Arriving in Celadon City, Yozora went straight to the Celadon Gym.
After a month of harsh training, his skin had tanned, and the bookish air he once carried was gone—replaced with a heroic sharpness.
Heroic.
That was the state of mind he embodied now.
Through this month of rigorous training, Yozora's body had grown stronger, muscles firming and his posture straighter than ever. From the inside out, he radiated an unmistakable confidence.
Every glance he cast carried a natural intimidation. To petty thugs or those with guilty consciences, even making eye contact with him would be difficult.
And of course, there was Aura!As an Aura Guardian—
Yozora's power of Aura had always surpassed his physical strength. Now, with his body honed, his Aura had only grown stronger. Meditation and mental discipline had refined it even further. Power gave him confidence, and confidence gave him presence.
Of course, he knew he was still far from his true goal. He still needed to work harder—at the very least, reaching his "small target" of earning a hundred million.
"Wow, what a handsome guy!"
"So handsome! Do you think he has a girlfriend?"
"…!"
The moment Yozora stepped into the Gym, he drew the attention of the female disciples training there.
Celadon Gym was run by Erika, a beautiful woman who, aside from her Gym duties, also owned a flower shop and perfume boutique in the city. She was admired by many young women, who came to study under her.
"Excuse me, are you here to challenge the Gym?" A pretty red-haired girl approached him, too shy to meet his gaze directly.
"Yes. Is the Gym Leader here?" Yozora asked with a nod.
"The Leader isn't in right now, but don't worry! We'll notify her right away!" The girl, flustered yet eager, quickly motioned for another disciple to make the call.
"Our Leader says she'll be here soon! In the meantime, would you like to tour the Celadon Gym?"
"That's fine."
Yozora agreed, and with that, the disciples happily led him around.
Celadon Gym was a massive spherical building, filled with flowers, trees, and grasses of every kind. Inside lived many Grass-type Pokémon—Bellsprout, Oddish, and others could be seen.
"Handsome, let me tell you—our Gym specializes in Grass-type Pokémon! If you use Fire-types, you'll win easily!"
"That's right! Flying-types are also super effective!"
"Big brother, if you don't have any Fire or Flying Pokémon with you, don't worry—we have a Pokémon transporter here!"
Whether it was because Yozora was just too handsome, or for some other reason, the girls all crowded around, eagerly giving him advice.
"…." Yozora twitched at the corner of his mouth.
You're Gym disciples, aren't you? Isn't helping the challenger a little… against the spirit of things?
Before things could get any more awkward, Erika herself arrived.
Erika looked older than in the original story, with refined features and a tall, graceful figure. She carried the air of a professional woman from the big city.
"Challenger, hello. I am Erika, Leader of the Celadon Gym." She had just returned from her shop, her body faintly fragrant with perfume. A wild Butterfree had even followed her in.
Gently stroking the Butterfree, Erika handed it off to her disciples for care.
Though she hadn't used a Poké Ball, it was clear that she had already captured it.
To casually tame even a wild Pokémon—granted, a gentle Butterfree—but that level of charm was still impressive.
And as a Gym Leader, Erika's true strength was not as poor as the stories once suggested.
"I'm Yozora, from Pallet Town." He introduced himself politely.
Erika smiled and nodded. "If you're ready, please follow me."
She turned to lead the way, her disciples trailing behind. For them, every battle their Leader fought was a precious learning opportunity.
Soon, Yozora arrived at the Gym's battlefield—a standard grassy arena.
Verdant green and brimming with fresh Grass-type energy, simply standing on it brought a refreshing clarity of mind.
The arena wasn't just for show. The dense Grass-type energy here increased the power of all Grass-type moves by thirty percent!
"Yozora, the rules of Celadon Gym are three-on-three. I cannot switch Pokémon, but challengers may switch freely. Are you ready?" Erika explained. When Yozora nodded, she sent out her first Pokémon.
It was a Weepinbell.
The evolved form of Bellsprout, its roots had vanished, leaving a pocket-shaped body. It looked rather dopey, bouncing to move around.
Though smaller and quicker than a Victreebel, it lacked the same offensive power.
[Pokémon]: Weepinbell
[Type]: Grass + Poison
[Level]: Senior-level, Mid-tier
[Potential]: Senior-level
[Note]: A well-trained Weepinbell. Watch out for its Razor Leaf.
"A mid-tier Senior-level Weepinbell." Yozora studied the data, his gaze sharpening.
He could easily crush it by sending out Golduck, Aegislash, or Pidgeot.
But that wouldn't serve his purpose.
Instead, he decisively chose Machop.
In his current roster, both Machop and Geodude were at lower levels with little real battle experience—they needed training.
Shhh—
The moment Machop appeared, an invisible field of battlelust spread outward, covering the entire grassy arena. Both Machop and Weepinbell's eyes turned red as their blood pumped harder.
"A Machop? Yozora, I must say, that isn't a very wise choice…" Erika shook her head, a trace of disappointment in her gaze.
Judging by his age, she had assumed he was still a rookie. Choosing a Fighting-type against Grass was not sound tactics.
With that, Erika decided not to hold back. At the very least, she would teach him the fundamentals of type matchups.
But Yozora wasn't concerned with her judgment. As soon as the referee signaled the match start, he commanded:
"Go, Machop—Fire Punch!"
"What? Fire Punch? I misjudged him…"
Seeing Machop's fists ignite in flame, eyes burning with battle fury, Erika chuckled softly—she had underestimated him.
"Weepinbell, use Grass Knot!"
In an instant, energy surged beneath Machop's feet. A thick grass rope shot up and tangled his legs, yanking him to the ground.
Machop fell hard, though not badly hurt.
Grass Knot's power scaled with weight—the heavier the opponent, the stronger the damage. Against a Graveler, it would be devastating!But unlike in the games, real battles weren't so simple.
A rolling Graveler, for instance, would simply crush such a trap.
"What, Grass Knot?" Yozora frowned.
Did Erika somehow know Machop had the No Guard ability? Or was it coincidence?
Shaking it off, Machop got back up, but Erika quickly ordered, "Weepinbell, Razor Leaf!"
"Shhh!"
Two sharp leaves whirled out, slashing toward Machop.
"Bulk Up!" Yozora countered.
Machop braced himself, body tightening, and crossed his arms in defense.
Wham! Wham!The two Razor Leafs slammed into him, carving deep lines across his body.
Breathing heavily, Machop wavered. The level gap was steep, and Weepinbell's power was overwhelming.
If not for the boosted defense from Bulk Up, he would've already fallen.
This Machop was a reckless brawler.
Unlike Honedge and Doublade, which lost No Guard upon evolving into Aegislash, Machop—and even Machoke and Machamp—kept No Guard forever.
A reckless fighter, through and through.
So, Yozora had considered a defensive option.
There was, in fact, one rare ability that could raise defense the longer a Pokémon endured—
Stamina: Defense increases by 30% every time it takes damage.
Perfect for a reckless fighter. The more it got hit, the harder it became to bring down.
Unfortunately, only Mudbray and Mudsdale possessed Stamina.
And both were Pokémon of Alola—practically nonexistent in Kanto.
Unless an Alolan trainer was around, finding one was near impossible.
For now, Machop had to make do with his reckless path.
"He actually endured that?"
Erika's eyes widened slightly in surprise, before her expression hardened.
"Weepinbell, again! Razor Leaf!"
With No Guard and Machop's Huge Power, it should have worked. But a small Grass Knot had disrupted the strategy.
Defense could have mitigated it, allowing a finishing blow later—but Machop was struggling.
"Bulk Up again!" Yozora commanded. Even if the odds were slim, he refused to give up.
A Trainer never surrenders first; Pokémon fight because their Trainer fights alongside them.
(End of Chapter)