Gladion woke up with a migraine.
He opened his eyes slowly, stared at the ceiling for several seconds, and immediately regretted doing so.
The sunlight entering through the window felt like someone was repeatedly driving a hammer into his skull. His head throbbed and the faint sounds coming from outside did absolutely nothing to improve his mood.
For several moments, Gladion simply remained in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling while trying to remember exactly what had happened the previous night.
Then he remembered. His Pokémon had celebrated the evolutions of Sasuke and Saber with alcohol. A lot of berry alcohol.
Gladion slowly sat up and pressed two fingers against his temples. "I should have known better than to let Hydros decide how much everyone was allowed to drink."
He sighed and dragged himself out of bed. "Actually, I should have known better than to let Hydros near alcohol in the first place."
He walked toward the ranch, expecting to find the aftermath of a party. What he found looked more like the aftermath of a natural disaster.
Zeus was lying flat on his back with his arms spread across the grass, completely unconscious. Every few seconds, a tiny spark of electricity escaped from his body before disappearing into the air.
Arsenal was sleeping nearby with one of his cannon arms pointed toward the sky, smoke still occasionally drifting from the barrel.
Guy was sprawled across Rocky's enormous body like he had defeated him in some legendary wrestling match, while Rocky appeared to have accepted his fate and simply slept through it.
Hydros was sleeping beside an empty pile of berry bottles, looking far too peaceful for someone who had caused half the disaster.
Even Collosus, the usually stern Alpha Tyranitar, had finally succumbed to exhaustion and was sitting against a tree with his arms crossed and his head tilted forward.
Gladion stared at the scene. "How did none of you manage to destroy the ranch?"
As if answering him, Collosus opened one eye.
Gladion's expression immediately became suspicious. "Don't tell me."
Collosus slowly closed his eye again. Gladion looked toward the distant horizon and saw the unmistakable remains of a mountain that had not existed in quite the same shape yesterday.
He covered his face with one hand. "Right. I forgot about that."
The rest of his Pokémon were scattered around the ranch in similarly embarrassing positions. Mystique was curled up near the pond, peacefully sleeping beneath the shade of a tree.
Sasuke and Saber were asleep several meters apart, apparently too stubborn to sleep beside each other even after exhausting themselves in battle.
Ultron was the only one who looked remotely respectable. The Metagross was hovering several feet above the ground, perfectly still.
Gladion stared at him. "Were you drinking?"
Ultron's eyes opened.[I consumed exactly three glasses of the berry beverages.]
Gladion raised an eyebrow. "And?"
[They were inefficient. I have calculated that their primary purpose was to reduce cognitive function while increasing confidence.]
Gladion stared at him for a moment before nodding. "That is, unfortunately, exactly what alcohol does."
Ultron's eyes narrowed slightly. [Then I fail to understand why organic beings willingly consume it.]
Gladion looked at the sleeping Zeus, Arsenal, Guy, Rocky, and Hydros.
"Neither do I."
After making sure none of his Pokémon had somehow injured themselves, Gladion reluctantly returned to the main building.
He wanted nothing more than to spend the entire day in bed, preferably somewhere dark and quiet, with no responsibilities and absolutely no visitors.
Unfortunately, he was a Gym Leader. Being a Gym Leader came with responsibilities.
Trainers expected the Gym to be open. Battles had to be conducted. Badges had to be awarded. Records needed to be maintained. There were reports to sign, staff to manage, and challengers who had traveled long distances specifically for the opportunity to battle him.
Gladion looked at the pile of paperwork sitting on his desk. He looked at his bed.
Then he looked back at the paperwork.
"Maybe I can pretend I died."
Ultron, who had followed him inside, immediately responded. [That would negatively affect public confidence in the Gym and you, Master.]
Gladion sighed. With no other choice, Gladion dragged himself through the morning.
His first challenger was an enthusiastic young trainer who entered the Gym with far more confidence than experience. Gladion decided not to embarrass him too badly and allowed the battle to proceed at a reasonable pace.
Even with his migraine, Gladion had no trouble defeating the trainer, though he made sure to give him some advice afterward.
"Your Pokémon aren't weak," Gladion told him as the trainer recalled his defeated Pokémon. "Your biggest problem is that you're thinking about your next attack before understanding what your opponent is doing. Watch their movements first. Once you understand their habits, then decide how to respond."
The trainer nodded enthusiastically before leaving with renewed determination.
Gladion watched him leave and sighed. "One down."
He rubbed his forehead. The Gym doors opened.
Gladion glanced toward the entrance. At first, he expected another ordinary challenger. Then he heard running footsteps.
A young man suddenly came sprinting into the Gym. He had brown hair, a confident expression, and the kind of entrance that made Gladion immediately wonder whether he had somehow wandered into the wrong building.
Behind him came several girls dressed in matching outfits, all of them running after him while enthusiastically waving pom-poms.
Gladion blinked. The young man stopped directly in front of him, nearly skidding across the polished floor.
"GYM LEADER GLADION!"
Gladion stared. The young man pointed at him with both hands, his face glowing with excitement. "It's actually you! It's really you! You're Gladion! The Gladion! The Gym Leader! The businessman! The guy who fought Legendaries! The guy who is the Richest on the Continent ! The man who invented Special Media! The guy who has Legendary Pokémon! The guy who—"
"Do you need to breathe?" Gladion asked.
The young man inhaled deeply. "No."
Gladion sighed. The girls behind him immediately started cheering.
"Gary! Gary! Gary!"
"That's the man himself!"
"Give him your best introduction, Gary!"
"Show Gladion that you're his greatest challenger!"
Gary Oak puffed out his chest proudly.
"Gladion, I'm Gary Oak! Grandson of Professor Oak! Researcher-in-training! Pokémon battler! Future Pokémon Master! And, most importantly..."
He pointed at himself. "Your biggest fan!"
Gladion stared at him. Gary's grin widened.
"Big fan, me, Gladion!"
Gladion slowly raised an eyebrow. "That sentence somehow managed to make less sense the longer you spoke."
-----Author Notes------
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