As the referee announced the start of the battle, Gym Leader Surge released his Pokémon—a powerful Raichu.
Surge maintained two different teams of Pokémon, carefully balancing them to give outsiders the impression that his Pokémon were never injured. This helped him avoid suspicion while he continued operating in the shadows.
He narrowed his eyes as he observed Haunter floating on the battlefield. A flicker of irritation passed through his face. Surge was confident that with his skills, he could completely dominate Haunter in battle. After all, a Pokémon fighting with a Trainer's commands was far superior to one fighting purely on instinct.
But then… something unexpected happened.
Instead of preparing to fight, Haunter made a strange, exaggerated motion. He reached into his mouth and pulled out a Poké Ball, tossing it onto the battlefield.
…? ? ?
Surge's expression twitched.
"What are you doing?" he thought. "Aren't you here to battle? Why are you throwing a Poké Ball?"
His confusion turned to shock when the Poké Ball burst open, revealing a Deino.
A Dragon-type pseudo-legendary?!
The entire gym fell silent for a moment. Then, a murmur of disbelief rippled through the spectators.
Surge gritted his teeth. His prior research told him that Maen, Haunter's Trainer, was a rookie who had just started traveling. The only Pokémon Maen was known to own was Haunter.
And yet, this Deino had just appeared out of nowhere.
The realization hit him like a thunderbolt.
"This must be Agatha's doing," he thought grimly. The fact that Agatha had recently traded Zapdos to the Pokémon League meant she had deep connections with them. If she had given Maen a Deino, it was clear that he had some level of protection.
The more Surge thought about it, the more frustrated he became. It was bad enough that his plan had been ruined, but now he had to fight a Trainer-less Haunter using a pseudo-legendary Pokémon?!
Still, he couldn't afford to lose his temper. His main team hadn't fully recovered, and the League officials watching the battle would immediately notice if he used an injured Pokémon.
Surge exhaled sharply and forced a neutral expression.
Fine. If Haunter wanted to play Trainer, then he'd make sure to put them both in their place.
"Raichu, use Thunderbolt!" Surge commanded.
"Jie!" Haunter responded, trying to act like a Trainer.
Deino opened his mouth, gathering a swirl of purple energy before releasing a powerful Dragon Breath, countering Raichu's Thunderbolt in mid-air.
Surge scoffed. "Too naive. Raichu, Quick Attack!"
Raichu's body was enveloped in a white glow, crackling with electricity, and he dashed forward at blinding speed.
Haunter, realizing that Raichu was coming in fast, panicked and forgot to give an order.
But Deino didn't need instructions. He had always been a thinker, and he knew that his poor eyesight and slower speed meant dodging wasn't an option.
So, he braced himself.
Raichu slammed into Deino, the force sending a sharp pain through his body. But instead of being knocked back, Deino stood his ground, his instincts flaring into aggression.
His mouth glowed with dark energy, and he snapped his jaws forward.
Dark-type move—Bite!
Raichu yelped as Deino's fangs sank deep, the dark energy surging into his body.
Surge's expression darkened. He hadn't expected Deino to take Quick Attack head-on and counter immediately.
"Raichu, Discharge!"
Electricity exploded from Raichu's body, surrounding him in a sphere of crackling lightning.
Deino flinched as pain jolted through him, forcing him to release Raichu.
Raichu quickly retreated, creating some distance.
But Deino was relentless. His short tail glowed with energy, elongating before swinging in a powerful arc.
Double Hit!
Raichu barely dodged the first swing but was struck hard by the second, sending him skidding across the battlefield.
The effect of Double Hit wasn't just two quick strikes—it temporarily boosted Deino's attack power.
Surge's mind raced. He had underestimated this Deino, and now Raichu was in serious trouble.
Before he could react, Deino's mouth began glowing again with a swirling darkness.
Dark-type move—Assurance!
With Double Hit boosting his power, Assurance would deal even greater damage.
Surge clenched his fists. If that move connected, Raichu was finished.
"Raichu, Double Team!"
As Deino lunged forward, Raichu suddenly split into six copies, spreading across the battlefield.
Deino hesitated, his attack missing completely.
Surge smirked. Finally, an opening.
But Deino wasn't fazed.
He immediately abandoned Assurance and started gathering energy in his mouth once more.
Surge's eyes widened. "No, wait—!"
It was too late.
Deino fired a massive sphere of golden-orange energy into the sky.
Dragon-type move—Draco Meteor!
The spectators gasped as the energy ball exploded high above, unleashing a rain of blazing meteors upon the battlefield.
Surge cursed under his breath. "Raichu, get out of there!"
But Raichu was exhausted. His Double Team illusions disappeared as the meteors crashed down, surrounding him in fiery explosions.
When the smoke cleared, Raichu lay collapsed on the battlefield, eyes spiraling.
The referee raised his hand.
"Raichu is unable to battle! The winner is… Haunter and Deino!"
The gym fell silent.
Then, murmurs filled the room. Haunter had actually won—without a Trainer!
Surge clenched his jaw. He wanted nothing more than to crush that Haunter, but the presence of League officials meant he had no choice but to remain composed.
Haunter, meanwhile, was grinning ear to ear. He floated over to the referee and pointed at the Badge box expectantly.
The referee glanced at Surge for confirmation.
Surge's eye twitched. He had no excuse to refuse—the battle had been fair.
With extreme reluctance, he handed over the Thunder Badge.
Haunter gleefully accepted it, tossing it into his mouth for safekeeping.
The crowd watched in astonishment. A Pokémon… had just won a Gym battle without a Trainer.
As Haunter floated triumphantly out of the gym, Surge clenched his fists.
This wasn't over.
Not by a long shot.
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