(Translator- This is a reminder that this is an alternate Universe Fanfic, so many things will be similar and many will be different.)
After breakfast, Cynthia hurried off before the end of the year; she would no longer "ghost" the Sinnoh Pokémon League or vanish without a trace.
The New Year was an important holiday in this world too. Every year during this time, the Sinnoh Pokémon League held events, such as teaming up lucky Pokémon Trainers with the Elite Four and Champion for exhibition matches, or organizing charity battles among top Trainers to raise research funds for the academic Pokémon League or donations for people with rare conditions.
What Cynthia disliked was how the League habitually expected her to attend every little event. She had no interest in these trivial matters, which is why she had been in a long-term standoff with the Sinnoh Pokémon League over attendance.
She had no intention of ending up like Diantha once did.
This trip to Snowpoint City wasn't just about checking out the stone tablets; Cynthia had also brought along League business, though she didn't say what exactly.
Mai didn't go with Luther. She had seen a notice about a massive sale at a large department store and decided this was the perfect time to restock supplies; there was no way she was passing that up.
Luther, however, was staring at his phone's GPS in confusion.
He typed "Gym" into the search bar. Normally, in other cities, this would directly bring up the Gym's info and address. This time was no exception, but…
Why were there two Gyms in Snowpoint City?
One was Rockfist Gym, listed as a Fighting-type.
The other was Stonebreak Gym, also labeled as Fighting-type.
According to Pokémon League regulations, a city with an official Gym isn't supposed to have a second one.
Gyms are supposed to be symbols of a city's Trainer culture, iconic, singular institutions. So how did Snowpoint end up with two?
Luther initially thought the GPS might be listing an outdated Gym address. To figure out what was going on, he headed toward the closest one, Rockfist Gym.
Following the GPS through several twists and turns, he asked a passerby along the way if they knew anything about the two Gyms. The person wasn't a dedicated Pokémon Trainer and didn't know the details but did confirm both Gyms existed simultaneously and that neither was a former location of the other.
Still confused, Luther eventually found Rockfist Gym tucked away in a small alley of Snowpoint City.
The moment he saw it, he thought he'd walked into the wrong place.
The front gate was run-down, the courtyard completely neglected. Maybe it was the cramped alley space, but stepping through the gate gave Luther a strange sense of "hidden depth", though it turned out to be an illusion.
The only thing "spacious" was the size. The place was barren, with no decorations, leaving the whole area feeling desolate. Such a waste of space.
Wasn't a Gym supposed to represent the culture of a city's Trainers? This? This was it?
Then Luther stepped on the threshold and snapped it in half, completely rotted through, and he was utterly dumbfounded.
Was this some kind of joke?
People usually say "the threshold's worn down from too many visitors," but he was just one guy! Did he weigh a ton or something?
Even the abandoned Old Chateau in the forest hadn't looked this bad, and that place had been deserted for years.
Calling out as he walked in, "Anyone here?", Luther somehow made it all the way to what appeared to be the battle area without being stopped.
He wished he hadn't looked around.
The battlefield was pitted and uneven, scattered with rubble and dust. A once-grand calligraphy scroll with the word "Insight" hung crookedly on the wall, now faded and tattered, looking like it might fall any second.
Was this really a Fighting-type Gym? This looked more like the kind of place a Ghost-type specialist would inhabit.
Then a shadow moved in the corner of Luther's eye, startling him.
Even though it was daytime, the Gym's dim lighting made the interior feel gloomy, so gloomy that the person approaching felt more like an apparition.
It was a scruffy middle-aged man holding a carpenter's saw, with stubble all over his face. Right behind him was a Machamp carrying half a log under its arm.
Their dramatic entrance completely stunned Luther, and even Kirlia, who had been silently shaking her head in disdain at the state of the place, was now frozen.
"Challenger?" The man asked.
"Are you the Gym Leader of Rockfist Gym?" Luther asked, totally confused.
"Yes, you can call me Endou."
Endou set down the saw in his hand, clapped the dust off his palms, and Machamp tossed the piece of wood aside as well.
"Gym Leader Endou, before the challenge, I want to ask a question. According to Pokémon League regulations, towns with an official Gym aren't permitted to establish a second one. So why does Snowpoint City have two Gyms?"
Endou took a sip of water and looked at Luther in surprise.
"Didn't you come to Rockfist Gym specifically to train yourself?"
"Train?" The question marks in Luther's mind multiplied. "What exactly do you mean?"
"Sharpen yourself through Pokémon Battles! Trainers who seek real strength come to Rockfist Gym. Only wimps go to Stonebreak Gym!"
…Okay, maybe that was meant to be a compliment. But it didn't actually answer Luther's question.
"Just to ask, does this Gym… have a Badge? A Badge that grants qualification to enter the Lily of the Valley Conference?"
Endou didn't say much. He simply pulled a finely crafted, silver fist-shaped Badge from his pocket.
Luther took it, a bit awkwardly, and scanned it with his Pokédex. The data that popped up matched a valid entry, confirming the Badge was authentic.
As soon as Luther pulled out his Pokédex, Endou opened his mouth slightly and looked seriously at Machamp. Machamp understood immediately and cracked his knuckles, both of them, Trainer and Pokémon, suddenly looked very serious.
"Badge verification complete. My name is Luther. I request a Gym Battle."
Luther handed the Badge back and made his formal declaration.
Endou nodded.
"The battle rules of Rockfist Gym follow the Limit Four format. Each Trainer uses three Pokémon. Both sides are allowed to switch freely, and there is no time limit for the battle."
It sounded no different from most Gyms. Luther was just about to start planning his lineup when Endou continued:
"What sets us apart from the standard Limit Four used in League-sanctioned battles is this, we submit the full data of our three Pokémon and their four moves in advance."
Luther paused, then understood.
In most League matches that use the "Limit Four" rules, Trainers choose their four moves during the battle. But there are exceptions, like the Champion match between Lucian and Cynthia, where both sides agreed to submit their move data beforehand.
The key difference between these two "Limit Four" formats is that the pre-submission version requires much more preparation. Since you can't change moves once the match starts, you have to account for every possible scenario beforehand.
Endou shook a nearby bell, and after a moment, a boy around 14 or 15 years old emerged from the back room.
"This is my son, Matsuto. He'll be acting as the referee. In ten minutes, we'll each take turns submitting our data under his supervision. Oh, and one more thing, Mr. Luther, you do know that in this format, using any move other than the four you submit will result in an automatic loss, right?"
"So make sure you clearly remember which moves you've entered."
Luther furrowed his brow. Honestly, this was starting to feel strange.
From what he knew, this pre-submission version of the Limit Four rules was an older format. Besides that one time Cynthia and Lucian whimsically used it, the modern Pokémon League had mostly standardized on the newer version.
He glanced down at Kirlia, who was tiptoeing eagerly, clearly trying to volunteer herself for the battle.
Luther smiled.
"Forget it. No point overthinking it. This is probably just one of this Gym's quirks.'"
(End of Chapter)
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