"The match between our Gym Leader Erika and Red Fires from Lavender Town will begin!"

As Julia made her announcement, Red and Erika faced against each other on the battlefield, everyone on the sideline as Kim and Leaf watched the battle with interest, the latter holding Togepi who was smiling and cheering on her trainer. Below them was Luxio who was laying onto the ground and watching his trainer, Meowth jumping on top of its head.

"How do you think Red is gonna fair?" Kim asked as she looked in her bag only to turn to Leaf who was eating her chips. "That's mine."

"Sorry, I'll buy another one for you." Leaf said before she went into her bag and threw a granola bar at Kim. "Take this for now."

As the two bickered, Tony looked at the field, seeing the serious expression on Red's face. 'That's an interesting face, kid.'

"You can start the battle when you're ready!" Julia made the announcement, Erika immediately throwing her Pokemon. "Let's go Exeggutor!"

Seeing Exeggutor on the field, Red was silent before he contemplated his options. 'Her Exeggutor is a difficult one. From what I heard from Leaf, it blocks and redirects special attacks so Vulpix and Dusclops are a no-go. If that's the case, let's try this.'

"Alright, let's go!" Red threw his Pokeball, a ball of light coming out of it before it went straight to Red and crashed into him. Everyone was concerned by the situation before they saw Beedrill aggressively hugging him which made everyone to laugh. Julia tried to hold in her laughter as she looked at Red getting up from the ground with Beedrill latched on his back. "That is weirdly adorable."

"I'll never get tired of seeing this." Kim snickered before she turned to Leaf, a mischievous smile on her face. "See that, Leaf? That's your sweetheart."

"That he is. Now shut it! Just watch." The brunette folded her arms as she watched Red who petted his Pokemon as it went to the field. "He'll show you how cool he is."

Erika was extremely surprised by the mild and compassionate behavior of the bug before she let out a smile. 'That child. He is an odd one. Beedrill are usually aggressive Pokémon. It's a first time seeing one so tame and…loving.'

Beedrill then went on the field, Erika and everyone was surprised by this before Kim decided to whisper to Leaf. "Why isn't he returning Beedrill?"

"I don't know…" Leaf scratched her head before she let out a sigh. "I thought he would've went for Dusclops, Vulpix or even Aerodactyl. But then again, it's Red. He may have a trick under his sleeve against Exeggutor with Beedrill."

After a moment of silence, Erika made her move as her Exeggutor glowed intensely, a barrage of blue bullets that went towards Beedrill.

'Ok…this tactic.' Red observed the move before he made Beedrill flew towards the attack, the collision creating an explosion. As this happened, the teen noticed Exeggutor creating multiple mirages of itself that went throughout the forest.

'This is gonna be the tough part.' Leaf thought when she saw Exeggutor continuing to use Double Team before she shifted her focus to Red who wasn't surprised by what happened. 'I hope you know what you're doing.'

Everyone watched as Beedrill emerged from the smoke with no injuries on its body, much to their surprise.

"It was able to tank that move so well."

"Y-yeah. It's almost like it was unaffected."

Red looked around the place to see multiple Exeggutor around the place, all of them shot a barrage of Psyshock which Beedrill dodged. The yellow bee then lunged forward to attack one of the Exeggutor, going for a strike as both Tony and Erika had the same thought. 'That's the wrong one.'

"To your complete right!" Red commanded, his Beedrill immediately stopped and shot a String Shot that caught an Exeggutor that is further in the east section of the forest. "Poison Jab!"

The bee quickly pulled the tree towards itself before it landed a powerful Poison Jab that knocked the wind out of the tree, much to the shock of everyone, especially Erika. 'How did he even know where the real Exeggutor was? The smoke hid it perfectly.'

Red smiled victoriously when he saw the mirages disappear. "Good. Continue, don't give Exeggutor the chance to recover."

Beedrill let out a flurry of strikes unto its opponent until Exeggutor use Protect that stopped it. Realizing the situation, Red made the bee shoot a string that wrapped around the veil before throwing the Grass-type towards a tree. Seeing the Bug-type in action, Leaf and Kim watched the battle in complete disbelief and awe.

"H-how is it so strong?!" One of the gym leaders mumbled with wide eyes. Kim watched Beedrill continued to throw Exeggutor around like a ragdoll while it's in a shield. "I keep forgetting how much of a menace his Beedrill can be…especially with how Red thought process goes."

"Psyshock to shake it off." Erika commanded, her Exeggutor shot a barrage of psychokinetic bullets which Beedrill nimbly evaded before it shot two strings of silk at two trees in front of its opponent, pulling itself forward which gave it a boost in speed as it used the momentum to land a quick jab at Exeggutor. As it stabbed its foe, the Pokemon's body started to disappear which caught Red off guard before he noticed multiple Exeggutor around Beedrill. "Uh oh…"

"Grass Knot!" Exeggutor glowed, creating a rope of leaves that knocked Beedrill off balance until Red thought quickly. "Catch yourself. Poke the ground with your stingers."

The bug stabbed the ground, stopping itself which surprised Erika. "Wow! As expected of my student. Quick reaction. Psyshock."

"Beedrill, String Shot to the tree."

As Exeggutor fired a Psyshock, Beedrill shot a string of silk from its butt and pulled itself out of the way of the move. As Exeggutor fired another round of psychic bullets, Beedrill shot a String Shot that latched onto the branches around it and throw them towards Exeggutor's attacks, much to Erika's surprise. 'I've noticed it before he's very proficient with the move String Shot.'

Beedrill then shot a String Shot at Exeggutor which it dodged, not able to react quick enough when Beedrill struck it with a Poison Jab. Shooting another round of Psyshock at Beedrill, Erika watched as the Bug-type stopped and evaded the blue projectiles for a while until its stingers glowed as it turned to the blue bullets.

"Pin Missile! Strike!" Red commanded, the Bug-type speedily destroyed the blasts with ease which surprised everyone, especially the people on the sidelines who made their comments.

"Beedrill's quick!"

"Yeah! And surprisingly resilient."

"That's even more reason that bugs are just weird and scary."

"You have a Paras though?"

"So that's how he took out the first Psyshock." Erika thought aloud before she noticed how it flew through the trees and battlefield and took out the mirages. Seeing that her opponent is able to find her Pokemon, the gym leader smiled as she made her Pokemon use Psyshock in the form of a shield, catching Beedrill and Red off guard as it hit the bee. It shot a huge sphere which Beedrill stopped by shooting a barrage of Pin Missile, the result being a huge explosion.

"She finally got a hit in! That's our Erika!" The girls celebrated, Leaf and Kim sharing a concerned look. Tony was also surprised when he saw no movement from the smoke. 'That is strangely fast. What just happened?'

"That was surprisingly anticlimactic but I'm not hearing any movements." Erika tried to observe, looking for any movements and sounds for a while but she heard nothing which made her relax until she noticed a small smirk on Red's face.

"Assurance!"

Before anyone could react, Beedrill quickly emerged from the smoke and landed a strong blow to Exeggutor that send it through multiple trees before it went past Erika and crashed into a wall. Red pumped his fist in the air with a smile before he celebrated. "Yes!"

"He barely got hit and one Pokemon is already down." Tony commented out of surprise. Everyone quivered in disbelief as they looked at Beedrill who had no bruises on its body, Kim mumbling as she nearly dropped her soda. "The both of them are menaces."

Returning her Exeggutor, Erika turned to Red whose expression did not falter. "You've trained well, Red. To easily defeat one of my more defensive Pokemon. That's a big feat."

"Thank you but it's all Beedrill here." The teen nodded in gratitude, his Beedrill hugging him. Erika giggled at the boy's sincerity before she sent out her next Pokemon which is Ludicolo who danced around the field.

"That's a difficult opponent." Leaf said as she saw the Grass and Water-type Pokemon moving rhythmically.

As the battle was announced to start, Red watched intently as Ludicolo danced around Beedrill who was confused by the Grass-type's behavior.

"Energy Ball." Erika started the battle, Ludicolo shooting an Energy Ball that was easily reflected by a String Shot shield from Beedrill which sent the projectile back to the Grass and Water-type Pokemon, much to everyone's surprise.

'That was so quick.' Kim thought as she saw Ludicolo going for a scald which Beedrill dodged. The Grass and Water-type then went for a Zen Headbutt which the bee avoided until the bug deflected another Energy Ball that knocked back the pineapple duck, Leaf having a smile on her face. "So that's why he's using Beedrill. It's the best Pokemon that can react to Red's quick thinking."

Recovering quickly from the blast, Ludicolo came face to face with a Poison Jab that sent it flying before the bee continued its assault by using Pin Missile to attack Ludicolo mercilessly. Erika waited as she watched her Pokemon try to retaliate but it was knocked around the field by Beedrill until she saw an opportunity when Beedrill knocking Ludicolo a bit too far. "Perfect! Icy Wind!"

Ludicolo shot a gust of cold wind which Beedrill evaded, Erika continuing on the offensive as she continued firing blasts that the yellow bee evaded Ludicolo's attacks. This continued until Beedrill rushed forward with a Poison Jab but Ludicolo retaliated by knocking back by a Zen Headbutt.

"Beedrill! Alright, let's move quick!" Red said, his Pokemon about to get up before he heard the gym leader. "Scald!"

Ludicolo shot a Scald at Beedrill who dodged the move until it was hit by an Energy Ball that sent it into the hot water, both attacks sending the bug into a tree.

"Assurance!" Red acted quickly, Beedril moved towards Ludicolo in an instant before hitting its opponent repeatedly with Assurance.

The Pokemon continued its assault by interchanging between Assurance and Poison Jab until it ended the barrage with a Pin Missile which knocked back the Grass and Water-type back before it collapsed to the ground on one knee.

'That last hit looked like it did a lot.' Tony thought as he saw Ludicolo shaking from the pain of Beedrill's attack.

Able to stand on its feet, Ludicolo shot a barrage of Energy Ball that Beedrill nimbly evaded before Red heard Icy Wind that pushed back his Pokemon, making it unable to get close to its opponent. Seeing the situation, Erika smiled as she watched the bug get pushed back by another gust of cold wind. "So how are you going to fair against this move, Red?"

"Hmm. Maybe I need some new clothes. Let's don some armor." Red said, his Pokemon nodded. 'Got it. A suit of armor coming up!'

Beedrill took to the sky and shot strings of silk before it quickly spun around and wrapped the String Shot around its body. Everyone watched as the bee crafted a makeshift suit of armor for itself, silk covering its head, arms and body.

"Silk Armor!" Red announced, much to everyone surprise. He had a huge smile on his face when the move completed, making Beedrill look a knight in armor. Kim was utterly perplexed by the Silk Armor. "How does he even…"

"I stopped questioning." Leaf deadpanned as everyone gave the raven-haired teenager a confused look, Meowth letting out a sigh. 'I don't even know what is going on in that brain of his.'

'That's quite a bizarre move.' Erika stated with wide eyes before she made her move. "Icy Wind."

Ludicolo used an Icy Wind, Beedrill's armor able to take the move as it traveled towards Ludicolo. After a while, Red noticed that the silk armor started freezing before it became heavy that made it fell to the ground.

"Well, there goes the 'armor'. Short lived." Havoc let out a chuckle, Tony however was silent as he continued to watch the fight. 'Was this what he wanted?'

Seeing the silk armor on the ground with no movement, Erika was alert as her Ludicolo went to the cocoon with an Energy Ball until she noticed at Red who was being awfully quiet.

'Why isn't he making a move?' She thought before her eyes widened in shock. "Wait stop!"

She was too late when Ludicolo went near the cocoon, about to attack before a pincer came out of the cocoon armor and jabbed the pineapple duck in the gut. Stepping back due to the pain and the poison, Beedrill dashed out of the cocoon and was about to go on the attack before it was hit by a Scald that pushed it back.

"C'mon, Beedrill. You can do it. Assurance!" Red said as he watched his Pokemon struggling against the blast. As a dark aura surrounded its body, Beedrill powered through the hot water and landing a powerful blow that made the Grass-type slowly fall to the ground.

"Ludicolo!" Erika said, shocked to see her Pokemon unconscious but she was more so when she saw Beedrill still raring to fight. 'Even after that, it's still going strong. This Pokemon does not look like it's going down easy but I do have an advantage now.'

"That's two Pokemon down." Leaf mumbled as she looked at Beedrill, noticing the Pokemon being a bit exhausted. "Beedrill doesn't look too good though."

"Yeah. Maybe that last attack did a lot more than we thought." Kim scratched her head.

"Let's go, Lilligant!" Erika released out her third Pokemon who was a humanoid plant that had a scarlet flower with white-spotted petals on its head. Red was surprised when he saw the Pokemon, the teen immediately taking out his Pokedex which scanned the dainty plant.

"Lilligant, the Flowering Pokemon and the evolved form of Petilil. The fragrance of its flower differs slightly depending on the soil where it grew up. Sniffing the aroma calms your heart and mind."

Lilligant who spun around before bowing down, Erika followed and synced with its movements with a smile before it fell immediately.

"Hidden Power!"

Lilligant shot a blast that Beedrill dodged and then retaliated with a Poison Jab, Lilligant evading the move. The Grass-type continued evading Beedrill's strikes before Red made it shoot a String Shot to trip the flower towards the ground. Lilligant quickly got up, dodging a Poison Jab which made Beedrill's stinger stuck into the ground.

"Petal Dance!" Lilligant danced around Beedrill, petals coming from its body and then went towards the yellow bee.

"Spin around and use Pin Missile. Shoot them at the petals." Upon Red's command, the Pokemon shot a barrage of needles that slashed the petals. Taking out the petals, it pushed back Lilligant with a ball of silk, taking the chance to pull its stinger from the ground.

"His Beedrill is a powerful and versatile and pair with Red's ingenious mind is a dangerous combo." Erika thought aloud before she went on the attack which failed when it was blocked by a String Shot shield. Lilligant then used Hidden Power which clashed with Beedrill's Pin Missile, Red noticing his Pokemon being pushed back by the blast. 'That should not be happening. Beedrill should be ripping through that blast.'

"Go around it and use Poison Jab."

"Petal Dance!"

As Beedrill went around the blast, Lilligant quickly unleashed a Petal Dance which the bee defected with Pin Missile. Not missing a beat, Beedrill landed a Poison Jab that pushed Lilligant back which made Red a bit concerned. 'So it wasn't my imagination?'

Beedrill started panting as it slowly descended to the ground, Leaf realizing the situation. "This isn't good for Red."

"Yeah. Beedrill's burnt." Kim chimed in with a grim expression. Red watched his Pokemon trying to get up, clicking his teeth as he thought about his situation. 'I guess Erika noticed what was going on. I need to play it safe for now.'

"So this is your limit?" Red's eyes widened when he heard that before he saw the smirk on Erika's face. "Your Beedrill is burnt. And it's fatigued after several battles."

"Beedrill, you ok?" Red asked to which his Pokemon nodded as it tried to get into the air.

"Quiver Dance."

Lilligant used the move, Red taking the opportunity before he whispered to Beedrill. "Silk Armor."

As the bee wrapped itself in the silk, Lilligant finished its dance before it vanished, much to Red's surprise. "What the?"

"Pollen Puff!" Erika commanded.

Appearing in front of Beedrill, Lilligant used a purple pollen sphere that dissolved the armor, the Bug-type retaliating with Assurance. Lilligant quickly recovered and used Hidden Power, Beedrill countering with Poison Jab that created a shockwave.

"Even while it's burnt, it is able to hold its own." Erika said as the clash stopped. "Using Assurance to increase its strength was smart."

The battle continued, Beedrill took a Hidden Power from Lilligant before it flew into the air and shot two silk strings at two branches. The Poison-type dove towards its opponent who shot two Pollen Puff at it which it blocked by throwing the branches at the pollen balls that caused them to explode.

"Good! Now Poison Jab!" Once Red made that order, Beedrill sped forward and struck Lilligant in the gut which caused it to be pushed before it smacked the bee with a Hidden Power that sent it into the ceiling.

"Beedrill!" Red called only to see the Pokemon falling.

"Charge your Hidden Power!" Lilligant created an orb between its hands that got bigger by the minute until it fell to the ground, much to Erika's surprise. "Are you ok, Lilliga-"

She paused when she saw the pale look on her Pokemon's face, a purple spot in its abdomen. 'She's poisoned. We have to end this qui-'

"Duo Poison Jab!" The gym leader looked up to see Beedrill taking off to them like a rocket with its stingers glowing purple.

"Lilligant. Shoot the blast and used Petal Dance!" Lilligant used all its might to stand up before it unleashed a beam of light surrounded by petals. As Beedrill flew into the blast, Leaf noticed that the bee was being overwhelmed by the move, much to the brunette's concern. 'Uh oh…'

"He doesn't look like he's gonna win this." Kim said honestly to which Leaf nodded. "At least he took down two Pokemon and heavily injured Lilligant."

"Assurance! Drill!"

Everyone was caught off guard by the move, Beedrill's body glowed darkly as it started to spin around like a drill as it pushed through the blast.

"How?" Julia said in complete surprise.

"This kid's insane!" Havoc said with a hand on his forehead while Tony made a smile.

As the petals battered its body, Beedrill did not falter as it got closer, the clash continued until the bee pierced through the blast and rammed its opponent into the wall.

"Lilligant, attack with Hidden Power!"

"Beedrill! Poison Jab!"

Lilligant charged an orb of Hidden Power while Beedrill rushed forward with a Poison Jab. Within an instant, both Pokemon hit each other with their attacks which created a shockwave that sent them back. Beedrill did not falter as it ruhed towards Lilligant who shot a barrage of attacks that Beedrill dodged, some of the attacks hitting it but it still persevered with Assurance as it flew towards its opponent. Charging a Hidden Power in front of it, Lilligant dashed forward towards Beedrill who swung its attack with all its might, the two creating another collision that created an explosion.

Everyone had to cover their eyes until the shockwave stopped and the smoke cleared, their eyes widened as they saw both Pokemon on the ground. Seeing no sign of movement, Julia walked over to Lilligant who was unconscious before she turned to Beedrill, her eyes widened in shock along with everyone else except Erika.

"Even after all that…" She said as the Pokemon was moving on the ground. "…it can still move."

"Beedrill…" Red said, seeing the bug pushing itself off the ground. He then let out a sigh of relief before he walked over to his Pokemon who looked at him weakly. "You did good. Take a break, ok?"

'O-ok…' Beedrill nodded before Red put the Pokemon on his back, walking over to his side of the field. Erika returned her Pokemon, a smile on her face "Red, I have to say that you're quite the trainer. I hope I can do this with Vileplume."

"Yeah…I better be careful." Red nodded with a smile that immediately faded when he saw Vileplume appear on the field. Thinking about his options, Red threw out Vulpix who immediately huffed, fire coming out of its nostrils as the sunlight became stronger.

"Oh! That's so cute! A shiny Vulpix!" One of the gym trainers squealed as she looked at the Pokemon. Tony folded his arms. "How did he come across that?"

"Interesting choice. I'm gonna be honest, I was expecting your Aerodactyl." Erika spoke to which Red scratched his head. "Yeah but Aero's a little feisty right now and sending him out would…mess up the plants."

Erika widened her eyes before she clapped her hands. "Oh! That would be unfortunate. Thank you for your concern."

"Hehe! No problem!" The teen said before he looked away in shame. 'To be honest, we made a bet that I didn't have to use him in this match...and I did not want to lose the bet.'

"Drain Punch!" Vileplume started the battle with its fist glowing a green aura which caught Red's attention. "Extrasensory to dodge."

Vulpix's eyes glowed before it avoided the punch, Erika making her Pokemon continue as the fox avoided its strikes with ease before it noticed something. 'Mwaster, there's something coming off its body.'

Red was surprised before he whispered. "Something? What does it look like?"

'Small dots, they're green, yellow. Oh! That one is purple, I think.'

"Small dots from it...wait!" Red snapped his fingers before he went to his Pokedex, looking through it which made everyone confused. His eyes widened when after he looked at Vileplume's description. "Don't let them touch you. Burn them."

Vulpix continued to dodge Vileplume's Drain Punch before it manifested various fireballs around it, some of them spinning around the fox to create a veil while the rest went towards its opponent. Erika noticed that the fireballs burnt the spore in the air, much to her amazement as some of the gym trainers were shocked. "He noticed the spores…"

Leaf was confused by this before she remembered something. "Spores? Like Stun Spore? Wait, that's Vileplume's ability, right?

"Yes, Effect Spore. Almost every movement it makes allows it to release spores in the air but it usually activates when you make contact with it. Erika was able to find a way to go around that activation and allow Vileplume to use it by it doing any move." Julia explained. "But for him to catch on that quickly."

Tony watched the fight before she noticed that Vulpix's eyes are still glowing as it dodged Vileplume's moves. "The Extrasensory, maybe that was the reason he found out. That could also be the reason who doesn't have to say his commands out loud."

Hearing the people from the sildeline, Erika was surprised before she made a smile. "I must admit. I was surprised you found out the spores so quickly. I'm impressed."

"Don't be. It was all Vulpix, to be honest." Red said, his Vulpix stood proudly with a smile.

"You're too humble. Not any Vulpix can use the moves it has like yours can. That is a sign of your intellect and training. Now how will you fair against this? Sludge Wave!"

Hearing the move, Red looked at Vileplume whose flower erupted with sludge that doused the fireballs. "Cancel it out with a wave."

Vulpix unleashed a wave of flames that stopped the Sludge Wave before he noticed a light in the smoke. "Flame bullet."

The fox did not waste time as it shot a bullet of flames that hit Vileplume in the stomach, stopping its Solar Beam which surprised Erika. 'Wow. That's impressive control over the flames.'

Erika commanded her Vileplume to use another Sludge Wave which was dodged by Vulpix who jettisoned itself in the air with Flamethrower, the woman being completely shocked when Vulpix covered its body with fire to move away from the sludge. 'Wow. Nice reaction.'

Seeing the fox managed to keep itself airborne with its fire, Julia could not hide her amazement at the sheer skill of Red. As she saw Vulpix pushing back the sludge with a geyser of flames, Erika smiled proudly as her Pokemon dodged a few fire bullets.

'To be able to not only control the strength of the move but to even change the nature and power to fit the situation.' The gym leader thought as Vileplume went on the attack but it had to retreat when Vulpix made the fireballs dance around it. 'That's an advanced skill that only some can do. The only person in this region that can do that at such a degree is Lorelei with Misty coming at a close second.'

Vileplume unleashed another Sludge Wave, Red making Vulpix match the move by creating a sea of flames which crashed into the sludge, the attacks stopping each other and created a cloud smoke before a barrage of fire bullet came towards Vileplume who barely evaded the fireballs.

'Now that I think about it, all of this kid's strategies are well thought out, even in dangerous situations like Team Rocket and even the Muk situation. Is this child really just a rookie?' Erika thought as her Pokemon continued to dodge its opponent's attacks that came out of the smokescreen.

"Spin around, Vileplume!" Erika commanded, her Vileplume who then spun around which made it released the spores from its body into the air while it dodged the fire bullets as best as it could.

"Sludge Wave then Solar Beam!" She commanded, her Pokemon unleashed the Sludge Wave before it shot a Solar Beam.

Seeing the two attacks coming their way, Red made Vulpix leaped into the air and dodged wave of poison before it shot a Flamethrower that clashed with Vileplume's Solar Beam. As the beams continued clashing with each other, everyone noticed the Solar Beam overpowering the fox's attack. "Move out of the way."

Angling the Flamethrower, Vulpix was able to propel itself out of the way, resulting in it spinning before it landed on the ground, a bit dizzy. Vulpix shook itself out of its dizziness, the girls letting out a squeal at its cuteness as Red crouched to it. "Are you ok, Vulpix?"

'Okey dokey.' The fox said.

Red noticed Vileplume approaching them with a Drain Punch which Vulpix stopped it with a fire shield that burnt the Grass-type.

"Oh no! Sludge Wave!" Erika made her Pokemon unleashed the move, causing a cloud of smoke. Vulpix tried to use another flame bullet which failed when it accidentally unleashed a wave of fire which the flower jumped over before shooting a Solar Beam which the fox barely dodged.

'The control he has over the attacks is not perfect but it is remarkable.' She thought before she was able to secure a hit on Vulpix with a Solar Beam which the fox retaliated by slamming the Grass-type onto the ground with Extrasensory.

"Damn! You go, sweetie!" Leaf cheered along with Luxio and Meowth. Kim was mesmerized by the way Vulpix used the fire. "Those flames. It's almost like they are dancing. Like they are alive. It's so beautiful."

Everyone watched as Vileplume was able to land a hit onto Vulpix with Drain Punch before it used Sludge Wave, Vulpix burning brightly before it repelled the sludge with its fire. The fox could barely get a breather as it dodges a Solar Beam.

"Drain Punch again."

"Fire tornado."

Vulpix dodged Vileplume's strikes until it jumped into the air, its body glowed before its tails went ablaze as it swung them at its opponent. Vileplume retaliated by using a Sludge Wave that hit Vulpix and sent it into the wall, the fox eyes quickly glowing which made the flames around the Grass-type swirled around until a blazing tornado that burnt the flower.

Red smiled before he looked at Vulpix who was covered in bruises. 'It took a lot of damage from that Sludge Wave. Well, now it's all or nothing. It's gonna be risky but…'

"Grassy Terrain!" Red heard Erika said, Vileplume glowing intensely before it unleashed a wave of energy that caused the grass on the field to glow intensely.

"That's not a good look but wait." Red thought aloud before he noticed Vileplume started to glow intensely. Seeing his opponent surrounded by a green aura, Red looked at his Vulpix to see it also glowing, some of its bruises being healed which made him smirk. 'That's perfect.'

"Vulpix! Charge up Flamethrower now!" Red commanded, Vulpix nodded before it sat down.

"This again." Kim said which surprised everyone. Leaf smirked as she watched Vulpix's body glowing intensely before flames burst from its fur which created a fiery aura. "Red's going to be serious now."

Everyone watched as the fox unleashed a wave of fire that enveloped it, Erika squinting her eyes when she noticed something forming within the flames.

'What is that?' Erika wandered before she saw the fire moved around gracefully like whips of wisps. 'Whatever he's cooking, I need to stop it.'

"Vileplume! Use Sludge Wave!" Vileplume punched the ground and used Sludge Wave that hit Vulpix, covering it in sludge. Leaf was extremely concerned until she noticed the unwavering look on Red's face. 'He's got that 'I've got a plan' face. Shouldn't he be releasing the flames then. So what's taking so lon-'

"Extrasensory." Red spoke, a geyser of fire erupted from within the sludge which surprised everyone. They all watched as the sludge got evaporated from the flames, the fire dancing around Vulpix. "Wrap the flames around yourself."

"What the hell? Isn't that the fire explosion move that he tried against us?" Kim commented, Leaf nodding in agreement before they realized that its changing form as it covered the fox. "Hey! The fire...it's forming something…I never saw this."

Everyone watched as the fire covered Vulpix's body, forming six huge flaming tails where its curly ones are. The fire swirled around Vulpix's face, forming a fiery helmet that looks like the head of a Ninetales before its paws sprouted claws of flames. Leaf was mesmerized by the spectacle as the flames covered the rest of Vulpix's body. "Woah! That is so cool."

What stood in front of Vileplume was Vulpix covered in the flaming armor, its eyes glowing as it readied itself. The gym leader could not hide her surprise as she gazed at the Pokemon.

"This...this is surprising…no. This is amazing." She barely mumbled.

"I've been working on this for a while. I call it fire fox mode. It's a work in progress and it's not completed but hey…at least I got somewhere with it." Red shrugged with a smile as Vulpix waited for his command. "Well, let's go. It's not like I have much time with this."

"It's impressive that he's able to get the fire controlled like that. It's like a sentient being." Julia commented from the sideline.

"Damn. The kid's got an imagination on him." Tony said as he watched Vulpix, Leaf nodded as she smiled. "Yeah. Ninetales is one of his favorite Pokemon."

Meanwhile, Erika was taken aback by the form in front of her. It was beautiful, the simmering flames surging from its skin which complimented its shiny, golden fur. The fire wrapped around Vulpix, the flames around its legs being more defined while the one covering its tails are wild yet contained. Seeing the Pokemon move snapped the gym leader out of her stupor.

'That is beautiful. Nothing more, nothing less. As expected...' Erika thought before she made a smile. "Sludge Wave!"

Vileplume quickly unleashed a Sludge Wave that went towards Vulpix who leaped over the sludge and hovered in the air. Seeing that her opponent is not descending, Erika made her Pokemon shot a Solarbeam towards it opponent.

"Shield!" Red said, Vulpix's fiery tails quickly wrapped around it to create shield that protected it from the blast, much to everyone surprise. "Woah!"

"Hold on!" Kim jumped out of her seat before she decided to record the battle. "That wasn't for display?! He can make her move in that thing?!"

'A good defensive method.' Tony said as the battle continued, Vulpix blocking a Drain Punch from Vileplume with its tails before burning it and smacking it back. 'Using the flames to make an automatic shield and he can control the flames as an attack. A good defense is a good offense after all...or whatever Brock said.'

'Such precise control! How is he able to do that? This must've taken a while to train.' Erika thought as her Vileplume went to close the distance again, this time opting for Solar Beam which clashed with Vulpix's Flamethrower which overpowered the Grass-type move.

"It even got stronger…" Kim thought before she saw Vileplume jump over the flames and used Drain Punch which hit the fox, much to everyone's surprise. "She got a hit."

'Huh?' Erika noticed that the attack did nothing to Vulpix before the tails wrapped around her Pokemon and then slammed it onto the ground.

"Will'o Wisp and Hex!"

Vulpix's fiery tails changed to a purple flame before they burned Vileplume. This continued until Vileplume's body exploded into a cloud of spores that covered the field, some of it hitting its opponent which made its tails to retreat, causing the Grass-type to escape.

'Even with all that power. There's a limit to what she can do in that form since it takes a lot of concentration to maintain it.' Erika deduced as the tails reappeared when Vulpix regained its composure.

"Run towards Vulpix with Solar Beam!" Vileplume rushed towards its opponent with a ball of light charging on its head. Vulpix was about to attack its opponent which made Erika smirk, Red noticing to late as she revealed her hand. "Explode the Solar Beam!"

"Huh?" Red raised a brow before the Pokemon did as told, the ball of light exploded which caused a blinding flash that blinded Red and Vulpix.

"A flash bang?!" Red thought aloud as he blocked the light.

"Good! Now Sludge Wave!" Vileplume unleashed the Sludge Wave, Red thinking quickly as he called out to Vulpix. "Vulpix, can you still hear Vileplume?"

'Y-yeah.' Vulpix answered.

"Good! Fiery Vortex!" The fox did waste time and used its tails to create a vortex of flames that vaporized the Poison-type move. The attacks cancelled each other, Vileplume going for a Drain Punch.

"Slash them!" Vulpix's paw erupted in flames as it swung its claw against Vileplume's attack, creating a powerful shockwave.

As the battle continued, both Pokemon traded blows before Vulpix shot a barrage of fire bullets which Vileplume was able to stop with a Sludge Wave before they both clashed with each other, the fox barely able to hold its own which concerned Red. "Even with the fire fox mode, Erika is not falling back, she's still going strong."

The Fire-type was able to land a Flamethrower unto Vileplume who immediately retaliated with a Drain Punch, ignoring the burn on its body. Vulpix was about to attack but felt weak, unable to move its tail in time when she had to take another Drain Punch to the face which did not go unnoticed by Kim. "Hey, umm...is Vulpix ok?"

"Tch…it's poisoned. I'm gonna need to wrap this up and fast." Red thought aloud, noticing that Vulpix's form is beginning to disperse.

Erika noticed that her Vileplume was panting heavily, the Pokemon barely able to move as it hissed at the burns from its body despite the Grassy Terrain healing it. 'It won't be able to continue with its condition. I need to finish this.'

"Solar Beam! Full Power!"

"Absorb all your fire and use Flamethrower!"

Vileplume charged all the sunlight around it into its head flower while the flames that surged around Vulpix's body swirled around it and went to its mouth. Leaf watched both challengers in excitement, a serious expression on her face as she balled her fist. 'Hmm. Come on, Red…'

"This is the last stretch." Tony said before he had a smirk.

"Who will win? Vileplume or Vulpix?" Kim said excitedly as she watched both Pokemon charged their moves. Everyone saw as the battlefield burst into a flash of light, two orbs of light and fire before their attacks were condensed as they aimed at each other, their trainers made a collective command.

"Shoot!"

Both Pokemon shot their moves, Vileplume unleashing its Solar Beam that almost look like a cannon while Vulpix shot a Flamethrower so powerful that it looked similar to a Hyper Beam. Both beams collided with each other, creating a powerful shockwave as Red and Erika were slightly pushed back by the beams clashing.

After a while, Red noticed the Solar Beam overpowering Vulpix's attack, looking to see the fox being hurt by the poison that weakened it. Red thought quickly before he noticed the flower being affected by his burns. 'That's it!'

"Vulpix, Hex!" Vulpix obeyed, its body shaking uncontrollably as it used the move which caused Vileplume to light aflame, much to Erika's surprise.

"No way…Sludge Wave!"

"Go! Now's your chance, Vulpix!" Red shouted.

Vulpix blasted the last remnants of its Flamethrower which managed to push back the Solar Beam, Vileplume was too late as it was hit by the flames. Everyone watched as a powerful wave of flames burnt the Flower Pokemon before it spun around and created a tornado. The fire danced through the battlefield, causing the sprinklers to turn on to douse the flames. After the fire died out, everyone watched in disbelief when the smoke cleared.

"There's no way..." Red said with widened eyes. Leaf and Kim also shared his expression as they looked into the direction of Erika.

Before them was Vileplume who was still standing, smoke coming off its body. Panting heavily and barely having any energy, Vulpix tried her best to stand on her feet but her feet were shaking for a while before she fell to the ground. The gym trainers cheered for their gym leader who was quiet as she looked at her Pokemon who was unmoving before it collapsed to the ground, much to everyone surprise as Julia came to the battlefield and inspected both Pokemon.

"Vileplume and Vulpix are unable to battle! This means that the battle is a tie but since he still has two Pokemon remaining! Red wins the gym battle match." Julia made the announcement, everyone celebrated for Red's victory which surprised the teen as he picked up and petted Vulpix.

"Amazing! You did amazing!" Erika clapped her hands and ruffled Red's hair with a smile. "I was not expecting for you to be such a formidable opponent. You used your surroundings to your advantage and exercised control over the powers you have, even if it's a little bit. Due to your efforts, you've earned this."

Julia came from behind her, giving her the Rainbow Badge which she handed to Red. "Your battling skills are superb and I didn't even realize that you used some of your archery training in your battle style."

"Sweetie, you did it!" Leaf hugged Red, his Pokemon jumping off him as she gave him a kiss on the cheek. Clearing her throat which got the couple's attention, Erika spoke up as she put her hands on both of the teenagers' shoulders. "You both have made considerable progress compared to when you first came here. Keep polishing your skills and used what you know from here and you will soar to great heights."

"Heck yeah!" Leaf said with a smirk on her face. "And when I get stronger, I want a rematch with you at your strongest!"

"I will wait." Erika nodded with a smile. "I am so glad that there are strong trainers like you. That awareness alone inspires and motivates me to try harder."

The woman yawned before she went back to her room. "I need to go to sleep."

As the gym leader left to go and sleep, the three teenagers left the gym, Leaf admiring her new badge while Red was feeding Togepi. As they went to a food shop and enjoyed their food, Leaf noticed the serious expression on Red's face. "What's wrong, Red?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I just remember something. Well...someone who I need to go against soon." Kim and Leaf looked at Red who looked at his Pokegear before he checked his badge. Leaf closed Red's case and put it in her bag before she scooted close to him. "Enough of that! You gotta tell me how did you do the 'Fire Fox mode' thing! It's so cool."

The trio continued with their conversation as Red explained his new move to Leaf, Kim being excited as she replayed the video she took of the mode that his Vulpix used. They then continued to enjoy themselves within the city, the trio getting ready to leave the city soon.

At nighttime within Route 7, the winds blew strongly as Blue stood at the middle of the road in front of the gate to Saffron with his Charmeleon beside him, watching the news on his Pokegear about the Saffron City gates opening soon.

"He better not bail out this time." He mumbled as he looked at the night sky. After a while, he turned towards Celadon City. "I'll beat him for sure."

This chapter is done. This battle was such fun to write along with the Leaf battle. Our heroes have finally gotten their fourth badge. Kitsune mode came out of nowhere to be honest but I'm happy that Vulpix got its first gym battle win. Now our heroes finally got their Rainbow badge. What will happen from here? Who will they face next?

Also, get ready for Saffron City which is one of my favorite cities in Kanto! Hope you guys enjoy the fight and the story so far and stay safe.

Enigma out!