chance."
"Come on, ! When did you become such a coward?" Craig jeered from across the table.
"I cracked John’s Spiral Aura Sphere for you! You could at least try using that knowledge!" he added, the alcohol making him particularly persuasive.
Cameron remained unmoved. "Cowardice? I prefer to call it ’enlightened self-preservation.’ Only the wisest recognize when discretion is the better part of valor."
"Why volunteer for an unnecessary beating?"
Though the others playfully pressured Camerone to challenge John, they privately agreed with his assessment. John’s current strength placed him well beyond Cameron’s league.
In hushed tones, they shared more candid observations.
"John’s only been a Gym Leader for what, a year? With this level of power, he’ll be challenging the Elite Four before we know it."
"Elite Four? Blink and he might be Champion!"
"Aren’t we supposed to be celebrating friendship here?!"
The conversation devolved into a flurry of toasts, with John accepting each challenge to drink. With the three orbs enhancing his physiology daily, John could feel his body growing stronger, not quite Tyranitar level, but certainly capable to handle a thousand cups without the slightest wobble.
Only Harisson abstained from the revelry, as his match was scheduled for the afternoon. The entire group eventually sobered up enough to attend, witnessing what could only be described as a systematic dismantling of his opponent.
Harisson used just three Pokemon: Dragonite controlling the skies, Kommo-o dominating the ground, and Cryogonal protecting him from direct attacks. The two dragons worked in perfect harmony, systematically overwhelming his opponent’s full roster of six Pokemon.
His victory was never in doubt. Harrison secured the top position in the previous Gym ranking match, proving that youth had its advantages. Both his Pokemon and his strategies had evolved significantly over the past year, particularly after his defeat by an Elite Four member, a loss he had clearly transformed into accelerated growth.
He dispatched a Gym Leader of equal rank even faster than John had, impressing many observers. The consensus among watching Gym Leaders was that Harrison already possessed strength comparable to an Elite Four member, if not quite equal, then merely one small step away.
John observed the match with meticulous attention. Barring any unexpected developments, the tournament final would pit him against Harrison.
If he hoped to defeat his senior, John would need to unveil every technique in his arsenal, including those abilities he kept hidden at the bottom of his box.