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Flannery looked to be around the same age as Kai. She was strikingly beautiful, with a fit figure that reflected her energetic personality. She wore a black cropped T-shirt that revealed her midriff, paired with denim shorts, and her fiery red hair was styled into several thick, petal-like sections, resembling a blooming flame.
As a specialist in Fire-type Pokémon, Flannery embodied her chosen element perfectly passionate, intense, and bursting with enthusiasm.
Perhaps a little too enthusiastic. Her overly familiar attitude was honestly hard to keep up with.
What puzzled Kai most, however, was her reaction to hearing that someone wanted to challenge the Gym.
After a brief hesitation, he asked, "Isn't the Lavaridge Gym Leader supposed to be Mr. Blaine—no, I mean… Mr. Moore?"
Moore was the former Lavaridge Gym Leader and once a member of the Hoenn Elite Four a kindly elderly man who always wore glasses. Before coming to Hoenn, Kai had carefully reviewed a Trainer's travel guide, and it clearly listed Moore as the current Gym Leader.
Yet in just a few short days, the position had apparently changed hands.
"My grandpa?" Flannery shook her head. "He's retired! The Gym's mine now. Anyway, let's hurry up and battle already—I'm fired up!!"
Grandpa…?
So she was the new Gym Leader.
It was easy to tell that Flannery was impatient, excitable, and prone to acting before thinking but she was also bright, cheerful, and clearly loved Pokémon battling. From just a few sentences, Kai could tell she was someone easy to get along with.
This seemed to be a common trait among trainers who devoted themselves entirely to Fire-type Pokémon.
Although the Gym Leader had changed, it didn't really matter to Kai. The only regret was missing the chance to battle a former Elite Four member.
Before Kai could say anything else, Flannery suddenly tossed a Poké Ball forward. A flash of red light erupted, and a massive turtle-like Pokémon appeared before them.
"Enough talking! Let's have an intense Gym Battle!"
She was already about to give commands when Misty quickly stepped forward.
"Wait a second!" Misty said, staring at Flannery in disbelief. "A Gym Battle should be held on an official battlefield inside the Gym, right?"
Flannery froze, then scratched her head awkwardly.
"Oh… right. I forgot." She laughed sheepishly. "Sorry, I've only been Gym Leader for a few days. I'm still getting used to things."
That explanation only made Misty trust her less.
You forgot something this basic?
Coming from a Gym family herself, Misty knew exactly how things were supposed to work. Seeing Flannery behave so unprofessionally, especially when her grandfather had been the previous Gym Leader, made Misty instinctively look down on her.
Kai, on the other hand, said nothing.
Not because he was being lenient toward a pretty face but because he understood that everyone started as a beginner. Flannery clearly loved her role as Gym Leader; her clumsiness stemmed from her personality, not a lack of sincerity.
Under Flannery's guidance, they entered the Lavaridge Gym.
The interior was spacious, and beyond the entrance hall lay the battlefield. However, the moment Kai and Misty saw it, they both frowned.
Despite being a Fire-type Gym, the battlefield was a rugged rock terrain likely due to its location at the foot of Mt. Chimney. Worse still, the entire field was in shambles.
The ground was cratered, rocks shattered into fragments, and scorch marks were everywhere.
It looked like a battlefield that had just survived a war.
Noticing their expressions, Flannery laughed awkwardly again. "Uh… I had a battle with a challenger yesterday, and I kinda forgot to clean up afterward…"
Misty was speechless.
Normally, Gym maintenance wasn't even the Gym Leader's responsibility. The Pokémon League provided ample funding to hire staff for exactly this purpose. Judging by the size of the Lavaridge Gym, money clearly wasn't an issue.
Flannery's problem wasn't just carelessness she clearly lacked any management skills.
She was about to suggest that Kai and Misty rest while she fixed the field, but Kai stopped her.
"It's fine," he said calmly. "Honestly, this kind of battlefield is more interesting than a perfectly maintained one. It's complex and that makes the battle more exciting."
Flannery blinked, then looked at him with newfound respect.
Most trainers would insist on repairs for fairness or because they lacked confidence. Kai's indifference showed absolute confidence in his own strength.
Only now did Flannery take a closer look at him. He was around her age, tall, and undeniably handsome especially his eyes, which held a calm, steady depth.
Her impression of Kai instantly improved.
"Well then," she said brightly, no longer insisting on repairs, "let's battle!"
They took their respective positions on opposite sides of the field.
"I'll explain the rules," Flannery said, finally sounding like a professional. "Unlike my grandpa, I won't adjust things on the fly. This will be a standard Gym Battle three Pokémon each. Only the challenger can switch Pokémon. Any objections?"
Kai shook his head. The rules were perfectly standard.
It also highlighted the gap between Flannery and her grandfather. Adjusting rules based on a challenger's strength required immense experience something she hadn't yet gained.
Kai introduced himself out of courtesy, and Flannery repeated his name once, committing it to memory.
She then sent out her Pokémon properly this time.
The massive turtle Pokémon stepped onto the battlefield.
Misty immediately pulled out her Pokédex.
Pokédex:
"Torkoal, the Coal Pokémon. A Fire-type. Torkoal digs coal from mountains and burns it inside the hollow of its shell. When threatened, it releases thick black smoke. The steam it exhales from its nostrils sounds like a train whistle."
"So that's Torkoal…" Misty murmured.
Kai studied it carefully. Judging by its presence alone, it was clearly one of Flannery's strongest Pokémon.
Neither Eevee, Combusken, nor Metang would fare well against it.
Instead of sending out a Pokémon immediately, Kai asked, "Is this your strongest Pokémon?"
Flannery thought for a moment. "One of them! My Torkoal and my Magmar are my most trusted partners."
So that was it.
As a newly appointed Gym Leader, Flannery clearly hadn't prepared weaker Pokémon for rookie challengers she was using her aces straight away.
Kai couldn't help but ask, "What about the challenger from yesterday?"
"Oh, her?" Flannery said casually. "She was a cute girl who had just started her journey. This was her very first Gym!"
"…And?"
"She barely beat my Magmar with all three of her Pokémon," Flannery continued, completely oblivious. "Then I sent out Torkoal and told her they were about equal. She cried… and ran away."
Kai fell silent.
That poor girl…
No wonder the battlefield looked like this. That fight must have been devastating.
What a terrifying woman.
But since Torkoal was Flannery's ace, the solution was simple.
Kai took out a Poké Ball and threw it forward.
A massive figure emerged in a burst of blue light.
Tyranitar roared toward the ceiling, its cry shaking the entire Gym.
Even Flannery's expression turned serious.
"That Tyranitar…" she muttered. "It feels just like my grandpa's Pokémon."
Kai neither confirmed nor denied it.
Compared to his Red Gyarados and Crystal Steelix, Tyranitar was merely average by his standards but that said more about Kai than the Pokémon.
Flannery straightened, her playful demeanor completely gone.
She acted as her own referee.
"Battle—begin!"
At Kai's command, Tyranitar slammed its foot into the ground.
Jagged stone spikes erupted forward in rapid succession.
Stone Edge.
Torkoal immediately withdrew its limbs and head into its shell, relying on its hardened carapace to withstand the assault.
The clash echoed throughout the Gym.
The real battle had begun.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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For early access to advanced chapters on P-atreon:
P-atreon/iamxeno
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