The chapter opens with the soft glow of sunrise filtering into the Pokémon Centre, where Maylin and Rose are fast asleep. Suddenly, the door swings open—Misty steps inside, her eyes scanning for Dango. When she doesn't find him, she quietly leaves. Later, Misty arrives at her Gym and spots Dango and his Axew dozing right by the entrance. Without hesitation, she orders her Golduck to unleash a sudden Bubble Beam, splashing them awake in an instant.
Dango's eyes snap wide open as he shouts for a battle. Misty nods in agreement, and they head inside the Gym, both ready and determined. Misty quickly sends out her Starmie, while Dango glances at Axew. Axew gives a confident nod, and Dango releases his Staravia.
Misty: "Oh, not using Axew."
Starmie bursts into action, firing a rapid flurry of shimmering Bubble Beams that zip through the air like dazzling missiles. Staravia darts forward with razor-sharp focus, weaving and dodging every attack with ease. Then, with a fierce beat of its wings, Staravia counters with a powerful Steel Wing, crashing into Starmie and sending it staggering.
Misty lets out a frustrated grunt and commands Rapid Spin. Starmie spins wildly, bouncing off walls and platform edges, landing a rapid series of strikes. Staravia shakes it off and charges back in, clashing fiercely with Starmie as Axew cheers from the sidelines.
Staravia surges forward with a blazing Quick Attack, smashing into Starmie and knocking it tumbling into the pool. But Starmie isn't down yet—spinning with relentless speed, it bounces around, landing strike after strike. Dango watches closely, realising Staravia can't keep this relentless pace much longer.
Waiting for the perfect moment, Dango shouts for Staravia to dive down. Staravia swoops low, narrowly dodging a spinning attack, then lets out a sharp cry as it rockets back up, soaring high before crashing down with a powerful Aerial Ace. Starmie slams onto the platform, defeated and unable to battle.
Misty: "Nice one, but you need more than that to defeat me."
Misty throws out her next Pokémon—Dewott. Dango quickly recalls Staravia, and Axew leaps from his shoulder, eyes sharp and burning with determination.
Axew charges in fast, aiming for a Headbutt, but Dewott smoothly sidesteps and counters with Razor Shell. Axew reacts instantly, leaping up and biting down on Dewott's arm mid-swing. Misty gasps and yells for Dewott to shake him off, but Axew holds tight.
With Dewott's hand clenched in his jaws, Axew's body begins to glow—he charges up Dragon Rage and unleashes the blast point-blank. Smoke fills the Gym in a blinding burst of light and heat.
As the smoke clears, both Pokémon are pushed apart, groaning as they rise. Neither was willing to yield. Dewott surges forward, landing a fierce Aqua Jet that knocks Axew back. Dewott darts behind, aiming a strong kick—but Axew ducks low, sliding away.
Before Dewott can follow up, Axew plants his feet and roars as glowing stones crash down from above with Rock Slide. Dewott reacts quickly, slicing through the rocks with Razor Shell, shattering them. But hidden amid the rubble, Axew waits behind a large boulder. The moment Dewott lowers his guard, Axew bursts out, delivering a precise Dual Chop.
Both strikes connect—Dewott is pinned under the force, clearly hurt. Axew looks back at Dango, who gives a firm nod. With that, Axew leaps high, his tail glowing silver as he prepares Iron Tail.
From below, Dewott fires a desperate Bubble Beam, but Axew is already descending fast. He crashes down, landing the Iron Tail hard before the attack can reach him.
Axew steps back, panting heavily. Dewott tries to rise, shaky but stubborn. Axew readies another Iron Tail, prepared to end it. But Misty speaks gently, praising Dewott for his effort. Dewott gives one last defiant glare, then collapses.
Misty: "Nice going, you managed to defeat my two Pokémon without losing any of yours. You truly are a great trainer, Dango Mano."
Dango: "Oh, but we know the battle isn't over, you have that Golduck."
Misty: "You're right, but no worry, he won't be using its Mega form, that's only for people doing this Gym to earn their eighth badge."
Dango: "Well, even so, this battle is going to be tough, you up to the task, buddy?"
Axew: "AXEW!"
Misty: "Very well, go Golduck!"
Golduck bursts from his Poké Ball, landing in front of Axew with a fierce glare. With lightning speed, he shoots forward in an Aqua Jet, slamming into Axew, then grabbing him by the head and smashing him into the ground. Dango, caught off guard by Golduck's intensity, quickly calls for Rock Slide.
Despite the pounding, Axew grits his teeth and manages to summon boulders from above. But it backfires—several rocks crash down on Axew himself, while Golduck steps back, narrowly avoiding the impact.
Trapped beneath the rubble, Axew growls in frustration, his body shaking. Dango yells for Dragon Rage, and Axew fires bursts of energy to push away the debris.
Then, something shifts. Axew's eyes glow. Energy swirls in his mouth—more focused, more powerful. With a deep breath and a fierce cry, Axew unleashes a spiralling beam of pure dragon energy. This time, it isn't Dragon Rage.
It's Dragon Pulse. The radiant blast vaporises the debris, tearing through the battlefield like a thunderclap. Golduck braces himself, stunned by the sudden surge of power. As the dust settles, Axew stands tall in the clearing, chest rising and falling. He's battered—but proud. He had just learned a new move.
Dango and Misty both freeze, stunned—though Misty's expression is more impressed than anything else. She knows Axew usually only learns Dragon Pulse after evolving. Misty shouts for Golduck to get ready, while Dango commands Axew to unleash another Dragon Pulse—this time aimed straight at Golduck.
Golduck fires back with a sharp Ice Beam, the two powerful attacks colliding and bursting into clouds of swirling smoke. But just as Golduck moves in to strike, the shocking truth is revealed—Axew has already fainted.
Dango quietly returns him to his Poké Ball, whispering a heartfelt thank-you. Misty nods with admiration, praising Axew's destructive power and spirit.
Without wasting a second, Dango sends out Elekid. The Electric-type bursts forward, fist crackling with energy as he lunges for a Thunder Punch. But Golduck, eyes glowing, uses his Psychic powers to launch himself into the air, dodging cleanly.
Elekid reacts fast, twisting mid-air to fire a quick Thunder Shock upward. It hits—Golduck winces as sparks dance across his body. He lands hard and, without missing a beat, blasts forward with Aqua Jet, closing the gap in a blink. As Elekid braces, Golduck shifts his momentum into a spinning Aqua Tail, slamming Elekid with force and sending him crashing into the water with a massive splash.
Dango: "Now Elekid, CHARGE!"
Elekid bursts out of the water, landing firmly on the platform as electricity crackles wildly around him, energised by Charge. With a confident smirk, Elekid throws out his signature taunt—Dango matches it with a grin of his own.
Golduck wastes no time, unleashing a Bubble Beam aimed straight at Elekid, but with a sharp Thunder Shock, Elekid disperses the shimmering bubbles instantly. Golduck tries to follow up with a Psychic Beam, but Elekid's Light Screen glows brightly, nullifying the attack's damage.
Knowing Elekid's boosted power won't last forever, Dango switches tactics. He commands Elekid to close the gap swiftly. Elekid speeds forward with Quick Attack, then channels all his energy into a powerful uppercut Thunder Punch, landing a heavy, electrified blow on Golduck.
The Thunder Punch sends Golduck flying into the air, but with expert control, he flips mid-air and crashes back down with a powerful Aqua Tail. The platform shudders under the impact, cracking from the force as Elekid stumbles back.
Wasting no time, Elekid lunges forward again, arm sparking for another Thunder Punch. But Golduck, faster, zips in with Aqua Jet, slamming into Elekid with brutal speed. The impact leaves Elekid dazed, wide-eyed, barely standing. Before he can recover, Golduck fires off a precise Ice Beam. The chilling blast hits squarely, freezing Elekid in place for a moment before he collapses. He's unable to battle.
Dango stumbles back, falling to the ground, his eyes wide with disbelief. Elekid—his best shot against Golduck—was down. The realisation sinks in hard. He's down to his last Pokémon. Across the field, Misty gently pats her Golduck, who's panting but still ready.
Misty: "Let's wrap this up. Send out your last Pokémon, Dango."
Dango slowly rises to his feet, brushing the dust off his pants. His fingers tighten around his final Pokéball. He takes a breath, nods to himself, and with one smooth motion, throws it forward.
Dango: "It's all you, Staravia—show them why you can fly and Golduck can't!"
Staravia bursts out with a cry, wings stretched wide, sharp eyes locked on Golduck. The air grows tense. It's all or nothing now.
Golduck unleashed a swift Bubble Beam, but even wounded, Staravia surged forward, closing the gap and striking with a sharp Aerial Ace. Golduck clutched his beak, spun fiercely, and flung Staravia aside. Shaking off the blow, Staravia countered with a powerful Gust, pushing Golduck back, then struck twice with quick, precise Quick Attacks—only to be blasted away by a heavy Psychic Beam.
Staravia steadied, combining Double Team with Aerial Ace to chip away at Golduck's defence. The two Pokémon clashed fiercely, neither yielding as the battle stretched on, seeming endless. Then, Staravia dove from above, aiming a final Aerial Ace—just as Golduck lunged forward, tail shimmering with water, delivering a crushing Aqua Tail.
Meanwhile, at the Gym's entrance, Maylin and Rose exchanged worried glances. Rose asked where Dango had gone—he never returned after heading out to catch Pokémon. Both sensed something was wrong. As Maylin reached to open the door, the sounds of the battle burst through.
With a thunderous struggle, their trainers cried out in unison—then it ended. Staravia stood victorious, having struck down Golduck and sent him crashing into the water below. Dango let out a deep, relieved sigh as Misty smiled and clapped her hands in applause. Just then, the gym doors burst open—Maylin and Rose rushed in, having heard the loud impact from outside.
Seeing the aftermath, Maylin asked what happened, and Dango quickly filled them in, explaining the intense battle and why he'd disappeared earlier. After hearing the story, Maylin beamed with pride and congratulated her friend. Rose, meanwhile, gave a sly smile, brushing her hair back.
Rose: "Well, looks like you're catching up. Guess I'll get going then."
Dango gave her a nod and a smirk as she turned to leave.
Rose: "Smell ya later."
With that, she was gone. Misty then stepped forward and proudly handed Dango the Cascade Badge, along with a TM containing Bubble Beam. Dango took them with a grin, held them up high, and leapt into the air.
Dango: "Second badge, let's gooo!"
Staravia swooped down and landed proudly on his arm, chirping triumphantly. As the two prepared to head to the Pokémon Centre for a well-earned rest, Maylin stepped forward, her eyes sharp with determination. She turned to Misty and threw out a Poké Ball. It popped open, revealing her loyal Drillbur.
Maylin: "My turn."
To Be Continued!