Both Salamence and Charizard came crashing to the ground.
Fortunately, they were in full Contest-ready condition, so the fall didn't cause devastating injuries. Still, the impact left them reeling, wings pressed against the ground instead of spreading freely into the air.
But right away, the problem was clear: Tucker's aerial strategy had been crippled.
Without the ability to fly, Salamence and Charizard's mobility was cut in half—especially against a grounded powerhouse like Rhyperior, who specialized in punishing airborne opponents.
Gary's voice rang out sharply:
"Rhyperior, Earthquake!"
Rhyperior raised one massive, armored leg and stomped the battlefield with terrifying force.
The entire arena trembled as shockwaves rippled outward.
Tucker reacted immediately.
"Charizard, Heat Wave! Salamence, Flamethrower on Magnezone—now!"
Both dragons inhaled deeply, their maws glowing orange before unleashing gouts of blazing flame. The combined torrent of fire roared toward Magnezone like a blazing inferno.
Tucker knew the key: Magnezone's Gravity was anchoring his team to the ground. If Magnezone was taken out, his aerial advantage would return.
Gary, calm as ever, countered:
"Magnezone, rush to Rhyperior's side and use Light Screen!"
Magnezone zipped forward with surprising speed, planting itself in front of its partner. A shimmering, blue-tinted barrier expanded outward—Light Screen flared just in time to catch the fiery onslaught.
The flames crashed into the barrier, rippling across its surface but failing to pierce through.
Combined with Magnezone's own defensive ability, the flames dispersed harmlessly, leaving both Gary's Pokémon untouched.
Meanwhile, the shockwaves from Rhyperior's Earthquake reached Salamence and Charizard. Both dragons staggered, their bodies shuddering violently under the seismic assault.
"GRRAAAH!!" Charizard cried in pain, wings scraping against the ground.
Being grounded left them vulnerable. Fire-types like Charizard, in particular, struggled against Ground-type moves.
Gary didn't waste a second.
"Rhyperior, Stone Edge! Magnezone, Thunderbolt! Target Charizard!"
Spikes of jagged stone erupted from the battlefield, surging toward Charizard in a lethal wave. At the same time, Magnezone's magnets sparked violently before unleashing a searing Thunderbolt, a golden bolt of lightning tearing through the arena's air.
Tucker grit his teeth.
"Charizard, Flamethrower! Salamence, Dragon Pulse! Block them!"
Charizard bellowed, spewing a torrent of fire, while Salamence loosed a blazing sphere of draconic energy.
The attacks collided midair with Rhyperior's Stone Edge and Magnezone's Thunderbolt, exploding in a violent clash of fire, lightning, stone, and draconic power.
But Gary's combination overpowered them.
The jagged stones pierced through the flames without losing momentum, while Thunderbolt shredded Salamence's Dragon Pulse, scattering sparks across the battlefield. For origınal chapters go to 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝙣𝙚𝙩
Both moves converged directly on Charizard.
The explosion sent Charizard hurtling backward. It hit the ground with a heavy thud, eyes swirling, body motionless.
The referee raised a flag.
"Charizard is unable to battle!"
"Charizard's already down?!"
"He beat Lord Tucker's Charizard that quickly?!"
"As expected of Gary Oak… even the Dome Ace can't stand against him…!"
The battle had barely lasted three minutes, and Tucker's Charizard was already eliminated.
Now, only Salamence remained—and even worse, it was grounded by Gravity. Facing both Rhyperior and Magnezone at once was a losing battle.
Gary pressed the advantage immediately.
"Magnezone, Lock-On! Follow with Thunder Wave!"
Magnezone's central eye flashed, fixing Salamence in its sights. Sparks began building as a wave of paralysis gathered.
"Salamence, Dragon Pulse! Don't give him the chance!" Tucker shouted desperately.
"ROOOAAR!!" Salamence roared, launching another orb of crackling dragon energy straight at Magnezone.
"Rhyperior, Drill Run!" Gary snapped.
Rhyperior charged forward, its horn spinning like a massive drill. It plowed straight into the Dragon Pulse, scattering the attack into harmless wisps of energy, and barreled toward Salamence without slowing.
"Salamence, Dragon Claw! Stop him!" Tucker cried.
"GRRAAARR!!" Salamence raised a claw glowing with emerald energy—only for its body to suddenly seize up.
Magnezone's Thunder Wave struck true, electricity wrapping around Salamence's body. Paralysis locked its limbs mid-motion, leaving it completely open.
Rhyperior's spinning horn drove into Salamence's chest with devastating force, launching the dragon clean out of the battlefield.
The open-air Dome had no walls. Salamence tumbled across the ground outside, wings twitching weakly. With Gravity still in effect, there was no way it could fly back into the ring.
Gary folded his arms.
"Referee, how do you call that? Out of bounds, right?"
The official hesitated. "Well… normally, if a Pokémon is knocked outside, we allow it to re-enter, provided it can fly back. But with Gravity—"
The announcer cut in nervously:
"Mr. Oak, perhaps cancel Gravity, let Salamence return, then reapply it so the match can continue fairly?"
Gary smirked. That would cost him a major advantage.
Before he could respond, Tucker raised a hand.
"No need," he said firmly. "I lost this one."
The arena fell silent for a beat.
"…What?!" the announcer sputtered. "Dome Ace Tucker admits defeat?!"
"Hurry up and make it official," Tucker urged.
The referee nodded reluctantly.
"Winner of this match: Gary Oak!"
Gary recalled his Pokémon calmly. "You both did well. Rest."
The Poké Balls clicked shut, Rhyperior and Magnezone vanishing inside.
The outcome had been decided the moment Charizard fell. Salamence alone had no chance against two, especially grounded. Rhyperior countered Salamence too hard, and Magnezone had free control over the field.
The strategy had been airtight.
But the crowd didn't cheer.
The Dome was eerily quiet. Tucker's fans—especially the girls who adored him—looked crestfallen. Their idol hadn't just lost; he'd admitted defeat outright.
Some muttered complaints under their breath, but none could deny what they had seen: Gary had outplayed him completely.
Tucker approached, his usual showman's smile dimmed but still present.
"It was a good battle. Your tactics were perfectly aimed at me. Congratulations."
From his tone, Gary could tell Tucker knew he'd been hard-countered from the start.
Gary shrugged lightly.
"Honestly, I was planning to test out Weavile this time. I had Rhyperior, Magnezone, and Weavile ready. But since you revealed your Pokémon first… I couldn't ignore the opportunity. You can't blame me for targeting you."
Originally, he wanted to try out Weavile's abilities in a high-stakes match. But once Tucker sent out Charizard and Salamence, Gary chose Magnezone instead.
It was the perfect choice.
Grounding Tucker's dragons meant they were fighting at half strength—or less. A battle designed for the skies had been brought down to the dirt, and once that happened, the outcome was inevitable.