Pokemon: Gym Leader

"Dylan, Gym Leader, what is this 'Golden' team?"

Lacey looked puzzled. Is there even a "Golden" type among all the Pokémon types? It didn't seem like it.

Lillie's delicate little face showed a very subtle expression.

In the Rota Gym, the chance of spinning to the golden section on the roulette is about one percent, so much so that even though she had been at the Rota Gym for over a month, Lillie had never seen a challenger land on it.

But there were only five paper balls just now, so technically the chance of drawing 'Golden' became one in five, which was actually unfair.

That's why Dylan had only let Rosa choose from four teams before, and Lillie had specifically excluded the 'Golden Section' just now.

However, Lacey brought up the existence of the fifth challenge team, so Lillie had no choice but to include it, otherwise, would she have to say, "If you draw the golden section, you just win a prize?"

"Miss Lacey, your luck is truly amazing~" Dylan couldn't help but marvel.

Lillie: (—)

"Huh? Really?" Lacey tilted her head in confusion, but why did Lillie's expression look so strange? Was this really what 'luck' meant?

"Hahaha~ I knew it, Lacey, the team I picked for you can't be that bad, right? I'm the Unova Champion after all~!"

Alder laughed heartily, hands on his hips, looking very proud.

"Thank you very much, Champion Alder."

Lacey still felt something was off but politely thanked Alder nonetheless.

"Since the team is decided, let's head to my gym for the battle. The field outside isn't bright enough."

Clay suggested. His Driftveil Gym was conveniently nearby.

"Let's go, I can't wait any longer." Alder seemed quite eager, as he was very curious to see how strong Dylan was in person.

The five of them finished paying and left the restaurant, and the sky outside remained pitch black.

"It's truly dark now. How odd, how did it suddenly become like this?"

Alder stared at the night sky, bewildered. The abrupt transition from day to night was inexplicable, without any warning. The Unova League was still investigating the cause, but they hadn't figured it out yet.

Moreover, this darkness seemed to only cover the Unova region; other regions didn't experience this strange phenomenon.

Could it be that Unova is haunted?

"Who knows? Maybe it's just some special natural occurrence. It couldn't be caused by a Pokémon, right? As long as it's not dangerous, it'll probably go back to normal by tomorrow."

Dylan mused before replying, while Lillie kept her head down, too nervous to speak or look up.

"True, at least nothing unusual has happened so far." Alder agreed after thinking it over. There wasn't much else they could do but wait and see what tomorrow brought.

"Huh? Lillie, what's wrong? It's dangerous to walk without looking where you're going."

Alder kindly reminded Lillie, noticing her strange demeanor out of the corner of his eye.

"Yes, thank you for the reminder, Champion Alder."

Lillie quickly looked up and sincerely thanked Alder.

"Strange..."

Alder was a bit taken aback by her exaggerated response, but then he recalled that Lillie was indeed very polite, so he didn't think too much of it.

Ugh... I'm still too inexperienced. I need to continue learning from my brother.

Realizing that Alder didn't seem to have connected the dots, Lillie silently lamented to herself. When would she ever develop the same unshakable composure as her brother, who remained calm even in the face of a crumbling mountain?

Driftveil Gym.

This was Clay's gym. Clay was originally from Driftveil City, but Lacey had grown up in Nimbasa City, likely to give her a more beautiful childhood.

In addition to being the Gym Leader of Driftveil, Clay was also the owner of a mining company, making him quite the tycoon. His nickname, after all, was "The Underground Boss."

Yes, he had a strong mob boss vibe, which might explain why he didn't want his daughter, Lacey, to be influenced by that part of his life. That's why he let her grow up in Nimbasa City and sent her to Blueberry Academy to become an elite.

And Lacey certainly lived up to Clay's expectations. By her second year, she had already become one of the Elite Four at Blueberry Academy, and now her strength had even surpassed her father's. Her future at the very least would see her rise to the rank of an Elite Trainer.

The group entered Driftveil Gym, and the bright lights inside the gym were switched on, illuminating the entire space as if it were daylight.

"I'm a Ground-type Trainer, so my battlefield leans toward Ground-type advantages. If you're not used to it, I can change it to a regular battlefield," Clay said to Dylan.

"It's fine, I'm comfortable with any battlefield," Dylan replied, shaking his head.

A Ground-type field wasn't too different from a standard one, except the ground was less level.

"Miss Lacey, shall we begin?"

"Yes!"

Dylan and Lacey took their positions on opposite sides of the battlefield, and the scoreboard activated.

"Let me be the referee!"

Alder enthusiastically pushed Clay aside, stepping onto the battlefield.

"The Rota Gym Badge challenge is now beginning! The challenger is Lacey."

"The battle format is 4-on-4. If all four of Lacey's Pokémon lose the ability to battle, the challenge will be considered a failure."

"The Gym Leader Dylan will send out his Pokémon first and may not switch Pokémon mid-battle."

"Let the battle begin! Lacey, good luck~ You're using the lucky team I picked for you!"

Alder professionally announced the battle rules and then stepped off the battlefield, cheering for the cute Lacey.

Lacey discreetly rolled her eyes. She wasn't sure how lucky she actually was.

"Before the battle, Miss Lacey, allow me to introduce myself."

Dylan undid the top button of his black shirt and casually let it hang open, his demeanor shifting noticeably to a more relaxed and confident one.

"My name is Dylan, the Gym Leader of Rota. I specialize in multi-type battles, and I choose my team based on the fate that guides the challenger."

His clear, carefree voice with a faint smile echoed through the gym.

"Wow, Dylan really knows how to show off, doesn't he?"

Alder crossed his arms, resting his chin on his hand, nodding with approval.

"..." Clay's mouth twitched, and he glanced at the elegant, black-clad youth, falling into thought.

The difference in introductions was stark—Dylan as a Gym Leader seemed to be on a completely different level than me!

Hmm, I need to think of some deep and impressive lines to say to challengers too.

"Miss Lacey, you are incredibly fortunate. Since I became the Gym Leader of Rota, you're only the second person to draw the golden section."

Dylan took out a crimson-colored luxury ball and gently rotated it.

"Only two?" Lacey was taken aback. Something didn't seem quite right.

"That's correct, Miss Lacey. Have you heard the stories of legends?"

Dylan tilted his head slightly, his eyes reflecting the young girl's image. Without waiting for her response, he spoke again.

"The stories that people pass down through generations, the legends hidden in ancient ruins, the myths preserved in historic temples—are you familiar with any of these?"

Hearing this, Lacey paused for a moment. As a top student of Blueberry Academy, she had indeed heard some stories about Unova's legends, but...

What does that have to do with this battle?

"Let me rephrase the question, Miss Lacey. Have you ever seen a legendary Pokémon?"

"No..."

Lacey suddenly felt a strong sense of unease.

"Well then, congratulations, Miss Lacey. From today onward, you can claim that you have," Dylan said teasingly.

"You are about to battle a legendary Pokémon."

Boom!

Lacey's mind went blank. What? What does that mean?

Even Alder and Clay in the audience were stunned.

"Gym Leader Dylan, you don't mean..." Lacey's voice was dry.

"The golden section represents the 'Team of Golden Legends,' Miss Lacey. You will be facing me at my strongest!"

"I will battle you with a team of legendary Pokémon, and if you manage to defeat me, you will earn the most precious Rota Badge of legend!"

"Even if you don't defeat my legendary team, if you earn my approval, you will still receive a random-type Rota Badge."

Hearing this, Lacey was utterly shocked!

"So then, Miss Lacey, let's officially begin this Gym Battle."

Dylan smiled at Lacey and tossed the luxury ball in his hand.

"Regirock, prepare for battle!"

"Regiii!"

A low, mechanical-like roar echoed as the Giant Pokémon landed heavily in front of Dylan. Seven glowing dots on its head slowly lit up.

One of the legendary giants—Regirock!

Lacey stared blankly at the incredibly imposing Regirock. A legendary... Regirock?

"Isn't this a bit too much?"

Clay felt bad for his daughter. I mean, really? A Regirock? This was just a Gym challenge!

Dylan actually used a legendary Pokémon in the battle? Wait a minute!

Clay shot a glare that could kill at the Unova Champion beside him. Right, if this guy hadn't encouraged his precious daughter to pick the middle slip of paper, how could Lacey have drawn the ridiculous "Golden Legend" section???

"Amazing, Dylan! Do you really have a whole team of legendary Pokémon?" Alder's eyes gleamed with wonder.

"It makes me want to try battling Dylan's team myself—legendary Pokémon, wow! Clay, why are you glaring at me like that?"

Alder suddenly noticed the strange look and turned to Clay in confusion.

"What do you think?"

"Uh... hahahaha~ If you think about it differently, this really is quite lucky," Alder awkwardly turned away and muttered.

"Lucky?" Clay twitched again.

"Come on, how many people dream of battling a legendary Pokémon? You can't deny that!"

Alder grew more confident, his voice rising.

That's right—legendary Pokémon are so rare and precious that most people never see one in their entire lives. If Lacey could prove herself, she might see four legendary Pokémon!

Isn't that lucky?!

Hearing this, Clay thought for a moment. Well, it's true, isn't it?

But on the field, poor Miss Lacey was in a state of utter confusion.

"Miss Lacey, it's your turn to send out your Pokémon," Dylan gestured to her.

Lacey took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, but seeing the overwhelming presence of Regirock on the other side, her head started spinning.

"Gulp..." She couldn't help but swallow nervously.

Champion Alder, I'm going to thank you for the rest of my life!!!

(End of Chapter)