Pokemon: Gym Leader

Dylan looked at Erika with a puzzled expression. What kind of question is this?

"Miss Erika, you sure love to joke," Dylan said with a forced smile.

"We are all law-abiding citizens, and violence is not the answer. Moreover, my care for the challengers is visible to the naked eye. How could Miss Erika have such dangerous thoughts?"

Dylan put on a serious face.

"Kehehe~!"

Shiny Gengar, with its short arms on its hips, nodded constantly. It agreed wholeheartedly with its trainer!

(Black Guy Question Mark.jpg) ×5

No, we think you're the one joking! How can you say something so ridiculous with such a straight face? Even Flint would have to take a supporting role with that level of acting!

Erika, Flint, and Daisy all had dark lines on their foreheads.

"Hehehe... Mr. Dylan, you really are..."

Even Miss Erika didn't know how to respond at this moment.

Do you seriously dare to say that? Where exactly have you shown care for challengers? You're obviously just playing around with them!

Look at your Gengar—it can laugh so "cheerfully" even when hurting itself with Curse! The saying "Like trainer, like Pokémon" fits you too well!

"Mr. Dylan, as long as you're happy," Erika finally replied after organizing her thoughts for quite some time.

Now it seems that the notice on Lota Street, saying "Dylan, a man as warm as the sun," is just too fitting.

But Erika soon started to feel her scalp tingle when she looked at the Shiny Gengar. She specialized in Grass-type Pokémon, and battling Gengar was already tough. Now, this Gengar was playing like this—how could she possibly fight it?

However, as the Gym Leader, Erika knew surrendering was not an option. She had to set an example for all trainers who challenge the Rota Gym!

"Bellossom, I'm counting on you!"

Erika, gathering her resolve, threw out her fourth and final Pokémon for this Gym battle.

With a flash of light, a cute Pokémon in a leafy dress appeared before Erika. It was none other than the Grass-type Bellossom, an alternative evolution of Gloom.

The little Pokémon looked adorable, with two lovely flowers hanging on either side of its head, small arms, and a skirt made of leaves. Its face wore a fresh and cheerful smile, radiating a healing presence.

'Beep~ Bellossom, Grass-type, Flower Pokémon.

Ability: Chlorophyll.

Moves: Moonblast, Grassy Terrain, Quiver Dance, Moonlight, Giga Drain, Petal Dance, Teeter Dance (Egg Move)…

Description: Bellossom sometimes gather together and dance as if performing a ritual to summon the sun.'

How cute! Lillie blinked her big eyes, quite fond of Bellossom.

She loved these cute and adorable Pokémon! It was just her girly side.

"Bellossom, huh?" Dylan sized up the pretty Bellossom, noticing how well Erika had raised it.

"I feel like Erika is in trouble."

"It's only natural~ After all, her opponent is Dylan, the master of that vicious ghost!"

Flint was a bit worried. As a fellow girl, she hoped Erika could win, but Daisy just shrugged.

Dylan not only had sharp battle instincts, but his Pokémon were incredibly strong, and his tactics were borderline insane.

Erika, whose type advantage wasn't in her favor, would have a hard time winning.

On the battlefield.

"Bellossom, Teeter Dance!"

Erika's expression was serious. Even though she knew the odds were slim, she had to give it her all.

If she could defeat this Gengar, that would be even better!

"Taunt," Dylan smirked, raising an eyebrow.

Bellossom swayed its little arms and began dancing in a wobbly manner.

Teeter Dance, a Normal-type move, could confuse the opponent. Dylan's Gloom had used it in a previous battle with Gary.

But unlike Gloom's clumsy movements, Bellossom's dance was quite graceful—this was the difference in cuteness, for sure.

Before Bellossom could dance for even a second, Gengar let out a mischievous "Kehehehe" and began taunting it, mockingly imitating Bellossom's movements with its tiny arms.

Gengar was mimicking Bellossom's dance! Though its imitation was nowhere near perfect, you could visibly see the veins popping on Bellossom's little face.

Dark-type Taunt (Critical Hit)!

"…" Erika was stunned as she watched Gengar's actions. Whose idea of taunting is this?? This is straight-up mockery!

Dylan, however, was quite pleased with his gray, chubby ghost. This Gengar really had a gift!

He'd decided—he was going to use Gengar more often. He loved it!

"Kehehehe~"

Shiny Gengar's eyes glowed eerily as it continued to mock Bellossom with exaggerated motions, all while emitting an infuriatingly playful laugh.

"Bello!!"

Bellossom was furious now. How dare this cursed fiend insult me so!? With a twist of its arms, a flurry of pink petals shot out.

It was Petal Dance, a Grass-type move!

Gengar's taunt had worked perfectly, triggering Bellossom to launch its attack.

It's mad—it's really mad!

Gengar's laughter grew louder as it floated around, dodging Bellossom's petal barrage. Despite its exhaustion, Bellossom refused to stop the assault.

However, Petal Dance, despite its power, has a side effect!

After several missed attacks, Bellossom was panting heavily, its head swimming and its steps unsteady like a drunkard.

It was confused…

Erika sighed, rubbing her forehead. There was nothing more she could do.

"Hypnosis," Dylan chuckled, knowing the battle was now decided. This Gengar was a genius!

Gengar floated over to the confused Bellossom, and confusion didn't prevent status effects.

Under the spell of Hypnosis, Bellossom fell into a deep sleep.

From there, it was simple—Dream Eater + Dream Eater. After two rounds, Bellossom was still hanging on, so Gengar finished it off with a Shadow Ball.

Bellossom was completely knocked out.

"Bellossom is unable to battle. Since all four of Miss Erika's Pokémon have been defeated, the winner of this match is Gym Leader Dylan," Violet announced the result.

Erika had lost…

Erika gazed at her fainted Bellossom and let out a small sigh of disappointment. She had expected that she might not win against Gym Leader Dylan.

However, Erika didn't anticipate that even with Dylan holding back, she could only defeat one of his Pokémon.

That Gengar was just too powerful. Clearly, she still had room for improvement.

Recalling Bellossom, Erika looked over at Dylan and his Gengar on the other side. At that moment, Dylan was already walking toward her.

"That was a great battle, Miss Erika," Dylan said, smiling as he extended his hand to her.

"Sorry, I'm afraid my performance was quite poor," Erika glanced at the shiny Gengar standing obediently behind Dylan, then reluctantly shook Dylan's hand.

"Not at all. While the outcome might not have been what you hoped for, through this battle, I can confirm that Miss Erika is indeed an excellent Trainer," Dylan shook his head and, after withdrawing his hand, took a beautifully decorated box out of his pocket.

In this 4v4 battle, Erika suffered a significant defeat, managing to take down only the Ceruledge before being overwhelmed by Gengar.

Yet, Dylan knew well that Erika had done quite well. Both Ceruledge and the shiny Gengar had type advantages over Erika's team.

"Please accept this Ghost Rota Badge, Miss Erika," Dylan said, opening the ornate box and presenting it to her with a smile.

"This..." Erika hesitated.

Although she had joked in the chat group about wanting a Rota Badge as a souvenir, the decisive loss made her feel a bit embarrassed to accept it.

"There's no need to feel conflicted. This badge isn't given because of your status, but because I'm convinced from the battle that you truly deserve it, Miss Erika," Dylan saw through Erika's concerns and spoke gently, adding a hint of humor.

As a fellow Gym Leader, Erika knew the criteria for awarding badges. "Or are you saying that you look down on my badge?" he teased.

"If I accept, this would be the first of the new Rota Badges issued by your Gym, wouldn't it?" Erika asked, eyeing the Ghost Rota Badge in the box with interest.

The badge was a deep blue, representing the Ghost-type, and it featured a small ghost figure made of gemstones on the original Rota Badge design.

With her keen eye, Erika could tell that even without considering its significance, the badge itself was quite valuable.

"That's right, which makes it even more special," Dylan confirmed.

The idea of having the first new Rota Badge was tempting, and Erika couldn't resist any longer. "Then, I'll gladly accept!" she said.

Taking the Ghost Rota Badge in hand, Erika felt its smooth, jade-like texture, and her previous disappointment melted away.

"Wow~ I'm so jealous! I want one of Dylan's badges too; it's gorgeous!" Daisy and the others walked over, and Lily leaned in to admire the badge in Erika's hand, her eyes practically sparkling as she glanced at Dylan with a clear hint in her expression.

"Miss Lily, you can always come and challenge the Gym," Dylan said with a smile, pretending not to notice her gaze.

"Eh? There's no way I'd manage that!" Lily replied in a dejected tone.

Challenge the Rota Gym? That would be asking for trouble.

It seemed she would have to wait for Misty to come back and challenge on her behalf. Surely, getting a badge for her sister wouldn't be too much, right? Hopefully, by then, the Rota Gym would have a Water-type Rota Badge because Lily preferred that type.

"Haha~ With Dylan's difficulty level, this badge will surely become one of the rarest," Flint laughed.

He had no doubt that in the future, the most challenging badge to earn in the Kanto region would no longer be the Earth Badge or the Volcano Badge, but the Rota Badge.

Daisy and the others nodded in agreement, while Erika lightly rubbed the Ghost Rota Badge in her hand, already cherishing it.

After Erika's challenge concluded, Dylan gave the group a tour around the Rota Gym. When they saw the extravagant backyard, they couldn't help but marvel at Dylan's wealth.

Eventually, they returned to the guest lounge to rest. As they chatted, Erika carefully put the Ghost Rota Badge back in its beautiful box and began snapping photos.

Gym Leader Chat Group.

Celadon Gym - Erika: Hehehe~ My one-day tour at the Rota Gym was perfect! Plus, I had the chance to battle with Gym Leader Dylan, learned a lot, and earned his recognition, even receiving a badge~ Ta-da~ It's a Ghost-type! (Happy.jpg)

Celadon Gym - Erika: @everyone, (Group photo) (Ghost Rota Badge picture)

With rapid speed, Erika posted the message along with a picture of herself, Dylan, Lillie, Selene, and other Rota Gym staff.

Not quite satisfied, Erika also uploaded the photos to her personal social media account.

"Erika is so sneaky," Violet and the others who were tagged rolled their eyes in unison.

Erika: (ˇ︶ˇ)

As the Celadon Gym Leader, Erika had a lot of followers, and comments quickly flooded in.

"No way! Did Erika actually manage to get a Rota Badge? Did you really beat Dylan? (Suspicious.jpg)"

"Hard to believe. More likely, Dylan was just going easy on her. (Sour Lemon.jpg)"

"Wow~! Erika is amazing! That little ghost badge is so pretty! I want one… but the Rota Gym is way too hard! (Crying.jpg)"

"See! I told you! Grass-types are the way to go against Rota Gym! Didn't Erika win using Grass-types?"

"Are you even thinking? How can Grass-types beat the Rota Gym? There must be some under-the-table deal!"

Reading through the comments, Erika couldn't help but grin. It felt amazing to have a Rota Badge to show off! What a thrill!