The next day rolled around and Violet couldn't help but feel extremely nervous. Larry was a member of the Elite Four as well as a Gym Leader, meaning he was surprisingly strong.

Larry's Pokémon were no joke. Despite being a pretty straightforward trainer, you couldn't bowl him over. Violet hoped that her newest catch and evolution would be enough to get her through the battle.

Flamigo provided a type advantage, and Ceruledge gave the team an immunity to Normal-Type attacks.

Violet got herself ready for the day and stepped outside of the hotel to meet up with Evan and Aya. Given they would be heading south after this battle, Violet had elected to dress for warmer weather but put much more thought into her outfit.

Aya was already waiting for her and waved at the girl as she arrived. "Your first battle against Larry's always the most entertaining," Aya said to the girl. "He's a pretty fun opponent, and not nearly as eccentric as some of the other Gym Leaders."

Violet let out a breath. "Honestly, I need that. Iono's Gym Battle was really stressful, and her constant advertising didn't help."

Aya stifled a laugh. "That's true, but you get a good deal of fans from the exposure." Holding a casual conversation with Aya was hard for Violet to manage, and she was reminded of just how tall her classmate was.

"I bet you've got a bunch of fans, you've done this whole challenge a few times." Violet mused.

Aya shrugged her shoulders. "Sure, but it's easy to forget. You'll really only see them at Gym Battles. They tend to latch on to any decent trainer, and don't have much loyalty."

"Sorry!" Evan shouted from down the hallway as the boy came running over to the two girls. His hair was a complete mess, and Rowlet was flying behind him. "I completely overslept, are you ready to head over to the gym?"

Violet nodded, and the three trainers walked out of the hotel and over to the nearby gym building. It was another beautiful day outside, and relatively cool out thanks to the chilly winds blowing in from Glaseado Mountain and across Casseroya Lake.

They stepped into the building and Violet filled out the application process just like usual. The receptionist typed something into her computer and then looked back up at Violet. "Alright, your battle will be at the Treasure Eatery! You can go there whenever you're ready! Best of luck!" The Gym Leaders would become more and more available as Violet climbed higher up the rankings.

Fewer and fewer trainers would be able to get to this level. Which was exciting, but also sent terror through Violet's body.

She walked out of the gym with her friends and down the street over to the restaurant where Larry could be found. The girl pushed the doors open and looked around the large restaurant for their target.

Larry was seated by the bar, eating some of the curry that came fresh from the kitchen. The man was wearing a black suit and had streaks of white going through his black hair. His expression was pretty bland, though he seemed to be enjoying his food.

Violet slowly walked up to the trainer, and he glanced over at her. "I'm guessing you're here for a Gym Battle?" The girl nodded, and Larry put down his fork and stood up. He clutched a suitcase in one hand and started walking over to the larger part of the restaurant.

In a flash, the waiters all rushed out from the kitchen and began grabbing the tables and guiding customers out of the area. Then they began pulling the floor back and revealing a battlefield. "Alright, this is as good of a warm-up for the day as any," Larry mumbled to himself, walking to one side of the battlefield.

A chef walked out to the middle of the battlefield while Violet approached the other side of the sudden arena. Her friends stood off to the side and shouted words of encouragement while a crowd began to amass. A few trainers started cheering for Violet, yelling about her Floragato.

"This will be a four-on-four battle! Only the challenger may substitute Pokémon! The battle will be over once all Pokémon on either side can no longer battle!" The chef-referee shouted. "Let the battle... begin!"

Larry nonchalantly tossed out a Poké Ball, sending out a Greedant. The giant squirrel swung around his brown bushy tail and stared at Violet with massive teeth. "Good luck kid, let's make this a good one. I don't like to waste my breaks."

Violet nodded and called out Ceruledge. "I won't disappoint! Ceruledge, use Flame Charge, and get in close! Follow that up with your Bitter Blade!" Ceruledge exploded with fire and dashed forward, ramming directly into his foe. Greedant absorbed the blow with ease, but they were just getting started.

Ceruledge's swords exploded with fiery power and were raked across his opponent's body. The attacks packed more of a punch, but Larry's Pokémon held strong. Ceruledge pushed his body away from Greedant to get a bit of distance between them. "Ceruledge, Flame Charge again! Then we'll break through his defenses!"

Ceruledge dashed forward once more, but Larry shook his head. "Sorry kid, can't let that happen. Greedant, use your Earthquake." Larry's Pokémon slammed one of his feet onto the ground, which sent out a massive shockwave that slammed into Ceruledge. Violet's Pokémon was launched into the air, and Larry narrowed his eyes. "Psychic Fangs!"

Greedant leaped up and chomped down onto Ceruledge's arm. The large squirrel reared his head back and then flung Ceruledge into the ground before landing with a thud. Ceruledge got back up and shook off the damage. "No worries, we'll heal back some health with another Bitter Blade!"

Ceruledge dashed out, jamming his swords into Greedant's body. Finally, it felt like they were dealing some real damage. Ceruledge restored a bit of health from landing the attack and prepared for his next move.

"It's nice that you know about immunities, kid," Larry commented. "But as a consequence, you can't hit us with Ghost-Type attacks. You're pinned down into the same few moves, and it won't work for long. Greedant, use Stuff Cheeks." Larry's Greedant produced a berry and immediately devoured it, seemingly recovering some health as well as getting boosts to his defense stat.

Violet's mind began to race as the tables turned against her. Ceruledge was only getting started, they just had to break through. "Bitter Blade to finish this!"

Larry seemed to sigh with his eyes as Ceruledge dashed in and slammed his blades into Greedant again. The attacks seemed to do very little to the bulky opponent, and Larry set down his briefcase and checked his watch. "Earthquake, now."

Greedant stomped on the ground while Ceruledge was recovering from his sword slashes, flinging the armored ghost back with another shockwave. The Pokémon crashed into the ground and, much to Violet's shock and horror, fainted.

"Ceruledge is unable to battle! The winner is Greedant!" The crowd exploded into cheers while Violet returned her Pokémon. Ceruledge was a huge part of her plan for this battle, and just like that he had been beaten.

Violet tried to focus, Aya was watching her. She needed to turn things back in her favor before they spiraled out of control again. Violet called out Floragato, and many members of the crowd started to applaud and cheer. "Floragato, use Seed Bomb!" Violet's starter Pokémon whipped out his yo-yo and swung it in the air, flinging several bombs into Greedant.

Greedant shrugged off the damage, and Larry focused back in on the battle. "Use your Body Slam." Greedant jumped into the air and rapidly descended, crashing down onto Floragato. Violet's Pokémon was pinned under its hold, and couldn't seem to get free.

Violet grit her teeth. "Use Magical Leaf!" Florgato launched leaves from his body and all around Greedant, blowing into the opposing Pokémon and passing by his defenses. "Now use Slash!" Floragato hopped to his feet and raked his claws across Greedant's body. The move seemed to land a critical strike on Greedant and ignore his defense, dealing lots of damage to the foe.

"Greedant, use Psychic Fangs!" Greedant opened his maw and lunged out to bite down on Floragato.

Violet was finally starting to feel as though her rhythm was coming back. "Floragato, jump into the air and surround Greedant with Magical Leaf! Then, bring it all in and use Slash!"

Floragato used his speed to easily leap away from Greedant, and then a vortex of leaves circled both Pokémon. Floragato readied his claws and began to fall down as all the leaves rushed into their foe. Violet's Pokémon slammed both claws into Greedant's head, and the squirrel toppled over from the combined attacks.

Violet felt relief rush through her as Floragato did what none of her other Pokémon could do once again. Larry returned his Pokémon and Violet did the same. The Gym Leader called out a Farigiraf and Violet responded by calling out her Girafarig.

The two Pokémon faced each other down, it was time for Violet's newest team member to make her debut. The crowd was completely silent as Larry made his next move. "Farigiraf, use Nasty Plot!" Larry's Farigiraf snarled at Girafarig, building up power as he did it.

Girafarig stood tall and looked at Violet. "Girafarig, counter with Charge Beam!" A yellow ball charged between the Pokémon's antennae and then a yellow beam exploded outward and slammed into Farigiraf. Girafarig then had power surge through her body just like Violet planned. "Use Hyper Voice!"

Girafarig opened her mouth and let out a mighty roar that slammed into Farigiraf immediately. Larry fixed part of his hair and narrowed his eyes. "Farigiraf, use Agility. Then, Take Down." Farigiraf started to charge forward, building up an immense amount of speed.

Farigiraf then slammed into Violet's Girafarig, knocking her over. "Finish this with Stored Power." Energy built up in Farigiraf and Violet nearly shouted her next command.

"G-Girafarig! Use Psybeam!" Still knocked over, Girafarig fired a pink beam directly into Farigiraf's face that stopped the attack from going off. "Now, use Crunch! Just like it's been used on you!" Girafarig hopped to her feet and swung around her tail. The mouth on the tail wasn't just for show, as its jaw opened up and it bit down onto their foe.

The attack blew Farigiraf back, and the Pokémon began to take labored breaths. Victory was in their grasp, Violet knew it. "Impressive, you've got a real fighter on your team," Larry observed. "However, we'll end this with one more Stored Power!" Farigiraf started to charge power once again, and this time they wouldn't be able to stop it in time.

Violet suddenly had an idea, something came to mind that she had nearly forgotten about. The girl produced her Tera Orb and tossed it out. The orb quickly transformed Girafarig, adding a sneering grin atop Girafarig's head for a moment. The wave of psychic energy from Farigiraf blew into Girafarig and did no damage.

Girafarig had become a Dark-Type Pokémon. "Finish this with Crunch!" Girafarig charged in again, swinging her tail around. The bite packed an extra level of punch this time, bringing down Farigiraf. The crowd was going wild as Farigiraf was recalled.

Violet smiled at Girafarig and returned her. The lead was now back in their hands, but Violet had to be careful not to squander it. Larry next sent out a group of five tiny mice. They were all white, and two of them were larger than the other three. It was a Maushold.

Violet sent out Flamigo, and the bird stretched his legs. It had been some time since his last battle and Flamigo was clearly excited. Larry opened up his briefcase and took out a Tera Orb. "Don't know if you've encountered this yet, but Terastalization isn't just limited to allowing us to bring unique Pokémon to battles." Larry launched the ball out to the mice.

The sphere's light consumed the five tiny mice before crystalizing all of them, a purple ghost floated above their head before vanishing. They had become Ghost-Type Pokémon. Violet knew just what to do about them then.

"Flamigo, use Aerial Ace!" Flamigo dashed across the battlefield and gleefully kicked the five targets, landing several strikes with his legs and scattering the Maushold.

Larry shook his head. "Population Bomb." The Maushold reassembled and launched themselves into Flamigo repeatedly. The attack struck seven times, only stopping because one of the mice missed and Flamigo was able to run away.

That could be dangerous, but Violet just had to take advantage of their low defenses. "Use Focus Energy!" Flamigo began to charge power throughout his body, while Larry's Pokémon watched curiously.

"Shadow Claw," Larry called to his Pokémon. They immediately charged at Flamigo, striking his body with their small claws. Five Pokémon meant there were a lot of individual strikes, but none were particularly powerful.

Violet snapped into action while they were close. "Now, use Low Kick!" Flamigo suddenly swept his feet across the ground, knocking all of the mice over.

Larry's eyes widened at this, before seemingly figuring it out. "I always forget about Scrappy. Nice going, kid." The compliment made Violet grin, she had pulled one over on a Gym Leader for once. "Alright, let's wrap this up with Population Bomb!"

Larry's mice all regrouped and began to throw themselves at Flamigo. Another round of that would surely overwhelm Violet's Pokémon. "Fend them off with Low Kick! Knock them away and fast!"

Flamigo raised his leg and began kicking away the incoming mice, the attacks kept coming but Flamigo seemed to be keeping up with them. Flamigo's kicks began to speed up and intensify, and he charged ahead at the pack of mice. The Maushold was suddenly inundated with several strikes from Flamigo's powerful feet.

The moves came in rapid succession, and Violet realized Flamigo had picked up a new move as he knocked the Maushold away with one last kick. The Pokémon all reverted to their normal form and collapsed. The crowd was in shock, as was Larry. "Just one left then, eh? Can't say this will look good on my record."

Larry called out his final Pokémon and the crowd's cheering started to grow, but this time it wasn't just for Larry. People were cheering for Violet, with numerous distinct voices. Larry's final Pokémon was a Dudunsparce, a large yellow serpent that had a drill-like tail. The beast had several white wings, as well as two rounded segments on its body.

"Dudunsparce, use Hyper Drill!" Dudunsparce flapped its wings and leaped into the air, and then started to spin.

Violet nearly chuckled at the silly way the creature moved. "Jump up and use Aerial Ace!" Flamigo pushed off of the ground and into the air, swinging his legs into Dundunsparce's body. The beastly foe was launched back onto the ground with a crash.

"This is as good as over, Larry! Flamigo use Close Combat!" Violet's Pokémon descended upon Dudunsparce and began to stack on the damage in a storm of kicks, injuring the beast further.

Flamigo jumped away and Dudunsparce was somehow still standing. Larry shook his head and fixed his tie. "Can't say I'm buying that sales pitch kiddo. Use Glare!" Larry's Pokémon suddenly leered its eyes at Flamigo, who started to pulsate with electricity. "Now, Hyper Drill!"

Dudunsparce once again got into the air and started to spin. "Flamigo, go and use Aerial Ace again!" Violet instructed, but her Pokémon was unable to move. Dudunsparce began to descend with his tail leading the attack. The drill slammed into Flamigo and knocked him out immediately.

"Flamigo is unable to battle! Dudunsparce is the winner!" The referee called, and Violet returned her Pokémon. She would need to wear down the Dudunsparce if they were going to win, and she knew she could do that.

The girl called out Floragato next, and the crowd once again cheered for the cat. "Floragato, use Magical Leaf to surround yourself and run forward!" A storm of leaves moved around Floragato's body as he surged over to his foe.

"Dudunsparce, jump into the air and get ready to use Hyper Drill!" Dudunsparce leaped out of Floragato's way and started to spin again.

Violet grit her teeth and pointed at the target. "Unleash your Magical Leaf attack now! Then use Hone Claws!" The leaves all flew directly up at Dudunsparce while Floragato sharpened his claws.

Larry seemed fully invested in the battle now, showing a level of emotion that Violet hadn't seen from the man prior. "Fly down now, Dudunsparce!" Dudunsparce obliterated the leaves and started to speed towards Floragato as he descended in another spiral.

"Counter it with Slash!" Floragato jammed his claws into the incoming attack, trying his best to fight back against the insanely powerful move. The attack overwhelmed him and sent Floragato flying into the air.

Dudunsparce landed with a thud, clearly taking some damage from the attack as well. "Now use Glare! And then we'll finish this with Hurricane!" Larry's Pokémon immediately glared at Floragato while he was falling through the air, paralyzing him.

Floragato got back on his feet and winced. The battles were starting to take their toll. "Florgato, hang in there and use Seed Bomb!" Floragato launched out his yo-yo, while Dudunsparce began to flap its wings at the same time. The wind created by the opposing Pokémon transformed into a storm.

Floragato was about to launch his counterattack when he was suddenly overtaken with paralysis. The windstorm blew into Violet's starter, and the grass cat Pokémon fell over. The score was now even, both Pokémon would be at their limits for the final battle.

Violet called out her Girafarig, who slammed her feet against the ground. There had to be some way around that Hyper Drill and Glare. Violet was just unable to imagine what she could do about it.

"Serene Grace will make this pretty tough for you," Larry volunteered. "You gotta keep abilities in mind, kid. Dudunsparce's makes it way likelier to immobilize your paralyzed Pokémon. Consider it payback for the Scrappy Flamigo. Now, Hurricane!"

Violet nodded and prepared to counter the incoming storm. "Girafarig, use Hyper Voice!" Girafarig screamed at the top of her lungs to repel the Hurricane attack, which coated the battlefield in smoke as the moves collided. "Girafarig, use Charge Beam!" Girafarig fired an electrical blast into the smoke, dealing further damage and boosting her attack power.

"Dudunsparce, use Glare!" Larry called through the smoke, and Violet noticed the familiar flash from Dudunsparce's eyes.

Violet realized they needed to dodge that move at all costs, and had an idea. "Girafarig, jump into the air and boost yourself by aiming a Psybeam at the ground!" Her Pokémon executed the command perfectly, suddenly taking to the skies and firing a pink beam downward to launch her even further upwards.

Girafarig landed back on the ground and winced from the height she had been at, but they had dodged the Glare. The smoke began to clear, and Larry's entire outfit had now been messed up in a dozen small ways.

The businessman seemed unbothered, instead grinning widely. "Dudunsparce, let's wrap this up with Hyper Drill!" As his Pokémon quickly took to the skies and began to spin, Violet recalled her previous clash with the move and had an idea.

Dudunsparce rocketed through the air and down at Girafarig, this was it. "Counter with Crunch! Hold strong, and then finish this with Psybeam!" Girafarig turned her body and the mouth chomped at the incoming spinning drill.

Girafarig managed to hold back the extremely powerful attack and then turned her head to face the spinning foe. She fired a beam directly into Dudunsparce's face. The beam knocked Dudunsparce back, and after a brief moment, it collapsed.

Violet had just secured her fourth Gym Badge.