Chapter Fifty-Five: A Fleeting Inspiration

Rumbling Stone, the evolved form of Small Fist Stone, though not yet the ultimate evolution—Rumbling Rock—was still a force to be reckoned with. Small Fist Stone typically weighed only twenty kilograms, but after evolution, Rumbling Stone's weight soared to a hundred and five kilograms, and its height reached a full meter, giving it a powerful appearance.

Yet Zhao Fang’s only consolation was that this Rumbling Stone was its normal form and not the Alolan variant. If it were the Alolan form, Zhao Fang would have considered forfeiting—after all, the Alolan Rumbling Stone possessed the electric type.

“Wait… Alola…” Zhao Fang suddenly fell into deep thought, a spark of inspiration flashing through his mind, though he couldn’t quite grasp it.

Cuckoo had been about to command Rumbling Stone to attack, but seeing Zhao Fang’s furrowed brows and pondering expression, she lowered her hand. As a gym leader, she knew that sometimes trainers had unique ideas; if seized, those ideas could lead to greater strength. Cuckoo had no intention of interrupting her opponent’s rare moment of inspiration.

Zhao Fang remained silent for some time, but the thread of inspiration in his mind eluded him like a Dragonite using Extreme Speed—impossible to catch. Eventually, Zhao Fang gave up and raised his head.

“Are we ready to battle?” After being ignored for a while, Cuckoo’s mood calmed, the anger from her father’s earlier provocation fading.

“Yes!” Zhao Fang nodded, deciding to set aside his inspiration for now and focus all his efforts on winning this match.

“Then, Rumbling Stone, use Sandstorm!” At Cuckoo’s command, Rumbling Stone raised its hands, and a swirl of sand and wind enveloped the field.

“Don’t let it set up Sandstorm! Gyarados, use Water Pulse!” Zhao Fang issued his order. Rumbling Stone, a ground and rock type Pokémon, would suffer greatly from a Water Pulse.

But Rumbling Stone was still a step faster, completing the Sandstorm. The whirling sand swept across the arena, and Rumbling Stone’s figure disappeared in the storm. The water jet from Water Pulse struck the edge of the field, leaving Zhao Fang with a sinking feeling—his attack had missed.

“Sand Veil ability, huh?” Zhao Fang squinted at the swirling sand, feeling troubled.

The ongoing damage from Sandstorm and the impaired visibility left Gyarados in a quandary. If Rumbling Stone attacked now, Zhao Fang wouldn’t even know how to instruct Gyarados to evade, unable to see Rumbling Stone anywhere.

“Rumbling Stone, use Rollout for a heavy blow!” Cuckoo’s voice rang out again. Zhao Fang strained his eyes, peering into the sandstorm, but Rumbling Stone’s silhouette was nowhere to be found.

“Use Splash for quick movement, Gyarados!” Zhao Fang could only give such an order. Gyarados leapt and dodged through the storm, propelled by Splash.

But the sandstorm blocked Gyarados’ vision, preventing it from spotting Rumbling Stone. The next moment, a rolling boulder smashed into Gyarados, inflicting serious injuries, before Rumbling Stone rolled back into the sandstorm.

Zhao Fang gritted his teeth at the situation. He had no good solutions. Due to the League’s tournament rules, Gyarados could only use four moves: Iron Head, Splash, Dragon Rage, and Water Pulse, leaving no room for another skill.

“A lesson for next time,” Zhao Fang noted mentally. But now, he had to figure out how to solve Gyarados’ predicament.

Rollout’s damage increased with each use, and soon enough, a single strike could knock Gyarados out of the battle.

The referee watched the scene with stern eyes. His daughter’s tactic had pushed Gyarados to the brink. Gyarados did have an advantage over Rumbling Stone, but with effective strategy, even unfavorable matchups could be overcome.

“Rumbling Stone, keep using Rollout.” Cuckoo’s command came again. The sandstorm whirled, and Zhao Fang clenched his jaw, completely unable to pinpoint Rumbling Stone’s location.

“Gyarados, keep moving with Splash, and when Rumbling Stone appears, use Iron Head!” Zhao Fang could only rely on this method. Rollout wasn’t fast, but it was sudden, and Water Pulse would be too slow; Iron Head was his best hope.

Cuckoo’s eyes showed a hint of appreciation. Indeed, this was the optimal approach. Hoping for luck to hit Rumbling Stone would be futile; better to seize the opportunity when Rollout couldn’t be interrupted and let Iron Head decide the outcome.

“Roar!” Gyarados roared furiously, darting through the sandstorm with Splash, its eyes searching for any sign of Rumbling Stone.

The next moment, it spotted a rock rolling from the side. Without hesitation, Gyarados slammed its head into Rumbling Stone with Iron Head, producing a dull thud.

Rumbling Stone, struck, ended its Rollout. It shook itself and steadied, while Gyarados, though armored with Iron Head, still took solid damage from the collision.

“Roar!” Gyarados opened its eyes wide and bellowed.

“Impressive resolve! How many more times can you endure? Let me see your willpower!” Cuckoo was somewhat surprised but her voice grew impassioned.

“Rumbling Stone, use Rollout again!” Rumbling Stone rolled back into the sandstorm.

“Gyarados, Iron Head!” Zhao Fang clenched his fist tightly, now relying on Gyarados’ endurance.

Another dull crash echoed in the sandstorm as Gyarados collided with Rumbling Stone again. This time, blood from Gyarados’ head splattered onto Rumbling Stone’s face.

With both trainers issuing commands once more, a third heavy thud sounded from the sandstorm. After this impact, the storm gradually subsided, revealing both Pokémon again.

Rumbling Stone’s face bore cracks—the double damage from Steel-type moves had indeed hurt it. But Gyarados lay collapsed on the ground, its head covered in blood.

“Gyarados is unable to battle. Cuckoo wins,” the referee announced the result directly.

“You did your best, Gyarados,” Zhao Fang said tenderly, stroking Gyarados before recalling it into its Poké Ball.

Looking at Cuckoo across the field, Zhao Fang sighed. Though his strength had improved, facing a gym leader’s main Pokémon was still a formidable challenge. Today, Cuckoo had held back, not using other moves.