"Of course you can! In fact, today happens to be the first day of the Sunshine Gym's reopening. All challengers are welcome!"
Aiden smiled faintly and nodded at Nemona.
Eevee's training earlier hadn't been particularly intense, but it had inadvertently served as a warm-up for its first Gym battle.
"However, before we begin the battle, may I confirm your Pokémon?"
From two thousand years ago when humans first began taming "monsters" for battles, Pokémon battling had already become an indispensable part of human society.
After the establishment of the modern Pokémon League, a comprehensive system of tournaments was built around battles and Trainers.
Eligible Trainers would challenge Gyms to earn badges, gaining entry into regional championships, culminating in thrilling elimination matches to determine the victor.
If the winner successfully passed the "Victory Road" test guarded by the Elite Four and Champion, they would become the highly celebrated—
Champion!
From this, it's clear that the original purpose of establishing Gyms was to select outstanding Trainers.
Typically, a Gym should have a multi-tiered lineup of Pokémon to accommodate challengers of varying skill levels.
Thus, Aiden's question was standard procedure.
"Sure! I only have one Pokémon—it's this little guy!"
Nemona's voice carried obvious excitement as she pulled a Poké Ball from her pocket.
"Paw~"
A flash of red light emerged from the ball, and soon a small orange electric rat appeared before Aiden.
"Pawmi?"
Aiden raised an eyebrow.
Electric rats were a time-honored tradition in every generation of Pokémon games, starting with Pikachu. Each generation's electric rat was usually quite adorable.
The Paldea region's Pawmi also had its fair share of popularity.
He vaguely remembered that Nemona's team did indeed include a Pawmi, though he hadn't expected it to be her starter Pokémon.
This worked out well—against stronger Pokémon, Eevee might have struggled to win.
Focusing on the bewildered little electric rat at Nemona's feet, several lines of text quickly appeared before Aiden's eyes.
[Pawmi (Male)]
[Type: Electric]
[Ability: Iron Fist]
The system's Pokédex function automatically triggered.
Compared to his own Pokémon, the information available about opponents was pitifully sparse.
However, knowing the opponent's Ability beforehand was still extremely useful.
"So, the rules for this Gym battle will be a 1v1."
Aiden spoke again.
"On my side, I'll be using Eevee. The challenger will have the first move, and the side whose Pokémon loses the ability to battle first will be considered the loser. Any objections?"
"Mm-hmm!"
Nemona nodded eagerly, clearly impatient to begin the battle.
Aiden quickly led Nemona to the battlefield.
Since he was the only person currently running the entire Gym, he had to take on the roles of both challenger and referee, as well as technician.
As for what a technician was…
With a few swift operations from Aiden, a large screen on the wall lit up instantly, displaying virtual avatars of both Aiden and Nemona on either side.
(T/N: Bro's the IT guy and electrician too lol)
The Pokémon world always had some strange yet oddly impressive technology.
For example, facilities equipped with automatic Trainer ID card readers that imported virtual avatars—a standard feature in Gyms.
"So cool!"
Seeing everything prepared, Nemona instinctively clenched her fists, ready to jump into battle at any moment.
However, before the Gym battle could begin, there was still one crucial step left.
"Nemona, I can sense that you're a Trainer who is deeply passionate about battling."
Standing on the battlefield, Aiden's expression immediately turned serious.
"But precisely because of that, before embarking on your journey, I want to confirm whether your heart and your Pokémon's are aligned."
"Let's use this battle to tell me the answer hidden in your heart."
"Then, let's begin!"
What kind of Gym battle would be complete without the obligatory pre-battle banter?
A faint smile appeared on Aiden's lips as Eevee slowly stepped onto the battlefield behind him.
"I understand!"
Though she didn't fully grasp what Aiden was saying, Nemona obediently nodded along.
Perhaps this was the mark of a reliable adult?
"Pawmi, use Quick Attack and charge forward!"
Gym battles typically allowed the challenger to make the first move, which Aiden had confirmed beforehand, so Nemona decisively issued her command first.
Pawmi quickly scurried forward on its stubby legs, accelerating briefly before shooting forward like a rocket.
Quick Attack—the most common priority move, with incredibly fast execution speed.
"Eevee, dodge quickly!"
It was well-known that the Pokémon world had many battle techniques not officially documented.
Moves like "Dodge Quickly" or "Hold On" were incredibly versatile tools in real combat.
As long as you shouted loudly and quickly enough, your Pokémon wouldn't fail to react.
However, after giving the command, Eevee remained completely motionless.
Aiden was stunned.
Because of Eevee's recent performance, he had unconsciously overlooked a crucial factor in real combat—
Eevee's nature and Ability had a fatal impact on its performance in battle.
While it had trained well against dummies, it lacked any actual combat experience. Its first battle inevitably made it nervous due to its timid nature.
His previous assumptions had been too idealistic.
Perhaps he was indeed highly skilled in theory and gaming, but in real combat, he was still just a rookie.
He hadn't anticipated this scenario at all.
Aiden's mind immediately began racing, trying to figure out how to resolve the current situation.
Thump—
Thump-thump, thump-thump-thump-thump!
At this moment, a deep and powerful heartbeat gradually grew louder, like war drums pounding furiously, growing more urgent and resonant with each beat.
An invisible pressure enveloped Aiden, making it difficult for him to breathe.
"What is…?"
Aiden paused, instinctively looking toward Nemona.
Not only him, but even Nemona was visibly affected by the sudden sound, looking confused and disoriented.
But the one who felt it most acutely was Pawmi in the center of the field.
Its previously full-speed charge noticeably slowed down, as if it had been targeted by some dangerous presence. It soon came to a complete stop, abandoning its attack.
Instead, it stood on high alert, staring intently at Eevee, who hadn't moved an inch.
Aiden instinctively swallowed and looked at Eevee with a complex expression.
Perhaps due to the overwhelming tension of facing Pawmi's charge, Eevee's four stubby legs were planted firmly on the ground, its body leaning slightly forward, as if bracing for battle.
If he didn't know Eevee's true condition, he might have been fooled too, right?
For a moment, Aiden wasn't sure what expression he should make.
Was it so afraid of getting hurt that it unleashed something like the "King Engine"?
Eevee, you little rascal…
---
A:N When writing my previous book, I often pondered how Natures and Abilities truly affect Pokémon in real combat and experimented with it a bit.
After all, in the real world, perhaps Timid Pokémon would avoid battles more, and Pokémon with the Ability Intimidate might just be bluffing?
Following this train of thought, what happens when you maximize the debuffs of a timid nature and the Anticipation Ability? What kind of reaction would that create?
Well! The result is what you see in this chapter!
Being timid to the extreme might actually make someone feel fear like King, right?
In my opinion, this is a very interesting expansion of ideas. I don't think I've seen anyone delve deeply into this aspect in Pokémon fanfiction before—it feels like uncovering a whole new treasure trove!
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