The chapter opens inside Misty's Gym, the arena still and tense. Pinsir and Dewott stand on opposite ends, eyes locked, ready for battle. Since this is Maylin's first official Gym match, Misty has chosen to keep things fair, only using two Pokémon, setting aside her ace, Golduck.
Misty: "Oh, a Pinsir? Interesting."
From above, on the platform, Dango and Axew cheer loudly for Maylin. She blushes slightly, quickly shaking it off as she refocuses.
The battle kicks off—Dewott wastes no time, darting forward with Aqua Jet, slamming Pinsir backwards. Pinsir grits his teeth, claws the ground, and gets up—only to be struck again by a second Aqua Jet.
Trying to turn the tide, Pinsir lunges with Mega Punch, but Dewott skillfully flips mid-air, dodging cleanly and counters with a sharp Fury Cutter, crashing down on Pinsir with precision.
Pinsir falls but quickly grabs Dewott, locking him tight in his pincers. Misty, surprised, yells for Dewott to break free.
Maylin: "Pinsir! Seismic Toss!"
With a powerful leap, Pinsir soars into the air and slams Dewott headfirst into the ground, leaving it unable to battle. Misty, Dango, and Axew watch in stunned silence while Maylin pumps her fist and high-fives Pinsir.
Misty nods, acknowledging Maylin's growth, and warns that victory won't come so easily next time. She sends out her final Pokémon—not a Staryu or Starmie, but a Poliwhirl. Maylin and Dango exchange confused glances—Misty's final Pokémon should've been one of her usual Staryu or Starmie.
But Misty just laughs, explaining she deliberately chose the stronger option. Maylin wipes sweat from her brow but trusts that Pinsir has enough power to take down Poliwhirl.
At Misty's command, Poliwhirl dashes in with Aqua Jet, closing the distance in a blur. Pinsir, reading the move, braces and winds up for a devastating Mega Punch, aiming to stop Poliwhirl in its tracks.
But Poliwhirl's quick on its feet, pulling back just in time—Pinsir's punch slices through thin air, leaving him vulnerable. Seizing the opening, Poliwhirl follows up instantly with a precise Ice Punch to Pinsir's gut, knocking the wind out of him.
Pinsir struggles to shake off the cold, but suddenly, a barrage of Ice Punches rains down relentlessly. His body takes the hits, but Poliwhirl quickly backs away. Maylin yells out, urging Pinsir to hold on.
Gathering all his strength, Pinsir steadies himself and pushes back, igniting a spark of hope in Maylin's eyes. The two Pokémon collide fiercely, their battle intensifying—until an icy mist spreads rapidly across Pinsir's chest.
Maylin: "What the hell! Pinsir?"
Dango: "Oh no."
Misty smirks, watching as the frost spreads fast, creeping from Pinsir's torso to his arms, until his pincers are locked tight in a solid block of ice. Pinsir is frozen, completely immobilised and unable to continue. Stunned, Maylin recalls him, heart pounding—he was her strongest fighter, and now she's left wondering what to do next.
She sends out her Drillbur, and Dango immediately reprimands her, pointing out the obvious type disadvantage. But he knows battles aren't won by type alone. Maylin stays silent, making Misty smirk, thinking Maylin must have a secret strategy.
Inside, Maylin's heart races, panic swirling, but as her eyes meet Drillbur's determined gaze, she steadies herself, realising she doesn't have to be strong just for her own sake, but for her Pokémon's. The battle begins, and Maylin knows that if Drillbur gets too close, it's all over. Drillbur strikes first, slamming his claws hard into the platform. He spins rapidly, whipping up a violent wind that sends sand swirling wildly through the air.
A full-blown Sandstorm erupts, blanketing the battlefield in a thick, blinding haze. Poliwhirl struggles to shield his eyes, disoriented by the dust. As the storm dies down, Poliwhirl looks up and spots Drillbur soaring through the air, right above him. Misty scoffs, thinking Maylin's move is reckless.
Misty: "Bubble Beam!"
Poliwhirl quickly shoots a stream of Bubble Beam, the bubbles rushing toward Drillbur. But Drillbur spins fast with Rapid Spin, dodging the bubbles and hitting Poliwhirl hard on the back of the head.
Drillbur doesn't stop—he slams the ground, sending rocks tumbling down with Rock Slide. Poliwhirl reacts fast, using Aqua Jet to dash between the falling rocks. Poliwhirl then lunges forward, crashing into Drillbur with a powerful body slam, shaking the ground beneath them.
Pinned beneath Poliwhirl's weight, Drillbur suddenly digs straight into the ground, disappearing in a flash. A beat later, he bursts out from beneath, landing a sharp Metal Claw to Poliwhirl's chin, launching him high into the air.
Poliwhirl flips midair and recovers quickly—his hands glowing as he fires a powerful Bubble Beam straight down. The attack hits dead-on, slamming Drillbur into the ground and knocking him out cold. Maylin freezes, eyes wide, her breath catching as sweat trickles down her face.
Misty: "You've grown, Maylin. If I used my usual team… You might've actually won."
Dango: "This bad."
Axew: "Axew…"
Maylin takes a deep breath, brushing off the tension, and smirks confidently. With a swift motion, she flings her final Poké Ball into the air.
The ball bursts open—Tyrogue lands in a crouch, fists clenched, eyes locked with Poliwhirl's. The air thickens with tension as both sides prepare for their final clash.
Maylin: (pointing) "Gimme that Badge!"
Misty: (grinning, striking a pose) "Then come take it then!"
Both Pokémon explode into motion—Poliwhirl winds up for an Ice Punch, but Tyrogue is quicker, darting in and landing a clean Mach Punch straight to the gut, sending shock through the arena and surprising everyone watching.
Poliwhirl stumbles back but quickly recovers, launching forward with a high-speed Aqua Jet that rams Tyrogue and knocks him back across the field.
The two Pokémon square off again, fists flying—Punch for punch, dodge for dodge—until they leap apart, breathing hard, eyes locked, each waiting for the other's next move.
Maylin and Tyrogue exchange confident smirks, mirrored by Poliwhirl and Misty on the opposite side. With a sudden burst of speed, the two Pokémon dash forward, colliding in a fierce clash. The battle boils down to a heart-pounding showdown: Aqua Jet versus Mach Punch.
Both Pokémon are battered and bruised, their strength nearly spent—victory could go either way. With a roar of determination, the trainers unleash their battle cries, energy and emotions peaking.
In a final, desperate push, Tyrogue lands the decisive blow, sending Poliwhirl hurtling into the gym's pool, defeated and unable to continue.
The gym erupts into cheers—Dango among them—while Misty, though stunned, can't help but praise Maylin and her Tyrogue's incredible growth.
Maylin embraces Tyrogue tightly, pride shining in her eyes. Cut to Maylin proudly receiving her Gym badge and the Bubble Beam TM from Misty, with Dango standing right behind her, smiling warmly.
Misty asked where they planned to go next, and Dango replied with Vermilion City—the site of their next Gym challenge. With a wish of good luck from Misty, the two said their goodbyes and set off on their journey.
Outside the gym, Maylin couldn't hide her confidence, proudly flaunting her first badge and feeling unstoppable. Dango, ever the voice of reason, warned her not to get too cocky—there were far stronger trainers waiting throughout Kanto.
Maylin acknowledged this but found herself distracted, wondering when Dango had gotten those new clothes, thinking she could definitely use some herself. But first, Maylin made her way to the Pokémon Centre, eager to heal her team after the intense gym battle.
Once everyone was restored and ready, she and Dango—along with Axew and Drillbur at their sides—headed into the familiar clothing shop where Mike worked. Mike looked up from the counter, surprised to see Dango again so soon.
With a casual shrug, Dango explained the situation, introducing Maylin in the process. Mike greeted her politely, and the two exchanged names. As they spoke and shopped, Mike's eyes kept drifting toward Drillbur and Axew as they chased each other playfully around their trainers.
His smile faded slightly, a trace of sadness clouding his expression—memories of his own Pokémon clearly lingering. After trying on a bunch of clothes, Maylin finally picked one she liked—a long-sleeved black shirt and a light blue miniskirt. She gave a quick spin in the mirror and smiled, happy with her choice.
She paid for the outfit, and just as they were about to leave, Mike called out to them. He said that watching them with their Pokémon reminded him of his own and how much he missed his Beedrill. He asked if they could help find him.
Dango paused, thinking it over. He had already spent more than a week in this city, and while he was technically racing Rose, a small detour wouldn't hurt—plus, he could catch a few more Pokémon for the Pokédex. He agreed, and though confused, Maylin agreed too.
With that, Mike clocked out of work, and the chapter closed with the three of them—Dango, Maylin, and Mike—standing side by side at the foot of Nugget Bridge, as they prepared to take their next step forward.
To Be Continued!