Pokémon: From Pirate to Just

When Sieg stepped into the Gym and the massive doors slowly closed behind him, the group of old men gathered at the entrance, watching the commotion, finally withdrew their curious gazes.

One of the old men turned to Moore with amusement and asked, "Hey, your granddaughter just took over the Gym not long ago, and you're already at ease leaving it all to her?"

Moore twisted his chubby body, lounging himself comfortably into an old wooden armchair. He replied in a laid-back tone, "Each generation must walk their own path. All I can do is help her this far. Not long ago, I even thickened my old skin to wrangle a promising young Pokémon from the League."

"And before long, I'll be leaving the Hoenn region altogether. After reading that Pokémon haiku that Teio wrote, I decided to travel through Johto instead. Leaving the Gym to Flannery puts my mind at ease."

Moore casually picked up a newspaper and draped it over his face, yet for some reason, when Sieg had stood nearby just now, he'd caught a whiff of a strangely familiar scent, one that he didn't particularly like.

"How come that kid smells a bit like that brat Drake?"

Unable to stifle his curiosity, Moore peeked at the Pokémon Sieg had registered for the Gym battle. The moment he saw Crawdaunt and Sharpedo, both Water types, realization dawned on him.

"Heh, I see now, so it's that damned salty smell. Same as Drake, that sea dog who can't stay off his ship, always reeking of the ocean. Disgusting!" Moore had never thought highly of Drake, the one who had recently been promoted to the Elite Four.

After registering his Pokémon for the Gym challenge, Sieg quietly waited. After all, there were still two other challengers ahead of him in line.

Compared to the previous two Gyms that had either just been established or recently changed hands, this Gym was undoubtedly far more seasoned.

Leader Flannery had been in charge for nearly a year now, and her reputation online was generally excellent.

Aside from the occasional comment about her fiery personality and carefree demeanor, most spoke highly of the Lavaridge Gym.

This time, Sieg had signed up for the intermediate-level Gym challenge. If he won, there was a chance to receive some rewards.

Of course, the registration fee was a bit steeper than usual, at 10,000 Pokédollars. For an average Trainer, that might be hard to swallow.

But for Sieg, it was nothing more than pocket change.

If he could battle a Gym Leader for a mere 10,000 League coins, the experience alone was worth every bit of it.

Not to mention the chance of extra prizes.

"Challenger Sieg, please proceed to the battle arena!"

"Challenger Sieg, please proceed to the battle arena!"

The announcement repeated itself over the loudspeakers.

Sieg rose and made his way down a side corridor, pushing through several doors in succession until he finally stepped out onto an open-air battlefield.

The arena was a perfect square, surrounded on all sides by towering red walls. This old-school design looked exactly like the image of a Gym that the older generation still held dear in their hearts.

There were even several rows of spectator seats arranged around the battlefield, though they seemed to be closed off for now.

"Well, of course. The Lavaridge Gym isn't some newly built Gym scrambling for funds. It's stood firm on Hoenn soil for decades, so it doesn't need to scrape by selling tickets."

Standing just outside the white battle line, Sieg took in the sight before him, feeling a flicker of sentimentality.

"Hey Challenger. I'm Flannery, Leader of the Flannery Gym!" A crisp, youthful voice rang out from the arena.

A lively girl stepped forward, her clothes refreshingly light, her face bright and beautiful. But what drew in ones eyes the most was the long waterfall of crimson hair tied back behind her, cascading like flames.

"Tell me, Challenger how many badges have you collected so far?"

True to her reputation online, Flannery was as fiery as her Gym's element. Her questions were blunt, not a trace of subtlety to them.

Sieg didn't hesitate in the slightest. "Two."

"Only two? Ah..." Flannery sighed, her face full of restrained disappointment.

"Which two Gyms did you beat?" Flannery pressed, relentless in her curiosity.

Sieg frowned faintly, a little unwilling, but answered honestly, "The Petalburg Gym and Rustboro Gym."

Flannery's eyes lit up at once. She murmured to herself, "Petalburg Gym, huh? Even Grandpa always spoke highly of Norman. Looks like you're not just some nobody, then."

Sieg simply watched this brash young woman mutter to herself.

He had already heard that some Gyms judged a Trainer's strength by how many badges they'd collected.

Just as he expected. Fire-type Trainers really were as straightforward as their Pokémon.

Unrestrained, blazing with passion, never bothering with hidden meanings.

"Trainer Sieg, I hear you registered mostly Water types. But if you think you can win by relying on type advantage alone, you're dreaming!"

"I'll show you what it means to face the blazing force of a Fire Gym!"

Flannery puffed out her cheeks, her face suddenly serious and confident with a slight, smug smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

It seemed even the referee standing nearby couldn't bear to watch her antics any longer. He quickly declared the beginning of the match.

"For this Gym Badge Challenge, each Trainer may use up to three Pokémon. The level cap is set at 40. The first side to lose all Pokémon will be deemed defeated."

"During the battle, the challenger may switch Pokémon freely, but Leader Flannery may not."

Sieg glanced at Umbreon beside him, secretly nodding.

"Then, let the Gym Badge Challenge officially begin!"

At the referee's signal, Flannery took the initiative and sent out her first Pokémon.

"Burn bright, Slugma!"

"Umbreon, you're up."

Flannery's spirit surged as a flash of white light burst forth.

A slug-like creature crept across the battlefield, its entire body wreathed in flickering flames that seemed ready to scorch the ground at any moment.

The Lava Pokémon, Slugma.

Its body was pure magma, and if it stopped moving, the magma would cool and harden, so it always wandered about, never resting.

"Slugma, use Incinerate!"

Like an engine roaring to life, a wave of searing flames surged forth. From Slugma's ever-dripping maw, a torrent of fire roared out, surging like a tidal wave.

"Umbreon, use Double Team."

At Sieg's command, Umbreon split into two identical copies in a heartbeat, darting to the left and right corners of the field.

"Ah, what?!" Flannery was momentarily flustered but recovered quickly, ordering Slugma to attack the left side.

The Gym Leader's sharp eyes let her spot the real one instantly. Umbreon braced herself and took the Incinerate head-on.

But with a whopping 130 base Special Defense, Umbreon barely took a scratch.

Even as flames swirled around it, it leaped gracefully, unfazed, as if the scorching blaze meant nothing at all.