The sun filtered through the stained glass windows of Cerulean Gym, casting shards of blue and green light over the glistening pools. The scent of chlorine lingered in the air, subtle but ever-present, and the faint hum of machinery beneath the arena's surface buzzed like a heartbeat.
Cyel stepped through the sliding glass doors, her boots echoing lightly on the tile floor. The Steam Deck was holstered magnetically to her hip, the PokeNav synced to the internal gym relay. Her eyes flicked upward to the massive display screen built into the wall—it was already scanning for challengers.
Across the arena, Misty stood with her arms crossed, her orange hair tied in a high ponytail, midriff jacket crisp, and a single Dive Ball in her hand.
"You're late," she said flatly.
"I had to wait for Ash to take a nap, the kid is planning on going back through mount Moon to rechallenge Brock for a Star Badge." Cyel responds afterall that was the plan but not what she was doing. Hiding a lie in the truth.
"Well, my sister's pokemon are still recovering from that monster of a Pikachu so you will be facing just me." Misty states
Misty's voice echoed off the tiled walls as she stepped onto the central platform. Water lapped gently at the edges, the arena pool calm for now—but not for long.
Cyel followed, tapping her boot once against the metal plate as she climbed onto the opposite platform. The moment her foot hit the battle zone, the arena lighting dimmed slightly, adjusting for the match. Above them, the central display lit up:
CHALLENGER: UNKNOWN (ID: CYEL)
LEADER: MISTY – WATER TYPE SPECIALIST
BATTLE FORMAT: 2v2, OFFICIAL GYM MATCH
SPECTATORS: REMOTE ONLY – CERULEAN NODE ACTIVE
Cyel cracked her neck and glanced at the water, mentally reviewing her options. No Rotom, not yet. She'd have to go analog for this one.
"I assume we're playing by traditional League rules?" she asked casually, already pulling a ball from her belt. "2v2? Not doing 6v6?"
Misty gave a tight smirk. "You're in my gym, stranger. Yes—two Pokémon each, first to knock out both opponents wins. No substitutes."
"No full teams?" Cyel asks again for clarification.
"Ha I wish but my Ace is still recovering from Ash's crazy bulbasaur, and I know it would just injure them more to have them face you." Misty states
The overhead lights cast shimmering reflections across the water as Misty adjusted her stance, tossing her Dive Ball into the air. "Let's make this quick," she said, voice firm.
Starmie spun out of the light, hitting the water with barely a splash, then hovering just above the surface, its core glowing a steady violet-blue.
On the other side, Cyel gave a soft breath. Her hand hovered over her belt—not for show, not for tension, but reverence.
This wasn't just any battle.
She took the custom Poké Ball from her belt, a heavy matte-black capsule with a lightning-bolt insignia hand-painted over the seal. The latch gave with a click, and she tossed it underhanded.
"Rai. Let's remind them what happens when legends get left behind."
The light burst out with a sound like cracking thunder.
A Raichu landed on the battlefield—not small, not stocky, but lean and muscled from real-world survival, its fur darker than average, eyes sharp as obsidian. Scars traced faint lines along its limbs, and the end of its lightning-bolt tail sparked once before curling forward like a whip.
Misty stared across the water, her knuckles whitening around the Dive Ball still clutched in her hand.
"You actually evolved him!" she blurted, her voice higher than she intended. "That's—Rai
Cyel said nothing. She just stepped back and crossed her arms.
Raichu—Rai—stood perfectly still, the only movement a slow, arcing crackle of electricity along his cheeks. His dark fur shimmered faintly under the gym lights, but there was no cartoonish cheer in his expression. Just quiet, coiled tension. Power without wasted motion.
Even the water around the platform began to ripple, disturbed not by motion, but by the static charge filling the air.
Misty took a step back without realizing it.
"I thought that was just rumor," she muttered. "That she vanished and took the strongest Pikachu in League history with her. That he was… untouchable. Untrainable."
Still, Cyel didn't speak. She just tilted her head slightly, like she was studying Misty—measuring how long she'd take to call her first move. Rai didn't need orders. He was watching too, eyes fixed on Misty's hand like he could strike before she even finished a throw.
The tension in the gym was tangible now. Even the machinery under the floor seemed to hum in hesitation.
Misty's voice cracked slightly as she held out her Dive Ball. "Starmie? Go?"
But it sounded more like a question than a command.
The capsule burst open with a shimmer of blue light and a splash as Starmie hit the water, spinning once with a mechanical whir. The red core at its center pulsed, dimly uncertain—like it too sensed the unnatural pressure in the air. A single arc of static leapt from Rai's tail to the metal railing near Cyel's platform, leaving a pop and the faint smell of ozone behind.
Rai didn't even flinch.
He just crouched low, shoulders twitching once, eyes locked on the floating target. No call for Thunderbolt, no shout of Quick Attack. He was past needing them. This wasn't a battle—it was an inevitability.
Misty hesitated. Her breathing was sharp now, shallow.
She knew that move. The way Rai positioned himself. The tightening of muscles before the flash. She'd seen it before. Years ago. On a grainy Indigo League recording that was pulled down within hours of airing.
That wasn't a Pokémon battle stance.
That was the windup of an execution.
"Starmie—!" she began, but it was already over.
There was no command. No cry.
Just light.
A snap of thunder so loud it left the air ringing like a bell. The Starmie never even spun. It was hit mid-pivot—flung backwards with such force that it skimmed the water like a stone before crashing into the far wall with a crack and falling limp, core darkened, spokes twitching faintly.
The gym ref called the first round there "STARMIE – UNABLE TO BATTLE
VICTORY: CYEL"
The words rang like a funeral bell, more verdict than announcement.
Rai stood in the same place, barely breathing hard. The water around the arena was still hissing faintly where arcs of residual lightning danced across the surface. One of the ceiling lights flickered, dimmed by the overload of electromagnetic force he'd discharged in a single instant.
Misty's hand trembled at her side. Her fingers brushed the next Dive Ball on her belt—but she didn't move to throw it.
"…he didn't even wait for a command," she said softly. "He knew."
Cyel didn't reply. She didn't have to. She only watched her opponent, quiet, unreadable.
The sound of the water filtering system starting up again was the only noise in the building. Even the usually bustling stands for spectators were dead silent—trainers, aides, and even the referee watching in mute disbelief.
Finally, Misty let out a breath and unclipped her second Poké Ball.
"I'm not stupid," she muttered. "I know when I'm outmatched. But this is my Gym."
She stared across the platform, forcing confidence back into her shoulders.
"I don't care if that Raichu's a legend. I'm not walking off this battlefield."
Her fingers tightened.
"Gyarados—GO!"
A roar tore through the arena as the enormous sea serpent exploded out of the water, fangs bared, eyes burning with raw instinct.
And still—
Rai didn't blink.
He stepped forward once, tail sparking again.
An Gyarados flinched.