Pokemon: Gym Leader

After dinner, Dylan returned to the gym.

As he stared at the iconic giant roulette wheel in the lobby, he paused in thought.

"Asha."

"Yes! I'm here, Gym Leader Dylan!"

"Call the craftsman and have the roulette updated. Add Grass-type to it."

"On it~!"

Asha cheerfully took out her phone and made the call with practiced ease.

"Grass-type?"

Selene tilted her head, already imagining the comments the internet would have about their gym.

"Grass! The infamous devious dragon-ghost gym strikes again?"

Selene chuckled at the thought. A name like that sounded perfect! But she was also curious about how Dylan planned to utilize Grass-types in his gym.

Still, Selene was confident it would be something unique. After all, Dylan was her teacher—there was no way he'd settle for anything boring! Her faith in him was absolute.

"You two, show Yellow around the gym and help her pick out a room."

"We have weekends off, Yellow, so you'll have time to visit your family every week. Don't worry," Dylan said warmly to his new apprentice.

Of course, Dylan always treated his own people with kindness. Even when dealing with opponents, as a "sunny Gym Leader" under the League, he maintained his trademark sincerity—like with his "beloved" Giovanni and Lance.

Sigh... It's been a while since I've seen them. I wonder where Proton and Archer are now. Maybe I should invite them to join Athena in prison. Visiting one would let me visit all three at once.

"Yes! Thank you, Gym Leader Dylan~!"

Yellow, ever polite and kind, bowed deeply. Her innocent face was filled with excitement and gratitude.

"Go pick your new room, then have Selene and Asha take you to buy some necessities. Ask Lillie for the money—it'll be an advance on your salary," Dylan said with a smile, patting Yellow's golden hair. She was such a sweet kid.

With that, Dylan headed to the backyard.

As soon as he stepped into the backyard, a familiar pink blur flew toward him.

"Meow~!"

"Meow~ Meow-meow~!"

"Snorlaxette, did you miss me?"

Dylan grinned as he caught the round-bellied Clefairy, giving its chubby tummy a good rub. Ah, the texture was as satisfying as ever.

"Meow~!" Clefairy blinked its large, sparkling eyes, cooing affectionately.

But it didn't take long for Clefairy to notice the small turtle perched on Dylan's shoulder. Its wide eyes grew curious—it could tell this was no ordinary Pokémon.

"Terapagos~"

Terapagos gazed curiously at Clefairy in return. Having slept for so long, Terapagos's memory of other Pokémon was fuzzy, and this round creature intrigued it.

"This is Terapagos, my newly caught Pokémon," Dylan explained as he set both Terapagos and Clefairy on the ground.

Then, he released more Pokémon from their Poké Balls—Meowscarada and the others appeared one by one. As for the Paradox Pokémon he had recently caught, Dylan refrained from releasing them for now.

The Paradox Pokémon were fierce and temperamental. They'd need some training before they could be properly integrated into his gym. Otherwise, chaos would surely ensue, and Dylan wasn't looking for trouble.

"My Grass-type team is almost complete," Dylan mused as he laid out a picnic mat and sat down to think.

He already had Meowscarada, Vileplume, and the newly caught Paradox Pokémon, Brute Bonnet and Iron Leaves. That's right—Iron Leaves!

After catching Terapagos and returning to the Zero Lab, Dylan had asked the AI versions of Sada and Turo about the locations of other Paradox Pokémon. He had promptly "packed them all up and taken them home."

With these Grass-types, plus the three new additions he'd received recently, he already had more than enough for a full team.

However, Meowscarada and the others weren't suitable for facing regular challengers, so he needed some additional options.

"I should get an Amoonguss and also Scovillain," Dylan muttered, considering how to round out the team.

He already had several offensive powerhouses—Meowscarada, Rillaboom, and Iron Leaves were all heavy hitters.

"I should also get a Serperior—high aesthetics," Dylan added to his mental list.

The regal Grass Snake Pokémon had always appealed to him with its elegant design. While its Contrary ability was a double-edged sword, Dylan felt it was worth the risk.

"All right, so what's the next team I should build?" Dylan wondered aloud.

"Maybe a Fire-type team? That one's almost ready too. Just needs a few more additions."

He already had several Fire-types on hand: Incineroar, Ceruledge, and Volcarona. Adding the recently caught Iron Moth and Charcadet, plus a Drought Ninetales, would round it out nicely.

"I should ask Charles for a Charmander. You can't have a Fire team without a Charizard," Dylan said decisively, dialing Chairman Charles.

Charmander was relatively rare in the wild, but more importantly, starter Pokémon were usually controlled and distributed by regional leagues.

Asking Charles for one was the simplest solution.

"Good afternoon, Chairman Charles! Have you had lunch yet?"

"Hey, come on now, I can't call you without needing something? Haha, well, actually, I do have a small favor to ask..."

Dylan cleared his throat awkwardly. Charles wasn't one to let him get away with any pretense.

"Chairman, as someone born and raised in Kanto, don't you think I'm missing something?"

"A Pokémon that represents Kanto's pride, of course! No, not Dragonite—I mean Charizard!"

"Yes, I'd like a Charmander for a Fire-type team. Preferably one with the Solar Power ability."

"Great! Thank you, Chairman! Oh, and while you're at it, could you find me two Drought Vulpix as well? You're the best, Chairman Charles!"

Dylan ended the call feeling thoroughly pleased. Connections truly were everything. Charles was such a reliable ally.

By evening, Dylan had three new Pokémon in hand.

"Come on out," Dylan said as he released them into the backyard.

Three beams of light flashed, revealing three adorable Pokémon.

On the left was a lizard-like Pokémon with a round, shiny head and a flame burning on its tail.

It was a Charmander, but what surprised Dylan most was its golden-yellow coloration.

"A shiny Charmander? The Chairman really went all out," Dylan said, delighted. Shiny Charizard, with its sleek black design, was nothing short of iconic.

Beside Charmander were two Vulpix, their jewel-like eyes sparkling as they curiously observed Dylan.

"You little cuties," Dylan said as he crouched to pet the foxes' fluffy heads, giving Charmander's shiny dome a playful rub while he was at it.

Half a month passed, and the Rota Gym's reputation grew even brighter.

That day, the gym welcomed the return of a familiar face.

"Hmph! Rota Gym! The great Blue is back!"

The gym doors swung open as a confident, sharp-eyed young man strode in, one hand in his pocket.

"You are... Mr. Blue?"

Seated at the front desk, Asha stood up and recognized him after a moment's thought.

Wasn't this guy Garry's older brother?

"That's right! It's me. Is Dylan here?" Blue asked, glancing around the gym with satisfaction.

"Blue."

"Dylan!"

Blue's sharp gaze locked onto Dylan's.

"Today, I'll show you the results of my training! I've reached Champion level!"

Blue's grin grew cockier.

As he spun the roulette wheel, the arrow landed on the green Grass-type section.

"Hah! Grass-types? Easy win for me," Blue said with a smirk.

(End of Chapter)