Daisy walked up towards the gym, marveling at its architecture. It was so beautiful that it was one of the nominees to become one of the five wonders of the Indigo region.
The entrance was framed by two massive statues of Pokémon, one a fierce Charizard and the other a serene Venasaur symbolizing the balance of power and grace.
One was in honour of the gym's previous gym leader, Gym Leader Gladion's mother and the other in memory of the one who was given the position of gym leader for his war contributions for Kanto, Maren Vortex.
Daisy couldn't help but pause for a moment, taking it all in. No wonder this gym was famous, not just for its battles but for its breathtaking design.
She pushed open the glass doors and stepped inside the lobby washing.
She walked toward the reception desk to register for a battle. Behind the desk sat a kid, maybe a year older than her, typing away on a computer. She recognized him immediately as Kai, one of the two assistants of Gym Leader Gladion.
As Daisy approached, she overheard Kai talking to another trainer about a new format challenge the gym had recently introduced. It wasn't for a badge but was designed to train trainers and, well, to have fun. Daisy leaned in slightly, curious to hear more.
"Since you've already won the gym badge, you can try some new fun challenges," Kai was saying to the trainer, a boy with a eevee perched on his shoulder.
"We've introduced something new. You see, Gym Leader Gladion has a lot of Pokémon of different types here. Fire, Grass, Water, Ghost, Psychic, Rock, Ground, Normal, Flying, Electric, Dark, Fairy, Fighting—every type except Dragon is here. Say you want to fight against Water-type Pokémon. You can have a 3-v-3 battle against Water Pokémon from the gym. If you win, you get a reward in memory of your victory. Like a water badge. You can collect as many badges as you want. It's great for training against specific types. It's especially helpful for early specialists or those who want to decide which type they want to specialize in."
Kai leaned forward, his eyes bright with enthusiasm. "For example, say you want to specialize in Electric types. You can take on a Rock-type challenge to understand the weaknesses of Electric types against Rock types and how to counter them."
Daisy's mind buzzed with excitement. 'That's ingenious', she thought. 'This gym offers such interesting events. No wonder it's busy throughout the league season, even though most trainers only visit it at the start.'
The idea of battling specific types to hone her skills was brilliant. It wasn't just about collecting badges as souvenirs. It was about growing as a trainer, learning how to adapt and strategize. She could see why Gladion's gym was so popular. It wasn't just a place to battle; it was a place to learn.
Kai continued, "Of course, these challenges are only for trainers with five badges or less. We can't be training so many Pokémon to a higher level. We also charge 10,000 Pokédollars for each challenge."
Daisy coughed a little at that, her eyes widening. 'Of course, Gym Leader Gladion found a way to make money from this', she thought, a wry smile tugging at her lips.
'Well, considering he has to take care of so many Pokémon, I guess he has the right to charge a high price.'
She remembered how much she'd spent on an Electrizer for one of her Pokémon, a purchase that had drained her savings for years. She could only imagine how much Gladion spent to keep his gym stocked with Pokémon of every type, all trained and ready for battle.
The restriction to trainers with five badges or less made sense. Training Pokémon to a level beyond that would require an immense amount of time and effort.
Gladion and his assistants were already busy running the gym and preparing for official badge battles. Taking on the additional task of training dozens of Pokémon to a higher level every day just wasn't feasible. It would pull them away from their core responsibilities, and Daisy respected that they'd set clear boundaries to keep the gym running smoothly.
The trainer in front of Kai handed over the Pokédollars for a challenge against Flying types. He admitted his Pokémon struggled against them, especially since they weren't trained to hit targets that moved so quickly in the sky. Daisy watched as he handed over his Pokédex, and Kai scanned it, confirming his eligibility for the challenge. The trainer looked nervous but excited.
Daisy's thoughts drifted to her own team. She'd been considering taking on a challenge against Fairy-type Pokémon to test her strategies since she did not know much about the new type.
But she quickly realized it wouldn't work, her Pokémon were already at a strength equivalent to at least six badges. The gym's rule about limiting challenges to trainers with five badges or less meant she didn't qualify. She sighed softly, a little disappointed but understanding the reasoning behind it.
Shaking off the thought, Daisy stepped up to the desk as the other trainer walked away. "I'd like to challenge Gym Leader Gladion for my second badge," she said confidently, handing over her Pokédex.
Kai took it and scanned it, his eyes widening as the screen lit up with her information. Daisy was used to that reaction. Being Professor Oak's granddaughter came with a certain reputation, and her name often sparked surprise or curiosity. She stood a little taller, trying not to let it faze her.
"I'd also want the battle to be a six-badge-level one," Daisy added.
Kai looked at her, one eyebrow raised. "Are you sure? You only have one badge."
"Yes, I'm sure," Daisy replied, meeting his gaze. She wasn't here to play it safe. She wanted to push herself, to see how far she and her Pokémon could go.
Kai grinned, clearly impressed. "Boss would be happy to hear this. He told me a story once about how he challenged gyms with higher badge levels to train himself and his Pokémon back when he was on his journey."
Daisy smiled, familiar with the story. Gym Leader Gladion's ourney as a trainer was famous. He'd faced challenges head-on, never shying away from a tough battle. Knowing he'd done the same thing gave Daisy a boost of confidence. If he could do it, so could she.
"You're lucky," Kai said, glancing at his computer screen. "There's no gym battle scheduled right now. Do you want to do it right away?"
Daisy nodded, her heart pounding with excitement. "Yes, let's do it."
Kai stood up, grabbing a set of keys from the desk. "Follow me," he said, leading her through a set of double doors into the gym's battlefield.
The arena was massive. Daisy's eyes were drawn to the center of the field, where two of Gladion's Pokémon were duking it out.
A Magmortar and an Electivire faced off, their movements swift and powerful. Daisy's breath caught as Magmortar unleashed a Flamethrower, the flames roaring across the arena. Electivire countered with a Thunder, the electric bolts meeting the fire in midair.
The collision caused a massive explosion, the shockwave sending a gust of wind that ruffled Daisy's hair and made her eyes widen at the sheer power on display.
She stood frozen, awestruck by the intensity of the battle. These weren't just any Pokémon. Gladion's main team was on another level.
Gladion, who had been watching his Pokémon from the sidelines, turned and noticed her. A small smile spread across his face. He raised a hand, signaling his Pokémon to stop. "Ah, Zeus, Arsenal, enough," he called out, his voice calm but commanding. "It looks like we have a challenger."
-----Author Notes------
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