At the entrance of Sunset Forest, a burly man adjusted his blue sunglasses, placing one hand on his hip with an intrigued expression.
"A seemingly ordinary forest, yet it conceals such diverse environments… Heh, isn't that just like an unpolished gemstone? I like it."
Grabbing the collar of his khaki shirt, he gave it a shake, flicked his bangs, and smiled. "And the forest ranger here was the top scorer in the exam, right? A rising star… I'd love to see what he's like in his daily life."
With that, he stepped into Sunset Forest, unaware that what awaited him was a trial of his willpower—to see whether his resolve was truly as unshakable as solid rock.
"Good, Jangmo-o! That was stronger than last time!"
Outside the wooden cabin, Summer was guiding Jangmo-o in training a new move—Iron Head. To understand Steel-type energy, Jangmo-o had even forced itself to eat several Mago Berries despite their metallic, rust-like taste.
Summer had no idea how Corviknight could eat those so easily.
The training area was already littered with cracked rocks, heart-shaped imprints marking each attempt Jangmo-o had made.
Recalling Summer's advice, Jangmo-o focused the steel energy onto its forehead. Its front claws scraped against the ground, hind legs tensed, gathering power for the charge.
"Jang!"
With a powerful leap, Jangmo-o crashed into the rock like a hammer. Cracks spidered outward from the impact point, and in the next moment—the entire rock shattered into countless fragments.
"Not bad," Summer nodded. "But breaking the rock isn't just about increasing Iron Head's power. The repeated impacts have already weakened its structure."
"So, let's keep going. You need to be able to shatter it in one hit!"
"Jang!"
Jangmo-o's eyes sparkled with determination. It lived for harsh training, but… a bit of praise now and then wouldn't hurt either.
"Summer, Summer! There's a guy who's been wandering in the Illusion Forest area all morning~"
Hatterene's voice echoed in Summer's mind, her tone half amused, half curious.
Summer blinked.
This guy had endurance, huh?
"Hatterene, can you describe him for me?"
After hearing her description, Summer quickly came to a conclusion.
The visitor was likely Gordie, the Rock-type Gym Leader from Circhester.
Glancing at the shattered stones from Jangmo-o's training, Summer realized something.
If he didn't find this guy soon, Gordie might turn into a pile of rubble himself.
"Haah… Haah… Why am I back here again…?"
Gordie gasped for air, resting his hands on his knees.
Despite his broad, solid build, he wasn't out of shape. After all, his mother's brutal Spartan training had kept his stamina top-notch.
But running in circles for an entire morning? Even he was reaching his limit.
"Whoo…"
Taking a deep breath, he reached into his inner pocket and pulled out a comb, tidying his hair.
He couldn't let his fans see him like this—looking exhausted and disheveled.
Back in Galar, Gordie had a massive female fanbase. He even had three photobooks, all funded by his dedicated supporters. His League Card photo? Professionally taken in a high-end photo studio.
He had one goal: to redefine the perception of Rock-type Trainers.
People always assumed Rock-types were rough and primitive, but he wanted to prove they could be stylish and sophisticated—even if he personally loved the untamed, wild aesthetic as well.
"Uh… Excuse me, are you Gordie?"
Hearing a voice behind him, Gordie quickly stashed his comb, adjusting his sunglasses.
Turning around with a confident grin, he prepared to greet yet another adoring fan.
"That's me! The one and only Gordie!"
He paused.
"Wait… You're Summer, right? The ranger who used that incredible Rock-type Z-Move during the exam?"
"Ah…"
Summer sighed.
Another Gym Leader who watched my exam footage…
"But seriously, you showing up saved me big time," Gordie admitted, stretching his arms.
"I totally underestimated this forest's illusionary effects. Thought I could just power through, but nope—turns out I was completely lost."
Summer resisted the urge to laugh.
Congratulations, Gordie. You've just confirmed that Illusion Forest works perfectly.
Clearing his throat, Summer asked, "So, Gordie… What brings you to Sunset Forest?"
"Ah, well, I heard this forest has a variety of different environments, so I wanted to see if there was, y'know… a snowy area?"
Summer raised an eyebrow. "There is, but… Circhester is literally covered in snow. Wouldn't it be easier to train near your own city?"
Gordie's confident grin wavered.
Pushing his sunglasses up slightly, he muttered, "Because I don't wanna run into the other Circhester Gym Leader."
The other Gym Leader?
Wait.
Isn't that just… Melony?
"...Your mom?"
Gordie sighed.
"Yeah, yeah, you already figured it out. Not like it's a secret…"
Grumbling, he crossed his arms. "If she saw me training for an Ice-type battle, she'd just smile smugly at me. I can't deal with that."
"Honestly, Summer, your answer really helps me out."
"So, how about I give you my autograph as thanks?"
Summer didn't respond immediately.
A Gym Leader-level trainer… training in the Snowy Forest… Would the Pokémon there be able to handle it?
He didn't want Gordie's training to disrupt their habitat.
"Uh-oh," Gordie smirked. "Not a fan, huh? Well, in that case—"
Before he could finish, Summer cut in.
"It's not about me, Gordie. I need to ask the Pokémon in the Snowy Forest first."
"If they agree, then so will I."
Gordie blinked.
Then, he laughed heartily.
"You're a real piece of work, Summer. No wonder this forest is so well-protected!"
Pulling out his phone, he grinned.
"Regardless of how it turns out, let's exchange numbers. If you ever get interested in photobooks, I can hook you up for free~"
At the Snowy Forest, the Pokémon's reaction was both surprising and completely predictable.
The Five Ruling Clans of the Snowy Forest first debated among themselves.
Then, Galarian Darmanitan started mocking the others, calling them cowards for opposing the idea.
Not wanting to back down, the other factions immediately agreed—not only would they allow Gordie to train, but they also turned it into a competition.
Whoever performed the best during his training would be crowned ruler for the next month.
Summer had promised to let the Pokémon decide, and since they had reached a consensus, he wouldn't interfere.
Seeing their competitive spirits ignite, Gordie grinned excitedly.
"This takes me back… Getting thrown into the snow with nothing but a t-shirt for my mom's survival training… Now I get why I kept all this extra body fat!"
With battle-ready Ice-types and an eager Rock-type Gym Leader, the Snowy Forest was about to experience the most intense training session in history.
(End of Chapter)