Next on the fight card was Shiranui.  "Champion Tsukiko, I wondered whether you were actually taking on the Challenge," Kabu opened, "Few people who defeated my gym have got their endorsements from Allester."
"You were expecting maybe the Fiery Riddler and his Magmortar?" Shiranui rebutted, referring to Blaine.
"I know of whom you speak;" Kabu responded, "And Let me tell you that while I like his unusual battling location, this gym is tough in its own ways and my Centiskorch has made many challengers quit."
"Is that so?" Shiranui rebutted before breaking into an impression of Lt. Surge, "Does da fiery baby want to come to the gym at Vermilion City and see how we do t'ings?"

With that zinger of a comeback, Kabu opened the battle with his Ninetales and Shiranui responded with Nekomata.  "Ninetales, open with Will-O-Wisp!"
"Nekomata, use Misty Terrain!"  The Meowstic covered the ground in mist, preventing the Will-O-Wisp Ninetales launched from having any effect.
"Ninetales, use Ember!"
"Nekomata, Role Play!" Nekomata used her psychic powers to change her ability.  Unfortunately for Kabu that ability was now Flash Fire and Ninetales' embers triggered that ability.
"That's admittedly a good strategy on your part," Kabu commented, "Ninetales, Quick Attack!"
"Nekomata, Psybeam!" Both Pokémon executed their attacks and Nekomata's Psybeam blasted Ninetales for a critical hit, knocking it out.

Kabu sent Arcanine out and he was in a bit of a quandary—with Nekomata having an active Flash Fire for an ability and Misty Terrain in effect, he was limited in his options.  "Arcanine, Agility!"
"Nekomata, Trick Room!"  Arcanine relaxed its body to go faster, but Shiranui was one step ahead on his call as Nekomata conjured a zone over the field that made slower Pokémon faster and vice versa.  "I knew you'd try something like that," Shiranui commented.
"Arcanine, Bite!"
"Nekomata, Expanding Force!"  Nekomata made a come-hither motion at Arcanine and Arcanine charged in for a Bite attack.  As the Bite landed, Nekomata used her psychic powers to blast Arcanine away for major damage.
"Arcanine, Bite once more!"
"Nekomata, use Psybeam!"  One more beam of psychic energy compliments of Nekomata and Arcanine was knocked out.  The Misty Terrain had subsided at that point.

"Light that fire and turn up the heat, Kabu!" Kabu said to himself to psych himself for the battle ahead, "There still must be a path to victory!"  He sent out his headliner, Centiskorch.
"Well, you're down to your last Pokémon;" Shiranui counted out on his fingers, "I'm still on my first; and Nekomata is immune to Fire attacks."
"You are correct, Champion Tsukiko;" Kabu replied, "But Meowstic, like most Psychic-type Pokémon are weak to Centiskorch's other type as I'll demonstrate.  Burn bright, Centiskorch.  Let Gigantamax change your size and your form!  Max Flutterby!"
"Nekomata, Protect!"  Kabu recalled Centiskorch, activated his Dynamax Ring, turned around and threw Centiskorch's Poké Ball to the back of his side of the field.  The ball opened to reveal a much longer and much hotter Centiskorch that Shiranui scanned with his Rotom Phone.
"[i]Centiskorch: Gigantamax Form, the Radiator Pokémon.  Gigantamax energy has evoked a rise in its body temperature, now reaching over 980°C.  Its heat waves incinerate its enemies.[/i]"  Centiskorch conjured a large flock of energy butterflies that zeroed in on Nekomata and struck with a large explosion.  After everything cleared, Nekomata was knocked out from a critical hit.

Shiranui switched Nekomata for Ikari.  "Centiskorch, use G-Max Centiferno!"
"Ikari, Dynamax and use Max Rockfall!"  Shiranui did similarly to Kabu and after throwing the Dynamax-charged Poké Ball to the back of his side of the field, a very large Shelgon appeared.  Centiskorch curled up in zigzags until it resembled a very large hotplate and launched an enormous fireball at Ikari.  The Shelgon felt the explosion and got trapped in a big vortex reminiscent of Fire Spin, which it survived thanks to type resistance.  Ikari stomped her front legs on the ground, causing a large monolithic slab to pop out of the ground that soon fell forward and crushed Centiskorch into a one-hit knockout.

"Many trainers have said that I'm the first impenetrable wall of the Gym Challenge, and yet through your cunning strategies you penetrated that wall and defeated me in battle," Kabu stated, "I may have many years of experience, but you have shown me first hand what a champion can bring to the field and I have a lot to learn from it."  Kabu and Shiranui approached one another at the centre of the field and shook hands.  Kabu then gave Shiranui the Fire Badge and healed the Pokémon who fought that intense battle.

"The next step in the Challenge is to defeat the Stow-on-Side Gym," Kabu stated.