The season had almost come to an end, and the challengers he was facing generally challenged him for higher tier badges, so his main team got to work out a lot, while his lower tier mons had to take a back seat on gym fighting. That didn't mean they didn't train. Oh, they did—in the underground bunker. He used his other lower tier mons like Meowths, Sandshrew, and Digletts to fight his rarer ones to improve battle skill.
Still, he was disappointed in the kind of challenges he was getting, even from 6-8 badge tier trainers. Yes, he used some of the mons from his main team, but usually the less dominant ones. He had even added his Sandslash and Marowak to the squad to balance things out. Still, rarely did a challenger manage to take his gym badge.
He had even instituted an elite challenge—a 6v6 full battle using his absolute best. No switching for him. The challenger could switch. But word had spread. No one dared. Not after the first few challengers had been swept clean and by now rarely challengers tried the elite challenge.
Then came Ken Adams.
The kid arrived confidently, his posture neither brash nor overly respectful. Calm. Controlled. Determined.
Giovanni, lounging in the shadowed corner of the arena with Persian beside him, narrowed his eyes. He could tell this one was different.
"What tier badge are you here for?" Giovanni asked lazily.
"None," Ken replied. "I'm here for the elite challenge."
Matori, who had been going over routine paperwork nearby, stopped mid-stamp and looked up. Giovanni arched an eyebrow.
"The elite challenge? Do you understand the terms?"
"Yes," Ken said. "I've already qualified for the Indigo Plateau. This is for experience. I want to face you at your best."
Giovanni sat forward. That... was unexpected. Few ever bothered rechallenging gyms once they had what they needed. And even fewer asked for the elite format.
He waved a hand toward Matori. "Prepare the main team."
The assistant nodded and vanished down the corridor. Giovanni stood, his coat swaying behind him.
"Very well," he said. "Let us begin."
Matori returned moments later with six Poké Balls in a specialized container. Giovanni clipped them to his belt and stepped into the arena.
Matori raised the flag. "Elite Challenge—Viridian Gym. Six-on-six. No switching for the Gym Leader. Challenger may switch freely. Battle, begin!"
Giovanni sent out his Dugtrio first, the three-headed mole Pokémon emerging with a sharp cry, dirt shifting beneath it even on the arena floor.
Ken sent out a Vileplume.
Giovanni nearly sighed. Another one going for type advantage. He muttered, "Typical."
But the battle surprised him.
"Sandstorm," he called.
Dugtrio vibrated, churning up grit from beneath the field. A harsh wind whipped across the arena, pelting Vileplume with stinging grains.
"Sunny Day," Ken countered.
Vileplume released a shimmer of heat and light. The ceiling panels responded, glowing with artificial solar intensity, dispelling the storm.
Giovanni narrowed his eyes. Chlorophyll. So that was it.
"Sludge Bomb!"
"Dugtrio, Dig."
Vileplume launched a glob of poison, but Dugtrio was already underground, vanishing like a ghost into the earth.
"Acid Spray! Cover the field."
The air hissed as Vileplume unleashed a wave of bubbling acid across the terrain.
Dugtrio burst from a different angle—smartly avoiding the hazard—and slammed into Vileplume with a solid hit. The impact sent the flower Pokémon tumbling.
"Solar Beam!"
The sunny arena meant no charging time. A blinding beam of energy lanced out.
"Protect," Giovanni commanded.
A green shield flickered up around Dugtrio, absorbing the blast—but barely. Dugtrio skidded back, panting.
"Sand Tomb."
The earth churned again, trapping Vileplume in a whirlpool of grit and stones. It struggled, petals wilting.
"Finish it with Earth Power."
Dugtrio stomped, and the ground erupted beneath Vileplume in a shockwave.
But just before fainting, Vileplume forced out one last Solar Beam.
Both Pokémon collapsed.
Giovanni returned Dugtrio, eyes thoughtful. That was more effort than he'd expected.
"Nidoking. You're up."
Ken switched to Arcanine.
The great fire dog barked once, the arena's heat intensifying.
Giovanni smirked. "Earthquake."
Nidoking slammed the ground, and cracks spidered out beneath Arcanine, making it stumble.
"Flare Blitz!"
Arcanine blurred forward, cloaked in fire. It slammed into Nidoking, flames bursting.
"Toxic Spikes."
While Nidoking took the hit, he scattered venomous barbs across Ken's side of the field.
"Double Kick!"
Nidoking retaliated with a swift pair of kicks, catching Arcanine off-guard.
The two traded blows—Flamethrower, Thunderbolt, Crunch, Poison Jab.
Finally, Nidoking stood firm, and Arcanine slumped.
Ken recalled it, thoughtful.
He sent out Kabutops.
The ancient predator hit the field, Toxic Spikes digging in. It winced, but shook it off.
"Aqua Jet."
Nidoking braced, but the attack hit first.
"Ice Beam."
A flash of frost caught Kabutops mid-sprint, icing over its blades.
"Brick Break!"
Kabutops shattered the frost and hit back. Nidoking growled.
The two fought viciously, each hit counting. But Kabutops eventually overpowered Nidoking with a crushing X-Scissor.
Giovanni silently returned him.
"Charizard."
The dragon roared.
Ken blinked. "Interesting pick."
"Heat Wave."
The flames blasted across the field. Kabutops tried dodging, but the intense fire and its previous damage overwhelmed it.
Ken switched to Golem.
"Rock Blast."
"Air Slash."
Charizard darted around the projectiles, wings slicing the air. The hits piled on. Golem, slow and sturdy, endured more than expected.
But then it self-destructed.
The explosion rocked the arena. When the smoke cleared, Charizard knelt, wings smoking—but still standing.
Ken sent out Machamp.
The poison from Toxic Spikes had already begun to work.
"Dynamic Punch!"
Charizard took the hit and was stunned.
"Thunder Punch!"
Another slam.
But Charizard flared its wings. "Dragon Claw!"
The slashes sent Machamp reeling. Then a point-blank Flamethrower ended it.
Three down. Charizard had done more than its share.
Ken sent out Blastoise.
Giovanni raised a brow.
"Hydro Pump."
Charizard tried to dodge, but was finally overwhelmed.
Giovanni recalled him. "Beedrill."
Ken visibly hesitated. "Beedrill?"
The insect buzzed into the air, twin stingers gleaming.
"Toxic."
Blastoise recoiled as venom struck.
"Drill Run."
Beedrill corkscrewed forward, slamming into the shell.
"Ice Beam."
A graze—but not enough. Beedrill retaliated with Fell Stinger, then Twineedle, dancing around Blastoise's defenses.
The bulky water-type faltered under the surprise pressure.
One final Poison Jab sent it crashing.
Ken stared, stunned. "That Beedrill..."
"Not everything is as it seems," Giovanni said.
The battle was over. Three of his team down. Six of Ken's. But Ken had fought with heart, tactics, and resilience.
Giovanni stepped forward and handed over the badge.
"You earned this. And more. You might just win at the Plateau."
Ken bowed his head. "Thank you."
Giovanni turned away, the faintest hint of a smile on his lips.
It had been a while since he'd had a real battle.