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"This is impossible!!!"
Misty shouted, her face full of shock.
"Nothing is impossible, Gym Leader Misty," Red replied with a victorious grin.
"Your Pokémon has lost its ability to fight. Please send out your second Pokémon."
"...Damn it~!"
A flicker of frustration flashed in Misty's eyes as she glared at Luffy before muttering angrily, "You're not a rookie trainer at all!"
"I never said I was~!"
Red answered casually, completely unfazed by the accusation. He had no shame about the so-called "cheating" and instead urged her impatiently:
"Come on, don't waste time. Send out your next Pokémon already!"
"You bastard!!!" Misty huffed, clearly annoyed. "Don't get too cocky!!!"
With that, she threw her second Poké Ball.
Realizing now that Red and Luffy weren't ordinary challengers, she stepped up her game, finally displaying the level of skill expected from a Gym Leader.
Before the Pokémon had even fully emerged, Misty shouted:
"Starmie, use Confuse Ray!!"
"Huh!? You're going for a sneak attack too!?"
Red was momentarily caught off guard by her aggressive playstyle, but he quickly snapped back to focus.
"Luffy! Use Shave! Don't let it hit you!"
Confuse Ray—a Psychic-type move.
Although it had no direct damage, it guaranteed confusion if it landed.
If Luffy got hit and fell into confusion, with his unpredictable movements and natural weakness to Psychic attacks, things could turn into a complete disaster!
Fortunately, Red reacted in time, and with Luffy's Observation Haki, he sensed something was off.
The moment Red shouted, Luffy vanished, turning into a dark blur as he dodged at high speed.
BOOM!
The missed Confuse Ray struck the crystal floor tiles, causing a powerful tremor that Red could feel through his feet.
"A level 20 Starmie can hit this hard!? This is almost on par with a standard Marine captain!"
Red mentally compared Starmie's strength to power levels in the pirate world, trying to gauge Pokémon battle rankings in relation to his own world.
But before he could finish his thoughts, Misty's voice rang out again:
"Starmie, use Confuse Ray again!"
It was hard to tell if Misty had seen through something or if she just got lucky…
But once again, she ordered Starmie to use a move that inflicted confusion!
And this time, she didn't go for a damaging attack—she went straight for Confuse Ray, which had a guaranteed confusion effect!
However, Red had already anticipated this.
"How dare you try the same move twice!!!"
"Luffy! Jump into the air!!!"
"Roger that!" Luffy shouted.
The ruby at the center of Starmie's body gleamed with a dark purple light before suddenly emitting a circular wave of energy.
Tread!
Following Red's command, Luffy leaped into the air.
Since the Pokémon Center was nearby, Red wasn't worried about Luffy's energy consumption affecting tomorrow's training.
Without hesitation, he ordered:
"Use Gear Third! Finish this in one hit!!!"
Sorry, Miss Misty.
'I admit you've got some real skill...'
'But how do you plan to handle Level 46 Luffy using Gear Third!?!'
Misty: Don't you know to go easy on girls!!!
As a massive, oversized fist suddenly formed in midair, its shadow covering the entire gym's ceiling, Misty's jaw dropped in pure shock.
"This... what kind of move is that!?"
A wave of doubt flashed through Misty's mind as she quickly shouted:
"Starmie, use Protect!!!"
In Pokémon battles, defensive moves like Protect could completely block an opponent's attack!
But...
This game world was far closer to reality. Against an overwhelming power gap, even the strongest defenses would crumble!
"Gear Third!"
"Rubber Rubber Giant's Pistol!!!"
Whoosh!
A powerful gust of wind crashed down from above, making it difficult for Misty to breathe.
Dark and light colors flickered across Starmie's body.
Even though it had no face or expression, at that moment, anyone could feel its nervousness... and even fear.
And in the next second—
A god-like, colossal fist descended from the sky!
BOOM!!!!!!
A deafening explosion echoed throughout the entire Cerulean Gym.
Under the monstrous impact, all the crystal floor tiles shattered, while the pool water, compressed by sheer force, surged outward like a miniature tsunami!
All at once—
It was as if a Pokémon had used Rain Dance—inside the gym, heavy rain began pouring down, the sound of water splashing filling the air.
Clatter, clatter…
Red stood firmly atop a lone, intact crystal tile he had predicted would remain.
As the battle interface slowly faded, he glanced at the notification confirming Luffy's experience gain.
A satisfied smirk spread across his face.
"The battle is over! The winner is Red from Straw Hat Pirates!"
Mimicking the referee's dramatic gestures from the anime, Red proudly announced his own victory.
Right on cue, his outstretched arm caught the chibi version of Luffy, who had shrunken down after using Gear Third.
"Well done, Luffy!"
Red praised him without hesitation, then set the tiny Luffy down at his feet.
At that moment, with the battle concluded, the gym began its self-repair sequence.
The shattered floor tiles sank into the water one by one before automatically reconstructing themselves, restoring the battlefield to its original pristine state.
As for Misty, who had looked utterly shocked just moments ago, her face returned to the default NPC expression—an empty, mechanical smile.
Stepping onto the newly restored floor, Red approached her, instantly triggering the dialogue mechanism.
"I didn't expect you to actually defeat me."
"As proof of your victory, I present you with the Cascade Badge!"
"In addition…"
"This is one of my proudest Move Tutors—Scald!"
"If a compatible Pokémon learns it, they can release scalding hot water to damage the enemy, with a high chance of causing a burn."
"Much appreciated."
Politely accepting both items from Misty's hands, Red suddenly felt a cool surge of energy flow through his body, nourishing his organs and every cell.
He knew...
This was his reward for achieving [Badge Collector].
And when he returned to the pirate world, he could use this Cascade Badge to extract a Water-type Pokémon move for himself!
With Scald in hand, Luffy reaching Level 47, and a new badge to unlock even more power—
Today's adventure in the game world had been more rewarding than ever before!!!
…
…
Whoosh!
A flash of white light filled Red's vision—his consciousness snapped back to the real world.
And immediately, he was greeted by a thunderous roar from the room next door:
"Shishishishi!!!"
A second later, his door clicked open, and Luffy burst inside.
His fist gleamed with a faint black metallic sheen, his face brimming with excitement.
"Red! I did it!!!"