Last time Tayor managed to turn back the tide against Gardenia. However, the gym leader remains undeterred as her final trump card is about to be revealed, which means that right now, we are in the middle of a standoff.

Taylor POV

Even with dozens of battles now under my belt, I've never felt more pressured than I do now. I've gotten overpowered, sure, but I've never experienced this before. It was like my Spelegoly curiosity had gone into overdrive. Gardenia's unwavering confidence forced my mind through dozens of scenarios, each one fading as soon as they got formed. Each of her Pokemon felt like a team all their own, to the point where I didn't know what to expect. I almost wanted to turn back here and there, but then I remembered a key fact. I can't even hope to progress if I don't even bother trying. And as much as I hated to do this, it looks like I have to throw one of my Pokemon in the Pyroar's den.

"Plucky, show your stuff!"

As expected, Plucky tried to give a dramatic battlecry, only to then immediately start to provide a barrage of short coughs as his injuries began taking place. My best guess is that he only can take one or two hits before going down. Hopefully, this will be enough to get a good read on her. With my choice made, Gardenia finally pulled out her final Pokeball with more weight than a cannonball.

"Interesting choice Taylor, I hope you made peace with it. Because my beautiful Roserade is about to put you to the test!"

With a loose twirl and flick of the wrist, Gardenia let loose a Roserade with a royal yet wild look in her eyes, like she would dominate no matter the scenario. With that in mind, I couldn't help but retaliate with all the force I've got! Plucky started to dive in, firing a small barrage of bubble beams! However, Roserade met it head-on, countering perfectly with a magical leaf! The two attacks met in a powerful clash that left a small rainbow in the field. Plucky tried to close in with an aerial ace, but before the two could connect, a great shining light bathed across the battlefield! When my eyes refocused, I saw Roserade directly on top of Plucky! In haste, Plucky unfolded a complex last-second feather dance! Bright leaves met with ruffled feathers as the explosion was so powerful it sent Ducklett tumbling on the ground! However, Plucky haste to keep its performance going flipped up and flapped desperately while heavily breathing.

With what power he had left, Plucky decided to collect it all in a wing attack as he started driving down towards Roserade while seeing red. In response, he got met with a variety of sludge bombs! However, Plucky saw their trajectories like it was nothing, dodging them all like they were nothing. Each bomb exploded with the force of artillery as they carved through the trees no problem. When he was about to make contact, another bright flash attack occurred, followed by a barrage of different colored lights I couldn't make out. By the time my eyes once again refocused, I saw something that left me utter confusion. Even with all the care in the world, Plucky still managed to fall as he laid unconscious before Roserade. I tried evidence of what she did, but Gardenia gave no command, and the area remained unchanged, leaving me with no easy answers. Thus as I got forced to retrieve Plucky, even more questions started getting raised as I carefully unfurled my next Pokemon.

"Nadia, show your stuff again!"

In bright light, Nadia quickly made its return with a prima donna-like strut. However, coming eye to eye with Roserade, her demeanor took a 180. I couldn't figure out exactly why, but I've seen it in nature plenty of times. 2 apex predators in the same space never go well together. I decided to use that to my advantage, though, as Nadia decided to swoop in with a fury swipe! Maybe I let Nadia take the reins too much, though, as I didn't account for the move that's given me so much trouble before. A damning grass knot diverted her advance just enough for her to reveal another card. From her left hand, a dense shadow ball formed in its hand. Right after that, a terrifying punch sent her spiraling into the forest!

Frustration peaked in both Nadia and I, soon realizing that Roserade had complete control over all ranges. Still, when it comes to CQC, I know Nadia can't get beat, meaning all I needed to do was get close! Which means that I had to get even crazier! Using her newly earned rage Nadia double kicked down the biggest tree she could find; the blow was so powerful that the tree started to timber with Nadia riding on top straight towards Roserade! With complete discussion, Roserade tried to dodge, but that was exactly what I was hoping for as the minute she did, Nadia jumped up with the sun to her back!

With no visual, Nadia jumped in with a double axe kick with all her power! Yet once again, another strange occurrence happened, as Nadia disappeared in thin air. Once again, my eyes scanned the area, hoping to find the answer, until I saw a bit of reinforced glass rain from the sky! Terror pierced through my brain as I, unfortunately, realized Nadia was flying up in the air with glowing green shackles around all of her limbs! Before I could even make sense of it all or make a command, Gardenia gave her first, detonating the shackles in a bright green explosion!

Like a sinking stone, Nadia descended and tried in vain to make a counterattack, but Roserade, with her absolute judgment, didn't let up. In response, Roserade fired off round after round after round of shadow balls, each time covering Nadia in a chilling umbrage dome! They slowed down Nadia's fall but at the same time chipped away at her special defense! After the sixth strike, Nadia was twitching on the ground, damaged to all heck, weaker than she's ever been. I tried getting her to move and fight back with desperation, but one final magical leaf sealed Nadia's fate as she fainted.

At that point, confusion and panic started to combine to send my heart rattling. The sudden fainting and disappearance, the green shackles it was all too much to handle. Until I started to piece it all together, cold despair quickly followed my crushing revelation as I returned Nadia while giving out my theory.

"During the first flash, you used the magical leaf and grass knot together and set it across the battlefield. When Plucky first moved, that's what you used to take him out. And when Nadia moved just now, you used that latter combination again to make those shackles. Am I right, Gardenia?!" I said while completely dumbfounded.

"You are Taylor, and I'm impressed you figured it out so quickly, but I don't think that's going to help you win the day. My lovely Roserade and I have made 20 lovely combinations; I wonder if you'll be able to account for them all? Or has your growth stunted from here on?" she said in an annoyingly encouraging style.

At that moment, my crossroads worth of decisions all focused on one path: forward. Like how Mr.Kopi is trying to move forward his past, just like how I moved forward from Trixie into a rival, I was going to keep moving forward here!

"Golett, show your stuff!"

In one vital throw, Golett made its appearance, quickly adopting a combat-ready pose that matched my mood perfectly. With his hands outstretched like a boxer, we decided to make the only plan we had time left: advance! A volley of shadow punches started to bombard the entire field like a bombing! The lush mini battlefield soon turned inhospitable as Roserade got left in a cloud of dust. I did not want to take any chances Golett closed in with another Stomping tantrum! I swear I could hear the entire gym shake at the small crater formed underneath Golett's fist! Unfortunately, it was an empty blow as Roserade blurred past Golett to unleash a close-range shadow ball from behind!

The attack was staggering, but thanks to Iron Defense, he could keep going. From there, they engaged in a one-sided Meowth and Pikachu game as Golett kept on taking hits while missing any he dished out. Eventually, the attacks started to pile up damage like crazy; I almost thought that Golett would get overwhelmed. However, by that time, I got used to her pattern, commanding Golett to unleash another shadow punch to his side!

Seeing the blow coming, Roserade predictably created another grass knot that tripped up Golett just enough to miss the blow by a hair! At that moment, my heart almost stopped as Golett took a barrage of magical leaves! Golett got bathed in a bright light that soon left him on his last legs as his body started to smoke! Gardenia ordered Roserade to retreat, except that was no longer going to be an option. Because Golett finally managed to grab ahold of her for my final attack! Stomping Tantrum was powerful on its own, but when the move misses, its power doubles! A coursing power started to form around him, showing off wisps of orange energy as in one fell swoop, he threw Roserade into the ground! With the intensity of a meteor, Golett moved his hands with the weight of the world in them as they crept ever closer! However, Roserade was still many times faster as she responded with a shadow ball and magical leaf combo right at the fist! The two attacks met each other in a thunderous shockwave that I swear cracked the glass around us! Violent and green lighting crackled across the field as soon enough, my eyes saw a large crater that was ten feet deep!

Disbelief, however, quickly formed into sadness as soon I realized the outcome of our clash. Because as the smoke cleared, Golett raised his steaming fist to the air, with his eyes notably dulled. But I knew it was all an act by him, realizing that this battle was over for all the wrong reasons. At that moment, tears started to form under my eyes as I found myself hugging Golett, all the while saying words I didn't know were for him or me.

"You did great; you tried your best; you did nothing wrong, you hear me!"

Amid my sobbing, I found a hand lying on my shoulder. I didn't even need to look back to see it was Mr.Kopi who was by my side. In tandem, Gardenia's voice rang out.

"Taylor, you did an amazing job. There is absolutely nothing you did wrong. Your momentum under pressure, your trust in your Pokemon I can tell you can grow so much farther from here, the only thing you need to know is-"

I couldn't exactly get a concrete answer right then and there because at that moment, the entrance to the gym opened once again, revealing a new contender.

Taylor's battle finally ends in a crushing defeat! But will the appearance of this new contender lead Taylor to a potential victory down the line? Find out next time as the journey continues ever forward!