Pokemon: Psychic Master

The Cinnabar Gym is located beneath Cinnabar Island, with its battlefield surrounded by searing lava.

Falling off the platform into the lava during a match could easily result in a fatal accident, making it an undeniably dangerous place.

Additionally, the temperature inside the gym is extremely high, testing not just the Pokémon but also the physical endurance and resilience of the trainers.

However, with Gengar and Vulpix by his side, Johan felt none of the oppressive heat; in fact, the temperature felt just right to him.

On the other hand, Blaine was already drenched in sweat, visibly uncomfortable in the intense heat, though his excitement was palpable.

As a young man, Blaine had been saved by the legendary Pokémon Moltres, which sparked his lifelong passion for Fire-type Pokémon.

This battlefield, with its fiery environment, was clearly a significant advantage for him and his Pokémon—a true home-turf scenario.

Boom!!

Chunks of rock tumbled into the lava below, sending up bursts of blistering flames.

"Ka-kaah!!"

Gengar grinned wickedly as it bounced energetically around the field.

Opposite it, Blaine's majestic Rapidash had collapsed, its flames dimmed, and it was no longer able to battle.

By now, Blaine's initial enthusiasm had been thoroughly extinguished.

Battling Gengar had left him with nothing but goosebumps.

Rapidash had been his first Pokémon in the match, but unsurprisingly, it had fallen to Gengar's relentless tactics.

Gengar's endless arsenal of control moves had left Blaine feeling thoroughly uncomfortable.

That said, Rapidash hadn't gone down without contributing—it had managed to significantly drain Gengar's stamina.

"Go, Ninetales!"

Pushing past his discomfort, Blaine sent out his second Pokémon. The elegant, golden-furred Ninetales, with its nine flowing tails, landed lightly on the field.

"Oowu?"

Seeing Ninetales take the stage, the Vulpix in Johan's arms perked up curiously.

"Ninetales, Sunny Day!"

The already sweltering battlefield, heated by the surrounding lava, became even more unbearable as the intense sunlight further elevated the temperature.

It felt like a sauna.

"Ka-kaah~~"

While Ninetales was adjusting the weather, Gengar, following Johan's signal, seized the opportunity to hurl a glob of toxic sludge at its opponent.

"Flamethrower!" Blaine shouted.

A scorching heatwave erupted. Enhanced by the Sunny Day, the roaring flames surged like a crimson dragon toward Gengar.

"Substitute!"

Johan's command was calm and precise.

Boom!!

Gengar's Substitute was engulfed and obliterated by the flames.

"It still has the energy to use 'Substitute'..." Blaine muttered, exasperated.

How many times had this Gengar used Substitute already?

Did it have infinite stamina?

What on earth had Johan been feeding it?!

Never before had Blaine felt so helpless against a Pokémon. Johan's Gengar was the first.

As the blazing fire cleared, Gengar's figure was nowhere to be seen on the battlefield.

Instead, there was now a much smaller, snow-white Pokémon.

Vulpix!

Ninetales vs. Vulpix?

Wasn't this just serving itself up on a platter?

Fire-types had a significant advantage over Ice-types. Not to mention, Ninetales was a fully evolved Pokémon, whereas Vulpix was still in its base form.

However—

Blaine quickly realized something was amiss.

A tiny, glimmering shard of ice spiraled down before him.

"Hm?"

He caught it in his hand, where it rapidly melted, leaving a refreshing chill.

Snow?

Inside a volcanic gym?!

With Sunny Day in effect?!

How was this possible?

"Oowu~~"

At Vulpix's soft cry, the oppressive heat of the battlefield plummeted at an alarming rate.

Snowflakes began to drift down one after another.

Blaine's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Snow Warning…"

To create snow in such extreme heat—what an incredible Ice-type ability!

Blaine's eyes lit up with renewed excitement.

"Ninetales, Flamethrower again!"

"Vulpix, Aurora Veil!"

The swirling snow refracted the light, forming a shimmering barrier of aurora-like colors in front of Vulpix.

Boom!!

The intense flames collided with the veil, scattering as if hitting an unyielding wall.

The scattered flames caused the temperature to rise slightly once more.

However—

Crash!

The Aurora Veil shattered under the onslaught of fire.

Yet Blaine's shock deepened as he realized there wasn't just one veil—there was another one underneath.

More importantly—

The refracted light revealed that Vulpix had not merely set up one or two layers of Aurora Veil during the fight.

It had stacked multiple layers!

Blaine's mouth twitched slightly.

What a cautious Vulpix!

But Blaine's eyes narrowed.

"Ninetales, unleash your flames!"

If he couldn't break the veils quickly, he would focus on raising the battlefield's temperature to nullify the snow and, in turn, eliminate the Aurora Veil.

Ninetales spread its nine tails wide, releasing searing heat that distorted the air and steadily raised the temperature.

Seeing this, Johan frowned slightly.

Having Vulpix face Ninetales might indeed be pushing it.

Still, having the Snow Warning ability counteract Sunny Day was more than enough.

"Vulpix—"

Before Johan could finish, Vulpix let out a defiant cry.

"Oowu!"

I'm not done yet!

Johan was momentarily stunned.

It still wanted to fight? Refusing to back down?

Perhaps it was because it was facing Ninetales, or maybe it was the challenge of a Fire-type opponent, but Vulpix's fighting spirit burned brighter than ever.

Seeing its determination, Johan smiled.

"Alright, then no more holding back. Use Blizzard!"

"Oowu!!"

Vulpix's eyes glowed with a psychic hue.

Empowered by its psychic abilities, a howling blizzard engulfed the battlefield.

Whoooosh—

The ice and snow, previously diminishing, now surged with even greater intensity, driving temperatures down further.

"What incredible Ice-type energy!"

Blaine laughed heartily, watching Vulpix's determined gaze.

"Though you're an Ice-type Pokémon, your fiery passion for battle resonates with us!"

Ninetales' flames roared brighter, its nine tails flaring as it unleashed its full power.

The snow thickened, obscuring vision, while Ninetales' flames burned fiercely in defiance.

One side white, the other red.

The battlefield was starkly divided.

Suddenly—

Blaine's expression shifted.

"Ninetales, dodge quickly!"

It was too late!

Johan seized the moment and shouted, "Vulpix!"

Boom!!

The ground beneath Ninetales cracked open.

Vulpix burst out, ramming into Ninetales with tremendous force.

The impact sent Ninetales flying before it crashed to the ground, its eyes rolling back as it fainted.

"Using the snowstorm to obscure vision and execute a surprise attack…?"

Blaine was taken aback.

He couldn't recall when Johan had commanded Vulpix to use Dig.

"Come back, Vulpix."

After defeating Ninetales, Johan quickly recalled the little Pokémon.

'If it hadn't been for Gengar's Toxic and Blaine's focus on direct combat, things would've been much tougher,' Johan thought, holding Vulpix, now covered in dust and with slightly singed fur.

Vulpix let out a low whimper, seemingly aware it had been lucky.

"You were amazing—absolutely brilliant. Now rest up," Johan reassured it gently, stroking its head.

Hearing his words, Vulpix relaxed and quickly fell asleep.

The battle had clearly taken a lot out of it.

"And now, for my final Pokémon—Magmar!"

Blaine sent out his third Pokémon, the Fire-type Magmar.

"Your turn," Johan said, throwing another Poké Ball.

"Draaa~~"

Dragonair appeared on the field, eager for battle.

The sight of Magmar seemed to energize Blaine as he adjusted his glasses and shouted, "Flare Blitz!"

An overwhelming wave of heat radiated as Magmar charged at Dragonair in a fiery rush.

Johan exhaled softly.

Finally, a battle where he didn't have to fight against type advantages.

"Hydro Pump," he commanded.

The two attacks collided, and steam filled the arena as water overpowered fire.

Noticing Dragonair's immense power, Blaine could only chuckle wryly.

"This doesn't seem fair!"

In the end, Dragonair's Dragon Rush overpowered Magmar's Flare Blitz, ending the battle decisively.

Though injured, Dragonair was beaming as Johan praised it warmly.

On the other side, Blaine recalled Magmar and, despite his loss, grinned widely.

"I've lost!" he declared, thoroughly satisfied.

"Well, aside from your Pokémon being just a bit unreasonable, that was fantastic!"

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Powerstones?

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