"Of course we know this is the Fuchsia Gym. Instead of questioning us, maybe you should ask your dear sister!"
Ash, now free from Suzu's restraining technique, shot a sharp glare at Koga.
"Aya, what the hell is going on?"
Koga could tell from Ash's serious tone that this wasn't a joke. Considering the strange ability Suzu had just shown, he knew Ash wasn't picking a fight for no reason.
"I… I—" Aya stammered under Koga's furious stare before finally starting her explanation.
It turned out that after Koga handed control of the Fuchsia Gym to Aya, she began to think of herself as a fully qualified Gym Leader. A little pride turned into arrogance, and she started acting superior to others.
With the Kanto Conference approaching, the number of challengers increased. Though Aya won every match, the constant victories made her impatient. She began setting up numerous traps inside the Gym, claiming that anyone who passed them would earn the right to battle her.
The result was fewer challengers… but Aya had made the traps dangerously severe, whether intentionally or not. Many trainers suffered injuries, and over time, no one came to the Gym anymore.
Combined with the Gym's already remote and hidden location, most trainers gave up on challenging the Fuchsia Gym altogether.
"You… you actually dared to pull something like this?!"
Koga's anger flared after hearing her account. The Fuchsia Gym had been earned through the strength of their ancestors, recognized and certified by the Pokémon League.
As the holders of the Gem Version of the Soul Badge, the Gym could bring in a steady income. Even with Koga's current power only at Elite Four level, the badge was valuable. If the League discovered what Aya had done, the consequences would be severe.
Realizing the seriousness of her mistake, Aya felt crushed. The Koga family descended from ninjas—though in truth, their "ninja arts" were simply honed physical training and mechanical trap techniques handed down through generations.
"I'm sorry… I'm really sorry. It was my negligence that caused this. Please… give me a chance to make it right!"
After scolding his sister, Koga turned to Ash and his companions with an apologetic smile.
Despite his anger, Koga himself was an impressive man—becoming an Elite Four–level trainer at only twenty-six years old.
"Wait… you're the Sinnoh Champion, Cynthia?!"
Koga's eyes widened in shock when he noticed her.
Cynthia's reputation was well-known, especially as the face of the Sinnoh region in countless media appearances. In Sinnoh, nearly everyone knew her name.
"I'm just here accompanying my fiancé," Cynthia said calmly, unfazed by his reaction. She stepped back to stand behind Ash—she knew her place in public as his fiancée and wouldn't cross that line.
Over the past few months, she had come to understand Ash well. Normally, he was friendly and talkative, but once in battle mode, his expression became unreadable and his gaze alone could make opponents freeze.
She had also discovered another trait—Ash had a strong sense of ownership over things that belonged to him. In simpler terms, he didn't want others touching what was his—whether that meant possessions or people. In Cynthia's eyes, it was a sign of masculinity.
She didn't dislike this side of him. In fact, she knew that men with such protective instincts often treated their loved ones with deep care—sometimes even to the point of overprotection, which only showed how much they valued them.
Of course, such a trait didn't always mean someone was good, but Ash… Ash was destined to be a good man.
"Fiancé?!"
Koga was startled again. Cynthia wasn't just someone you could "offend," especially not if she was marrying into another powerful family. The Yoto family's standing was equivalent to the Oak family's in Kanto.
"Ash Oak," Ash said with a small smile, extending his hand. As the saying went, you don't slap a smiling face, and Koga's reputation in the League wasn't bad.
Ever since Ash had agreed to join the Dragon Clan, he had kept the Oak surname, which held sentimental value—it was the first surname he had after birth.
Skye Draconis had no objections. The Oak and Dragon families had been close for years, and their industries didn't clash. As long as Ash acknowledged the Dragon Clan, that was enough.
"So it's Master Ash Oak. I've heard a lot about you. Your challenge for the Gem Version Soul Badge is already well-known among Gym Leaders. From what I hear, you've collected four badges so far?" Koga said with a polite smile.
Both the Oak and Dragon families were far too influential to provoke. Independent Elite Four trainers like him had to know the key players in the League—one wrong move could ruin you.
"Yeah. You'll be my fifth. Honestly though, who thought it was a good idea to put the Fuchsia Gym out here in the middle of nowhere? If we didn't get lucky, we might have spent days trying to find it."
Ash's tone was light, but Koga knew the losses caused by this incident were his to cover. After all, the root of the problem lay with Aya.
Aya herself looked completely shaken. Facing the Sinnoh Champion was intimidating enough, but Ash's power… she realized now that defeating her in a Gym match would be nothing to him.
"Aya, stop standing there like a statue. Go prepare some refreshments for our guests," Koga said, shaking his head. "You really need to be looked after."
"Y-Yes!" Aya nearly jumped before stiffly walking off, making Ash chuckle. She really did look like a robot.
"Master Ash," Koga explained, "the reason the Fuchsia Gym was built here is because my family has lived in this area for generations. We've kept the tradition ever since the Gym's founding.
"The League has suggested relocating it to the city, but I dislike noisy places, so we've stayed put."
"As for the secret, I already set up signs along this little mountain trail. The reason you couldn't find it was probably because of my sister-in-law. She might have taken them down!"
After Aya left, Koga explained to Ash, then led him and the others to the lounge.
"Don't call me 'young master,' just call me Ash. You're older than me—calling me that just feels weird," Ash said with a small nod after Koga's explanation.
The title still felt awkward to Ash. In his previous life, he'd lived humbly. Even though in this life money wasn't a problem, he had spent most of his time training in the mountains, far away from luxuries. The word "master" sounded far too out of place for him.
"Alright then, I'll just call you Ash," Koga said cheerfully.
"What's wrong with age difference? I'm eleven or twelve years older than you, but you still call me 'Dear' without shame," Cynthia whispered with a blush.
That nickname embarrassed her, but at the same time, she secretly liked it. It was something only the two of them shared.
"Ahem." Ash didn't bother explaining—he just coughed lightly and avoided Sabrina's pointed stare. As for Suzie, she already understood the connection between Ash and Sabrina. The two seemed like a couple… though at times they felt more like close friends.
When they reached the lounge, they found that Aya had already prepared refreshments. Ash, having burned a lot of energy, was a little hungry, so he dug in without hesitation.
The three girls—Cynthia, Sabrina, and Suzie—were all eye-catching in their own ways. Even while indoors, they carried themselves with quiet grace, hands lightly covering their mouths when they laughed.
"Ash, there's something I've been wondering for a while. I'm not sure if you can explain it—and if it's a sensitive topic, you don't have to answer," Koga said just as Ash bit into a piece of shortbread.
"Sure, go ahead. Oh—this shortbread is great," Ash replied casually, breaking off another piece.
"From what I've heard from the Gym Leaders you've battled, you already have the strength of a Champion. So why are you even entering the Indigo League?"
From the kitchen came a startled cry.
"Aya? What's wrong?" Koga called.
"It's fine, I just tripped. I'll clean up right away!" Aya quickly covered. In truth, she had been shocked by Koga's question. Ash was only fifteen and already Champion-level. By comparison, Aya was twenty, and suddenly felt a little self-conscious in front of him.
How embarrassing, she thought. Earlier, she had even tried to make things difficult for Ash's group—like a millionaire trying to show off in front of a billionaire.
"There's no special reason," Ash said. "This is my first journey, and even if my strength means I don't really need the trophies, I don't want to skip the experience. I can't just stop chasing something I've dreamed about."
"My goal used to be to win all the Championship trophies across every region. But I've heard that outside of Kanto, there's no such thing as the Gemstone Badge system. What's the deal with that?"
"In truth," Koga began, "it's mostly because of the politics in Kanto. In other regions, there are only a few officially recognized Gyms. But in Kanto, Gyms are everywhere—like weeds."
"Many of these smaller Gyms only have Trainers at the Elite level at best, but together they form a considerable political force. The Pokémon League can't ignore them. So, to keep them loyal, the League allows their Badges to qualify Trainers for the Indigo League. But their challengers almost never place high in the tournament."
"In fact, Kanto has the largest number of participants of any regional league, but far fewer true masters. Many are eliminated in the first few rounds—they're the ones who only challenged the weaker Gyms."
"Most of those small Gyms aren't difficult at all. A beginner Trainer with a little preparation could beat them. They give little in the way of real battle experience."
"In the end, these Gyms just use the League's name to gain local respect and make money. Their existence has made the real, official Gyms—the ones that truly matter—fade from the public's mind. Only those who know the League's history understand the real significance of the eight official Badges."
...
TN:
⚡ Pa-treon-com/LordMerlin