Upon hearing that there was another challenger, Nemona quickly walked out from the training grounds.
Then, she froze on the spot.
Wasn't this challenger a bit too young?
It must be a prank, right? There's no way such a small child is already challenging gyms. At least they should have a parent accompanying them!
But... wasn't I also running around in Unova with Lacey at this age...
(Lacey-senpai, fan-favorite character from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet DLC The Indigo Disk)
As Nemona thought about this, Aiden quickly spoke:
"Though you look a bit young... "
"I can feel your determination to challenge the gym, so I, Aiden, the leader of Sunlight Gym, accept your challenge!"
Aiden squatted down, looking seriously at the expectant Poppy.
Teacher Aiden, so cool!
Standing behind him, Nemona nodded repeatedly, feeling empathy as she heard Aiden agreeing to accept this little one's challenge.
When she used to recuperate in other regions, she once had dreams of becoming a trainer and visited many gyms across different regions.
But because she was too young and didn't meet the requirements for the Victory Road, she was often rejected.
Only two or three kind-hearted gym leaders accepted her challenge, and only the guy from Driftveil Gym truly treated her like a trainer.
A gym leader who treats all challengers equally, like Teacher Aiden, is actually very rare.
If only I could have met Teacher Aiden earlier!
Of course, Aiden's thoughts weren't as elaborate as what Nemona imagined.
As a gym leader, it would be disrespectful to reject a trainer's challenge based on their age.
Moreover, this little girl Poppy will become one of the Elite Four members in Paldea and set a record as the youngest Elite Four member in the region.
Even if he refused now, next year's Victory Road would eventually be challenged by a stronger her.
Since that's the case, why not give it a try now!
"Yay! Gym Leader Brother, you're a good person, the first gym leader to accept my challenge!"
Poppy clapped her hands together, looking very excited.
"Let's start quickly then! My Pokémon partners are already waiting eagerly!"
...
Sunlight Gym, outdoor battle arena.
Under Aiden and Nemona's guidance, Poppy quickly followed them to the battlefield outside the gym.
After the last time the field got completely wrecked by Draco Meteor and Dig, Aiden decided to move the battlefield further away from the gym during the renovation.
Now there shouldn't be any fear of the gym collapsing from battles...
Turns out being a gym leader is a high-risk occupation!
After standing firm on one side of the field, Poppy quickly mimicked the stance, trotting over to the other side on her short legs, signaling that she was ready.
Seeing this, Nemona nodded towards Aiden and slowly began:
"So, we will now commence a gym battle. The challenger is—"
"I'm Poppy! I specialize in Steel-type Pokémon!"
Poppy waved excitedly; her first gym battle made her look extremely thrilled.
"The default rule at Sunlight Gym is a 1v1 battle, with the challenger going first. When one side's Pokémon loses its ability to battle, the other side wins."
After briefly explaining the gym rules, Nemona quickly raised her arm.
"Then, let the battle begin!"
Both sides simultaneously took out a Poké Ball.
However, before Poppy could throw out her starter, Aiden smiled slightly and interrupted her action:
"Before the battle, as a gym leader, shouldn't I say something?"
Staring at the Poké Ball in his hand, Aiden spoke again.
"I am Aiden, the current leader of Sunlight Gym, and I don't have a particular type specialization."
"However, upon learning that Miss Poppy is a Steel-type trainer, I was a bit surprised."
"Because the Pokémon I'll be using for this week's gym assessment happens to be Poison-type."
Normally, the assessment process at Sunlight Gym should involve an exam to reveal the tactics I plan to use to challengers.
However, since he hadn't expected a trainer to come challenge him on a Friday, Aiden hadn't prepared.
That's why he directly provided information through verbal explanation to Poppy.
Steel is immune to Poison — this is an attribute relationship even elementary school kids in the Pokémon world can recite backward.
Poison and Steel types naturally lean more toward defense, with weaker offensive capabilities.
With an additional layer of immunity, the relationship between these two types becomes extremely clear.
It's almost impossible to fight effectively.
"But precisely because of this, this battle might show you the charm of Poison-types."
"Type advantages aren't absolute; sometimes they turn into traps that paralyze opponents. I believe you'll understand this statement better through our upcoming battle."
Aiden smiled faintly and threw out his Poké Ball first.
"My Pokémon is—Glimmora!"
A Pokémon with a bluish-purple body, unfolding like petals, appearing somewhat eerie, appeared in the air above the field.
For people in Paldea, Glimmora should be well-known.
Besides resembling the region's Chief Champion, Geeta, by about seventy to eighty percent, it's also a Pokémon Geeta frequently uses as her starter in tournaments.
Whenever Glimmora appears as a starter, it signifies that the top champion of Paldea, Geeta, is entering serious mode and is about to go ham.
Its Ability, Toxic Debris, often catches unprepared challengers off guard.
After early exploration of Area Zero's Grand Cavern, the League captured several Glimmora found only in Area Zero for research purposes.
So it wasn't difficult for Aiden to borrow one.
"Glimmora..."
After carefully listening to Aiden's words, Poppy stared at the seemingly harmless Glimmora, thought for a few seconds, and decided to recall the Pokémon she originally intended to send out.
Then, she switched to another Poké Ball.
"It's decided! Corviknight, it's your turn!"
According to this gym leader brother's words, the Glimmora in front seems not simple, thus requiring more careful handling.
"Huh?"
Seeing the black crow with steel feathers spreading its wings and flying, Nemona outside the field was a bit dumbfounded.
Is this little girl really that strong? She's only a few years old and already able to handle a fully evolved Pokémon...
Amazing!
"Corviknight, huh?"
Aiden nodded, not surprised by Poppy's choice.
After all, he knew that Poppy became a regional Elite Four member at the age of nine. By next year, according to the timeline, she should make an explosive appearance on the Victory Road.
So having a team of formidable steel warriors at this stage isn't surprising.
Meanwhile, the information about Corviknight appeared before him.
[Corviknight (Male)]
[Type: Flying + Steel]
[Ability: Mirror Armor]
This Corviknight is undoubtedly an extremely solid choice, showing that Poppy really listened to his words.
But it seems she misunderstood a bit...
Aiden shook his head helplessly, revealing a mysterious smile before the battle began.
Well then, let me give this future Elite Four member a little Poison-type surprise!
A/N: The Scarlet and Violet DLC doesn't explicitly state the relationship between Lacey and Nemona. We only know that Nemona went to challenge the Driftveil Gym, and being friends in the past is my personal addition - .-
Senior Lacey is really cute, hehehe, but her appearance will probably be very late.
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