Pokemon: Gym Leader

"Greetings, my dear father. How have you been recently? I hope you haven't lost yourself amidst the white sandy beaches of Sunshine Coast."

"Recently, your handsome and wise son has come up with a new plan to revitalize the gym industry and urgently needs your support."

After saying goodbye to Ilene and returning to the gym, Dylan took a shower and then lay on his bed, pulling out his phone to send a message to his old man.

As for why he didn't send a letter like his old man? Come on, what era is this? Sending letters nowadays? Only his old man is so fond of correspondence. He calls it the romance of the times, though Dylan can't quite understand it.

After sending his request to his dear father, Dylan stared at his phone in deep thought.

Speaking of which, as the wheels of time roll forward, technology continues to develop.

Dylan quickly searched online.

"So Professor Kukui from the Alola region proposed the concept of the Rotom Dex? So the Rotom Dex hasn't been created yet, which means the Rotom Phone hasn't been made either."

Dylan confirmed this.

The so-called Rotom Dex and Rotom Phone are basically like AI-based Pokédexes and smartphones.

In the original work, Rotom entered the Dex and Phone to act as the 'AI' in the seventh generation Alola region and eighth generation Galar region, respectively.

This could be a huge money-making opportunity.

In "Scarlet/Violet," Nemona's senior is the daughter of the Rotom Phone company's owner, making Nemona a super-rich second-generation heir.

Dylan informed his father of this. He doesn't have time to start a company, but his father certainly can.

If they seize this opportunity, it wouldn't be hard to rank among the world's top companies.

After waiting a while, Dylan's father replied with an 'ok' message, so Dylan decided to get some rest.

The night passed without incident.

The next morning, Dylan got up, washed up, and went out for breakfast before beginning to train his Pokémon.

"I still need to raise more Pokémon; this yard still feels lifeless."

In the backyard, Dylan watched Sprigatito and Mareanie undergo special training battles, glancing at the seemingly endless backyard with a silent thought.

Leaving the yard so empty is a waste of resources. It would be a shame not to raise more Pokémon here.

Moreover, as a Gym Leader, it's essential to have a variety of Pokémon on hand.

In the future, when he becomes stronger, he can't use his main team to deal with rookie trainers who come to challenge, right?

That would crush their little dreams.

"Gym Leader!"

The receptionist came running over excitedly, her short skirt fluttering as she did.

"What's up?"

Dylan looked at the receptionist in confusion.

"We have a challenger! Someone's here to challenge the gym!"

The receptionist was thrilled, her face flushed with excitement.

Obviously, she was overjoyed that someone had finally come to challenge the gym. After all, it had been nearly a week…

What gym goes a week without a single challenger?

The receptionist genuinely hoped the Rota Gym could prosper. She was still young, but she knew this Gym Leader was a good person who took care of her.

"Oh?" Dylan's eyes lit up.

Finally, a challenger!

Dylan immediately called back his Pokémon from training and headed inside the gym.

At this moment, inside the Rota Gym...

"Tsk~ This gym is pretty big, looks decent."

The handsome, spiky-haired boy surveyed the gym, nodding in satisfaction.

Although he knew from online research that this gym wasn't top-tier, it didn't matter. He was just here to grab a badge.

Whether the challenge was tough or not didn't matter—he was determined to get that badge!

"Still, I hope the Gym Leader puts up a bit of a fight; otherwise, this would be too boring."

The spiky-haired boy smirked to himself, clearly someone who enjoyed showing off.

"Ah~!!!"

"Gary is so handsome~!"

"Gary is as confident as ever today."

"Gary, you have to win this gym battle too~"

Behind the spiky-haired boy, several young girls gazed at him with hearts in their eyes, staring at him adoringly.

"Don't worry, my darlings, no problem at all! After I win this badge, we can go shopping."

Gary turned around, stylishly brushed his bangs, and blew a kiss to his girlfriends, promising that he would win the gym badge. After all, it was just the small Rota Gym. He was going to win!

Gary's response sent the cheerleaders into a frenzy of excited screams.

"So... the challenger is this guy?"

Dylan, who had just entered the gym from the back door, witnessed this flashy display and couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

The receptionist also had a complicated expression.

Though the situation felt a bit strange, Dylan still walked towards Gary—after all, this was the long-awaited challenger!

Even if the challenger was a bit eccentric, Dylan had to face him head-on.

"Is it you? The Rota Gym Trainer."

Gary also noticed the approaching black-haired boy, raising an eyebrow as his gaze grew serious.

Damn! This Gym Leader is so handsome! He might even be better-looking than me… He could actually be a match for me! This is a strong opponent!

"Hello, I'm Dylan, the Rota Gym Leader."

Dylan smiled warmly, his tone calm and soothing.

His polite demeanor made the girls behind Gary's eyes sparkle with admiration.

This Gym Leader seemed to be the warm and sunny type.

"I am Gary Oak from Pallet Town."

Despite being proud and arrogant, newly debuted Gary still maintained basic manners, except when facing his childhood friend.

"I heard there's a gym in this town, so I came to try it out, even if it's just a no-name gym."

But inevitably, after a moment of courtesy, Gary quickly returned to his domineering stance.

"The Rota Gym welcomes any challenger. Shall we begin now?"

Dylan kept his warm smile, unfazed by Gary's tone.

"Of course." Gary was confident.

Besides the pride of being Professor Oak's grandson, Gary's talent, though not as monstrous as his older brother's, still marked him as a genius Trainer in the eyes of many.

And considering the information he found before coming here, it was laughable—Rota Gym was named alongside Cerulean Gym as one of the weakest in Kanto.

Pressure? None at all; he already had three gym badges. Victory was guaranteed!

Dylan and Gary took their places on the battlefield, and the gym referee, finally with something to do, walked over.

"We are now commencing the gym battle for the Rota Badge. The challenger is Gary from Pallet Town."

"The battle will be a 2v2, with Gym Leader Dylan sending out his Pokémon first. The match ends when one side's two Pokémon are unable to battle."

"Begin!"

The referee waved the small flag and then stepped back from the battlefield.

On the big screen at the front of the gym, half-body images of Dylan and Gary appeared on opposite sides.

Dylan took out a Pokéball, spinning it on his finger as a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"Allow me to introduce myself formally. I'm Dylan, the Rota Gym Leader."

"I am a multi-type Trainer who selects the type of my team based on the challenger's strengths."

Dylan remained as courteous as ever.

"Gary, may I ask you a question?"

"Hm?"

Gary looked at Dylan, puzzled.

"Have you ever faced the power of poison? That omnipresent force that constantly corrodes you."

"Sometimes, it's not just brute strength that determines victory. Take your time to savor it."

The smile on Dylan's face deepened, to the point where Gary felt a strange, almost twisted sense of unease.

What is he talking about?

Gary knew many Gym Leaders liked to talk a bit of 'trash' before a battle, but this guy's words sounded so classy!

"Well, then, let's begin our battle."

Dylan's smile returned to normal, as if nothing had happened, and he casually tossed the Pokéball in his hand.

"Gary, your first opponent will be this one!"

The first gym battle to turn things around! It starts now!

(End of Chapter)