This was getting troublesome.
Kukui racked his brain for a way to deal with Dylan's Serperior, but no matter how he sliced it, it was a headache.
Soon enough, cracks spidered across the ground beneath Serperior's coils. The moment it noticed, it leapt into the air with elegant ease.
Snorlax burst out from underground—Dig missed.
"Leaf Storm."
Serperior's leafy tail glowed brightly with green energy.
"Return, Snorlax!"
Kukui recalled Snorlax in a flash. A beam of red light struck it mid-dig, pulling it back into the Poké Ball.
Seeing this, Serperior let its charging Leaf Storm fizzle out, then returned to the ground, holding its noble head high—graceful and composed.
"Incineroar!"
Kukui was left with no choice but to throw out his ace.
"As expected," Dylan chuckled. "You brought out Incineroar."
"Leaf Storm!"
Dylan didn't waste a second.
Serperior raised its tail; emerald light flared as a storm of razor-sharp leaves surged forward.
"Flare Blitz!"
Kukui's tone was heavy.
Incineroar roared, its body cloaked in flames as it charged headlong into the incoming Leaf Storm.
BOOM!
Fire and leaves collided in a spectacular clash of red and green. The energy shook the battlefield. The winds howled so violently no one could keep their eyes open.
Normally, Fire beats Grass, and that kind of elemental advantage should show even during move clashes.
So, in theory, Flare Blitz should've plowed through Leaf Storm, given Incineroar's power.
But that's not what happened.
Kukui's Incineroar—his pride and joy—was snarling with all its might, fighting to push back the storm.
Dylan's Serperior, already +4 in Special Attack, was using Leaf Storm. Even Incineroar couldn't take that head-on.
"So strong…"
Lillie shielded her face from the gusts, peeking at the blinding light.
But she wasn't talking about Serperior.
She meant Incineroar.
To still hold its ground—this was the power of a true ace.
BOOM!
The storm exploded. The shockwave rang in everyone's ears as Incineroar was blasted backward.
Serperior glowed again—its Special Attack reached the max.
"Now this thing's just broken…"
Itto clicked his tongue. Outside of Belly Drum, he'd never seen a mon actually reach maxed-out offensive stats mid-battle like this.
With +6 Special Attack, even a basic move like Magical Leaf would oneshot anything without Grass resistance.
And Leaf Storm? That was just a laser beam of destruction.
"Incineroar!"
Kukui clenched his fist and gave his Pokémon a hand signal.
Through the smoke, Incineroar let out a low growl but didn't emerge.
"Clear the field. Leaf Storm."
Dylan snapped his fingers—calm, collected, in control.
Serperior raised its tail again. Another green hurricane tore through the air, devouring the battlefield.
"Flare Blitz!"
Kukui had no better option. Incineroar roared again and shot forward in a blaze.
BOOM!
This time there was no contest.
The maxed-out Leaf Storm shattered Flare Blitz mid-charge. The flames vanished, and Incineroar was swallowed by the gale.
Its body tumbled through the air, twisting in pain.
Then—puff!
It vanished in a burst of white smoke.
"A Substitute?" Itto blinked.
That made sense. During the earlier smoke screen, Incineroar must've quietly set one up.
The Leaf Storm had only hit the decoy.
The real Incineroar rushed forward from behind.
"Roar!"
Kukui barked the command. It was a gamble—a last-ditch effort to force Serperior back into its Poké Ball and reset its buffs.
If he could get it off, he wouldn't have to deal with a fully boosted serpent.
Even if Dylan sent it back out later, it'd be back to square one.
"You saw through it already, didn't you?" Dylan said, that same warm, infuriating smile on his face.
He had a look Kukui wanted to punch. He had a damn Incineroar too. Of course he'd seen through the ploy.
He knew exactly what Roar would do.
"Leaf Storm."
Serperior's crimson eyes narrowed as it aimed at the charging Incineroar.
ROAR!
Incineroar bellowed, the force of its shout tearing through the air—
—but Serperior's storm was faster.
BOOM!
The wind devoured the roar.
Incineroar was swept up, its body slammed and shredded by the storm.
The sky turned green from the sheer power. Dylan's team was literally casting a shadow over the entire battlefield.
THUD.
When the storm cleared, Incineroar lay battered and broken on the ground.
It tried to lift its head—but couldn't.
"Still not down? Impressive stamina."
Dylan looked genuinely surprised.
This was a durable Pokémon—just like Bluegreen's Tyranitar. Some Pokémon simply refused to fall.
Kukui: "…"
He said nothing.
He looked at Incineroar struggling on the ground, sighed, and knew it was over.
"Magical Leaf."
Serperior fired a wave of multicolored leaves, finishing the job.
Incineroar collapsed, eyes shut.
"Incineroar is unable to battle. Serperior wins."
Itto announced the result.
And the rest of the battle? It didn't matter.
Dylan's Serperior, now fully powered, swept the rest of Kukui's weakened team—Snorlax and sleeping Alolan Ninetales—clean off the field.
Kukui had expected it. But it still hurt.
"Challenger Kukui's five Pokémon are unable to battle. Challenge failed. Victory goes to Gym Leader Dylan."
Itto declared the outcome.
"Tch… that brat's gotten even stronger."
Watching from the sidelines, Itto let out a low whistle.
Compared to their last encounter at Meteor Falls, Dylan was clearly on another level now.
Back then, he had to rely on Zinnia's Ice weakness. This time? He steamrolled Kukui—even against type disadvantages.
No doubt about it—Dylan was stronger.
"You did great. You can rest now."
Dylan walked onto the battlefield, gently patting Serperior's head.
Serperior lifted its chin higher, eyes narrowing in pride. It was thrilled.
"That was a brilliant match, Professor Kukui. Your strength is undeniable."
Dylan smiled as he walked up.
"???"
Kukui almost gave him a look.
Was that sarcasm? The battle had been anything but brilliant on his end.
Still… it didn't seem like Dylan meant it that way.
"Forget it. I was off my game today," Kukui sighed. "But damn, no wonder they call you the strongest Gym Leader in Kanto."
He waved it off. Honestly, he wasn't too salty. Even if Dylan's Amoonguss and Whimsicott were trollish nightmares, Dylan had fought fair with his other two.
"Still… that Contrary Serperior is insane. I didn't even get to show you my Z-Move…"
Kukui sounded genuinely disappointed.
He'd been saving a flashy Z-Move showcase. But with Incineroar nearly KO'd by one Leaf Storm, he never got the chance.
Dylan just smiled. "It's not the Serperior—it's you. Most people couldn't train one to this level."
Kukui nodded, thoughtful.
Contrary + Leaf Storm wasn't a secret combo. The counters were also obvious. Letting Serperior max out its Special Attack was the real issue.
He had the right idea with Substitute + Roar. But Dylan was too well-prepared.
"Just lucky, I guess. But I really enjoyed the battle today. Facing a top-tier trainer like you was a pleasure."
Dylan's smile was as sunny as ever.
"You enjoyed it, huh? Well, I nearly swore off battling for a week," Kukui muttered, rubbing his temple. "And I'm not battling you again anytime soon."
Whimsicott had pushed him over the edge.
Serperior was just brutally strong.
But Whimsicott? That was psychological warfare.
Trickery, stalling, status effects—Kukui hated every second of it.
And Dylan had the patience to use it all.
Weren't battles supposed to be about strength? A clash of power and resolve?
Why did it feel like one side was playing chess while the other was stuck in a net?
Oh right. He's a Gym Leader. Of course he can get away with it.
Still, Kukui thought to himself—
Unless Dylan promised not to use that cursed Whimsicott again…
He was out.