I, Gary, Want to Become a Pokemon Master

Chapter 703 - 703: Gary vs. Iono

[Ding! Mission released: 1. Obtain the Gym Badge. Reward: Advanced Rare Candy x5, Electroweb Permanent Move Tutor, Premium Magnet x1.][2. Use a Paldea region Pokémon to obtain the Levincia Gym Badge. Reward: Advanced Rare Candy x5, Electric-type Self-Select Permanent Move Tutor, Random Pokémon Item x1, Permanent Electric-type Tera Shard x1.]

Gary felt somewhat relieved when he saw the system's mission rewards.

Five Advanced Rare Candies as a reward, with four Pokémon being used. That meant of the four Pokémon Iono had prepared, three were above level 50, and one of them had reached level 60.

"Not bad. This Iono really is something," Gary commented inwardly.

After explaining the rules, the referee announced: "Now, Gym Leader Iono, please send out your first Pokémon."

"Alright! Time to get started!"

Iono excitedly took out a Poké Ball and shouted, "Everyone! Are you ready? I'm going to catch your eyes with my Electroweb!"

She threw out the flashy Poké Ball in her hand. It had Ball Capsule Seals stuck on it.

As long as Seals were attached to a Poké Ball, flashy patterns would appear when the Pokémon was released.

These were originally made for Pokémon Contests, but Trainers who liked showy displays could stick them on their own Poké Balls too. Up to eight Seals could be attached, so the resulting flash patterns could be quite varied.

Lightning bolts, hearts, letters, and more flashed across the field.

"Kilo!"

A large electric gull with yellow and black feathers appeared.

[Lv. 54 Kilowattrel ♂ / Quasi-Elite]

Kilowattrel was a Pokémon unique to the Paldea region. It generated electricity by inflating its throat pouch and could ride the wind to fly. If hit by wind-based moves, it would enter a Charged state.

Gary hadn't expected Iono's first Pokémon to be a flier. He had originally planned to lead with Great Tusk, but Great Tusk had no way of dealing with airborne targets.

It seemed this was going to turn into another one-punch match.

"Annihilape, I'll leave it to you." Gary threw out his Poké Ball.

"Anni!"

Annihilape was delighted to be sent out. Its strength had just been boosted, and it happened to be looking for an opponent to test how strong it had become.

"Oh! An Annihilape!"

Iono looked pleasantly surprised. Kilowattrel had a Flying dual typing, and Flying-type moves were effective against Annihilape.

"Looks like you really are underestimating me. In that case, Kilowattrel, show Gary our strength! Hurricane!" Iono ordered.

"Kilo!"

Kilowattrel spread its meter-long wings and beat them furiously. The force of its wingbeats whipped up a fierce gale that swept downward, wind blades forming inside the Hurricane.

"Use Focus Energy," Gary ordered.

Annihilape took a deep breath and concentrated its energy, showing no fear of Kilowattrel at all. It simply let the Hurricane wash over it. Wind blades rained down on Annihilape, but its body didn't budge an inch.

Though quite a bit of its fur did get sliced off.

"What?! It just tanked it!" Iono's eyes went wide. She couldn't believe Annihilape had withstood her Kilowattrel's Hurricane head-on.

"Time to pay them back. Rage Fist!" Gary ordered.

"Anni!"

The rage stored in Annihilape's body erupted outward, and a colossal fist shadow blotting out the sky flew up toward the airborne Kilowattrel.

"That fist is huge!" Iono was stunned and hurriedly ordered, "Quick, hold it back with Discharge!"

The Rage Fist was so massive precisely because the wind blades in the Hurricane had struck Annihilape multiple times, pushing Rage Fist's power all the way up to 350.

"Kilo!"

Kilowattrel's throat pouch swelled as it frantically released the electricity stored in its body, firing bolt after bolt into the fist shadow, trying to repel the Rage Fist. But it was hopeless. The Rage Fist kept charging forward.

Bang!!

The enormous fist slammed into Kilowattrel, carrying it all the way into the arena's protective barrier.

Boom!!

With the explosive impact, the barrier shook violently.

Kilowattrel plummeted toward the ground like a kite with its string cut. After hitting the ground, it didn't move again.

"Kilowattrel is unable to battle! Annihilape wins!" the referee announced.

"Holy—what a terrifying fist!"

"That Annihilape is way too strong."

"So scary. That's Master Gary for you."

"That Annihilape was the Pokémon Master Gary raised back in the Kanto region. It's already this terrifying now?"

"Oh no, this challenger is no ordinary Trainer. Our Iono is going to lose!"

The livestream chat was in chaos. No one had expected that even Iono's main Pokémon couldn't take a single hit. The gap between them was anything but ordinary.

"That was a little dangerous." Iono recalled the defeated Kilowattrel, then took out another Poké Ball. "Mismagius, come out and liven things up for everyone!"

Mismagius appeared, looking like a witch straight out of a forest tale.

Gary was speechless. Were the Trainers in Paldea all this idle? It seemed like every one of them had a Pokémon that didn't match their Gym's type.

Grusha had an Altaria.

Brassius had a Sudowoodo—which honestly would have been the least strange of them.

Katy had a Teddiursa.

And Iono had a Mismagius.

[Lv. 55 Mismagius ♀ / Elite]

Iono's Mismagius had quite high potential. Unfortunately, it was only at the quasi-Elite level, and as a Ghost-type Pokémon facing Annihilape, it had no chance of winning at all.

"Let's end this quickly. Shadow Punch!" Gary ordered.

"Anni!"

Annihilape took its stance and swung its fist.

Iono didn't rush to issue a command. She watched Annihilape in silence, and at the exact moment it threw its punch, she immediately ordered, "Now! Destiny Bond!"

Mismagius surged forward at once, its pupils glowing with an eerie red light as a Curse-like power descended upon Annihilape.

Bang!!

Mismagius made no attempt to defend itself. It even deliberately exposed its most vulnerable spot and let the Shadow Punch strike home.

Annihilape had used Focus Energy, raising its critical hit rate by two stages. One punch sent Mismagius flying. It crashed to the ground and couldn't get up again.

At the same time, the Curse that had settled over Annihilape activated, and the terrifying power of Destiny Bond instantly drained away all of Annihilape's remaining strength.

"Anni...!"

Annihilape felt its body grow heavy and lost consciousness in an instant. Its body pitched forward and collapsed to the ground.

"Mismagius and Annihilape are both unable to battle at the same time!" the referee announced.

"A Mismagius raised specifically for Destiny Bond?" Gary considered how long Iono had been a Trainer.

If this Mismagius had been caught early on, it should have been level 60 by now. That meant Mismagius was a Pokémon Iono had raised later—which explained why its level was on the higher side.