"Zapdos, return!" Naoki called out, recalling the Legendary Pokémon in a beam of red light. The thunderclouds overhead slowly began to disperse as the static in the air faded. He turned to the referee and nodded, signaling that he was ready for the next challenger.
The referee glanced at the registration list and announced in a clear voice, "Next up, challenger Corina, please enter the arena!"
'Corina?'
Naoki blinked in surprise at the name. If he remembered correctly, that was the ten-year-old girl who had just recently started her Pokémon journey. She didn't have any badges yet—this would be her first official Gym battle.
Which meant… he needed to adjust his team accordingly.
Naoki already had a Pokémon in mind for a beginner challenger.
But as the moments ticked by, no one appeared at the opposite gate.
Naoki tilted his head. "Huh?"
The referee called out again, this time a little louder, "Challenger Corina? You're up for the next match at the Levincia Gym. Please proceed to the central square!"
A few seconds later, a small figure came running out from the sidelines. A girl with long pink hair, no older than ten, nervously approached the battlefield, clutching a trembling Ralts in her arms.
She had clearly watched the entire previous match, from the devastating entrance of Zapdos to its thunderous victories. And now, she was supposed to fight the same Gym Leader?
Corina looked at Naoki with wide, anxious eyes. She felt like her legs might give out at any moment.
Even the Ralts in her arms was shivering.
'That Zapdos… it was like a god of lightning. If we get hit by that, we'll be fried like toast,' the little Psychic-Type thought to itself, nearly whimpering.
At that moment, both trainer and Pokémon were overwhelmed by the same instinctive thought:
"Mom… it's too scary here… I wanna go home!"
As Corina stepped into the challenger's area, Naoki noticed her nervous expression.
He assumed she was just overwhelmed by the crowd—after all, it was her first Gym battle in front of an audience.
To put her at ease, Naoki gave her a gentle smile and spoke warmly. "Hey there. I'm Naoki, the acting Gym Leader. Don't worry too much, this is just a friendly sparring match. Let's have some fun, alright?"
Corina's eyes widened in surprise at how kind he sounded. She tightened her grip on Ralts, then slowly nodded, trying her best to be brave.
'I want to collect all the badges... I want to compete in the Pokémon League... I want to be strong like Champion Geeta!'
With those thoughts, she whispered to her partner, "Ralts, don't be scared. We'll do our best together, okay? Let's win our first badge!"
Ralts, seeing her determination, took a deep breath and gave a tiny, brave nod.
Naoki smiled again, then reached for a different Poké Ball from his belt. "Come on out, Jolteon!"
A white flash revealed the nimble Electric-type Pokémon, fur crackling softly with static. It stretched, yawned, and looked mildly annoyed to be disturbed from its afternoon nap.
"The rules for this match are one-on-one," Naoki explained. "Each side will send out a single Pokémon. The battle ends when either side is unable to continue."
Corina blinked, confused. "One Pokémon? That's it?"
She looked up again at Jolteon… and then back down at her Ralts.
'Wait, is he not using the thunder monster bird from before?'
Ralts also peeked at Jolteon, visibly relaxing now that the battlefield didn't contain a living lightning storm.
Their mood changed in an instant. Corina clenched her tiny fists in determination.
"Go, Ralts!"
With a burst of courage, Ralts jumped down from her arms and took its place on the battlefield, facing Jolteon with newfound bravery.
Naoki raised an eyebrow in mild amusement. "Ralts, huh? Definitely a newcomer."
But his expression remained soft. He knew how much these early battles meant to beginning trainers.
The referee, seeing that both sides were ready, blew the whistle to begin.
"Ralts, use Telekinesis!" Corina called out.
Like many beginning Trainers, her command was simple and direct—just go for it. She was clearly new to Pokémon battles, but her heart was in the right place.
Responding immediately, a soft blue light shimmered in Ralts' eyes. Its tiny hands glowed faintly as it summoned a gentle telekinetic force and hurled it toward Jolteon.
"Jolteon, dodge it!" Naoki commanded calmly.
With lightning-fast reflexes, Jolteon darted around the battlefield in a blur, easily avoiding the wave of psychic energy.
"It missed?!" Corina gasped. A surge of panic hit her as she quickly gave the next order. "Try again, another Telekinesis!"
Ralts nodded, still catching its breath, and began summoning another wave of energy. Then another. And another.
One by one, glowing bursts of telekinetic energy flew across the battlefield, but none were able to connect with the nimble Electric-type, who zipped effortlessly from side to side. Jolteon's agility was simply on another level.
After a few more attempts, Ralts was clearly exhausted. Its breathing grew heavier, and its body wobbled slightly. It had used up much of its psychic stamina in a short amount of time.
Seeing the moment to act, Naoki spoke calmly. "Jolteon, use Electroweb."
Jolteon's ears twitched. Without breaking pace, it turned mid-run and dashed straight toward Ralts. Leaping into the air, it opened its mouth and unleashed a burst of crackling energy.
A golden sphere of electricity shot out and rapidly expanded mid-air, transforming into a glowing net of charged threads. It descended in a blink and wrapped around Ralts with precision.
"Raaahhh...!" Ralts cried out briefly before collapsing under the jolt of electric energy.
"Ralts!" Corina yelped, taking a step forward.
The referee quickly stepped in, examined the Pokémon, and raised their hand.
"Ralts is unable to battle! The winner of this Gym match is Naoki, the Gym Leader of Levincia!"
Naoki stood silently for a moment.
"You just started your journey not too long ago, right?" Naoki asked gently.
Corina returned Ralts to its Poké Ball, planning to take it to the Pokémon Center later. Hearing his question, she nodded.
"Yeah. I set out just a week ago!"
No wonder… Naoki gave a subtle smile but didn't tease her. Instead, he offered some honest advice.
"It's still a bit early for you to challenge Gyms. Judging by your Ralts, it probably hasn't learned many moves yet, right? In this condition, winning a Gym battle is really difficult."
"Huh?" Corina blinked, confused. "Then what should I do?"
Naoki took a moment, then explained patiently. "Special training. Take Ralts out into the wild and train together. Battle with wild Pokémon, or friendly Trainers. Let it gain real experience, build stamina, and gradually learn new moves. When it gets stronger, come back and challenge the Gym again."
It was a realistic suggestion, especially for someone with Ralts. Unlike hardy starters like Charmander or Squirtle, Ralts is fragile and only learns a few basic attacks early on. Smart Trainers usually catch a second Pokémon to help support Ralts in the beginning.
But it looked like Corina only had her Ralts…
The girl paused thoughtfully, then gave a firm nod. "I understand. Thank you, Mr. Gym Leader!"
She clenched her fists in determination. "We'll train hard and become stronger! Then we'll come back and challenge you again!"
Naoki gave her an encouraging smile. "I'll be looking forward to seeing how much you grow."
With that, Corina turned and left the square with her Ralts.
Her first stop was the Pokémon Center in Levincia, and then she headed toward the forest outside the city to begin her special training journey.
Meanwhile, Naoki was preparing for his third challenger of the day.
The next Trainer was Renzo, a calm and sturdy-looking boy from the Galar region who had placed in the Top 16 of the Galar Champion's Cup. He had already collected five Gym Badges.
Facing him now across the battlefield, Naoki gave a nod of respect.
"Welcome to the Levincia Gym. I'm Naoki, the Gym Leader. This battle will be a standard 3-on-3. The match ends when all Pokémon on one side can no longer battle."
Naoki reached for a familiar Poké Ball and tossed it into the air. With a flash of white light, Jolteon leapt out and landed nimbly on the battlefield, fur bristling with energy.
Renzo responded with calm confidence. "I'm honored. Let's give it our best. Go, my partner!"
A thunderous rumble echoed as the Poké Ball released a massive, metallic Pokémon. Its enormous, segmented body gleamed like polished steel, and red eyes glared with intimidating focus. The ground shook beneath it.
"Steelix!" someone in the audience gasped.
A ripple of reactions spread through the spectators.
"Oh no, it's Steelix!"
"Electric-types don't work against Ground-types!"
"Steelix is part-Ground and completely immune to Electric attacks. Jolteon's going to have a hard time…"
"That thing looks battle-hardened too. Can it even handle Zapdos if it comes out later?"
"The Gym Leader's in trouble this time!"
Whispers and excited chatter filled the square as the new showdown was about to begin.
...
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