Pokemon: Gym Leader

"By the way, Blue, if you're interested, you can try challenging the Battle Frontier."

Suddenly remembering that fat guy, Carsey, Dylan turned to Blue and said.

"Battle Frontier?" Blue, who had been idly toying with the Rota Badge, looked puzzled. He had never heard of such a thing before.

"What is the Battle Frontier?"

"It's a challenge facility exclusively for elite trainers. The founder of the Battle Frontier approached me before, hoping I could recommend some strong trainers to participate."

Dylan explained with a smile.

"Trainers who successfully conquer the battle facilities can earn the symbol of the Frontier Brain."

"Oh? How strong are these Frontier Brains?" Blue's interest was piqued.

"The earlier ones shouldn't pose much of a challenge for you."

"Tch~ Then there's no point."

Blue clicked his tongue. He had no interest in something with no challenge. He'd rather spend his time training or planning his next challenge against the Rota Gym.

"But the final challenge, the Pyramid King, Brandon—I think he'd be a real challenge for you. He's a champion-level trainer who has captured the legendary Regi trio."

Dylan smiled. He figured that Brandon would also enjoy facing a talented and powerful young challenger like Blue.

A win-win situation.

"Brandon from Hoenn?" Blue raised an eyebrow. He had heard of Brandon before—after all, the man was one of the few trainers in the world who had captured legendary Pokémon.

"That's right."

"Now that sounds interesting. I, the great Blue, will give it a shot."

Blue grinned. He might not be able to defeat Dylan yet, but Brandon? So what if he was a champion with legendary Pokémon?

Just an old relic of the past—time to gain some experience!

"I'll send you Mr. Carsey's contact info. You can reach out to him, and he'll tell you where to start the challenge."

Dylan forwarded Carsey's number to Blue—after all, he had promised Carsey to introduce some elite trainers.

Blue nodded. After chatting a bit more, he turned and left.

His gym challenge was over. Now he needed to head to the Pokémon Center to heal his team before resuming training.

To become the strongest trainer, talent alone wasn't enough—rigorous training was just as essential.

"Hahaha~ Dylan, just you wait! Next time, I will defeat you and claim my second badge!"

Blue left with an exhilarated laugh. Even as he stepped out the door, Dylan could still hear his loud, confident voice.

Hmm. Dylan could already imagine the smug look on Blue's face. So much for acting uninterested.

But Dylan was satisfied—his badge was becoming more prestigious. Just look at how excited Blue was after winning the Rota Badge.

"Another one with the Rota Badge… How many does that make now?"

After the battle, a Bird Keeper smacked his lips in envy. A badge worth over ten million—more than just a prize, it was a symbol of honor.

"Based on online information, I think he's the fourth one?"

A woman pondered for a moment, recalling the data gathered online.

"Leader Erika got one, someone from Unova got one, another from Paldea, and now this guy. So far, Kanto is still in the lead."

She counted them off one by one.

"Wait, you're making this into a regional competition now?" A Psychic-type specialist was speechless at her logic.

"Of course! Dylan is a Gym Leader from Kanto. If more trainers from other regions than our own are earning his badge, isn't that embarrassing?"

The woman rolled her eyes.

"Alright, alright." The Psychic shrugged.

"But this Blue guy… he does seem incredibly strong. Probably the strongest among the four who have earned the badge so far, right?" The Bird Keeper stroked his chin.

"Feels like the Indigo League this year is going to be rough… Are all the new trainers this terrifying?"

He sighed helplessly. These monster-level newcomers were truly frightening.

"Not necessarily. I watched the replay of that battle. That girl, Nemona, from Paldea—her strength is definitely on par with Blue. And besides…"

The Psychic shot the Bird Keeper a strange look before glancing over at Selene.

"Did you forget about that 'demon girl'? She's still just an apprentice—she's not even a fully licensed trainer yet."

The Psychic's voice was filled with bitterness. He was a skilled Psychic-type specialist, but the beating he had received from Selene that day nearly brought him to tears.

The Bird Keeper fell silent.

"Well, she is Dylan's apprentice. You shouldn't expect anything less. Learn to accept it." The woman consoled them.

"When that girl sets off on her journey next year, Kanto is going to be in chaos." The Psychic was certain of it. That girl was downright terrifying.

Good luck to all the other Psychic-type trainers.

"I remember that blonde girl is also Dylan's apprentice, right? She looks so sweet and well-mannered. Do you think Dylan will have her help evaluate challengers in the future too?"

The woman curiously glanced at Yellow. She seemed harmless—surely, she wouldn't be as ruthless as Selene, right?

"Probably? But such a cute and delicate girl wouldn't go that hard."

The Bird Keeper gave his personal opinion. A few days ago, when they had come to challenge the gym, they had spoken briefly with the new Rota Gym apprentice. She was so innocent and cheerful—it was healing just to talk to her!

Completely opposite of that other apprentice who spoke like a street thug.

Dylan glanced at the three of them, gave a polite nod, and headed towards the back courtyard.

The gym was a semi-public space, allowing challengers to watch battles. These three were regulars, and they were quite familiar with his younger apprentices.

In the courtyard, Dylan leaned against a tree and made a video call.

"Hello~!"

The call connected quickly, and a beautiful face appeared on the screen. She waved at Dylan with a playful smile.

"Hey~ Dylan, did you miss me?"

"Not really. Did you check the Pokédex data I just sent you?"

Dylan smiled at Leah. She was practically a part-time employee at Rota Gym—occasionally acting as a referee for a few days before heading off on another adventure.

"Emmm, I just finished something. Let me take a look."

Leah blinked and opened the message, scanning through the Pokémon data Dylan had sent.

"Huh? Dylan, these Paradox Pokémon are…?"

"I caught them in Paldea. They're completely unavailable to the public—extremely rare. I managed to capture a few."

"I sent the data to Red too. He picked Roaring Moon. Take a look and see which one you like."

Previously, Red and Leah had given Dylan full credit for their efforts against Team Rocket. Dylan had never forgotten that.

Initially, he had planned to find them some rare and powerful Pokémon, but he realized that Paradox Pokémon and Ultra Beasts were even better choices.

Since he had caught several Paradox Pokémon in Paldea, it only made sense to give them to worthy trainers.

After much persuasion, Red finally picked Roaring Moon, a Dragon/Dark-type—filling a gap in his team.

"Hmm~ I like Scream Tail and Flutter Mane. Which one do you think suits me better?"

Leah hesitated, unable to decide between the two.

"Scream Tail is more defensive, while Flutter Mane is a powerhouse attacker. I think Flutter Mane suits you better."

Dylan considered before answering.

"Then I'll go with Flutter Mane! Hehe~ Thanks, Dylan!"

Leah beamed, her crescent-moon smile absolutely adorable.

Meanwhile, in a hidden Team Rocket base…

"Achoo!"

Proton sneezed suddenly, rubbing his nose with a frown.

"Achoo! Damn, did I catch a cold last night?"

He sneezed again, muttering.

"What's up with you?"

Lt. Surge gave him a weird look.

"I don't know, man. Feels like I'm cursed or something. Anyway, our operation in Saffron City is still a secret, right?"

"I really don't want to run into that freak, Dylan, again. Never, ever."