"Eh?"
Nemona stood frozen in place.
It wasn't until Aiden announced the verdict that she realized what had just happened.
Mr. Aiden and his Eevee hadn't made any significant attacks throughout the battle, yet they had effortlessly won with just two moves.
It was like being overwhelmed by an endless ocean...
Clearly, this wasn't about the Pokémon's strength—it was a complete domination of Trainer skill!
Was it her own tactical mistakes that caused Pawmi to waste almost all its stamina?
Nemona didn't know.
She didn't even understand how she had lost…
But precisely because of that, she became even more excited.
This feeling… it was truly—
"Amazing! Mr. Aiden is incredible!"
"Can we have another match? This time I'll definitely last longer!"
Nemona's eyes sparkled like stars, staring at Aiden, who had just exhaled in relief, making him feel slightly uneasy.
"Nemona, both Pawmi and Eevee are exhausted. As a Trainer, you can't be too reckless, you know."
Aiden shook his head, pointing at Pawmi lying on the battlefield.
So her tendency to get carried away during battles had already started at this point?
"Ah, Pawmi, I'm so sorry!!!"
Reminded by Aiden, Nemona suddenly remembered that her Pokémon had already lost the ability to battle and immediately panicked.
Despite Mr. Aiden repeatedly emphasizing the importance of paying attention to one's Pokémon earlier, she had completely forgotten.
"I'll take you to the Pokémon Center right away!"
"No need—your Pawmi isn't injured; it's just out of stamina."
Aiden chuckled helplessly and reached out to stop her from recalling Pawmi into its Poké Ball.
"I have Potions and Revives in the Gym. Let it rest for a bit and it'll be fine. Come with me."
…
As Aiden said, after a short rest, Pawmi was up and about.
"Phew–, you scared me Pawmi," Nemona breathed a sigh of relief, turning towards Aiden.
"Thank you so much Mr. Aiden!"
She took out a pink Pikachu purse from her pocket.
"There's no need, there's no need!"
Aiden noticed her actions and stopped her.
In the world of Pokémon, battling was an incredibly common activity. Even in the tall grass, a Trainer might suddenly pop out, challenging you to a fight.
"When Trainers lock eyes, that's the signal for battle to begin!"
Of course, there was also an unwritten rule: if you lost to a challenger, you were expected to pay up as gratuity.
By defeating and guiding new Trainers through battles, Gyms could collect a portion of League Coins, which served as an important source of funding.
From a procedural standpoint, it was entirely reasonable and legal.
However, Nemona was still a minor, and Aiden felt a bit uneasy about taking money from her…
He wasn't short on funds anyway, and accepting challenges from rookie Trainers was part of his duty as a Gym Leader.
After the battle ended, there was still one final step left in the process.
"Nemona, you're clearly not new to commanding battles—you handled yourself quite well without making any glaring mistakes."
Identifying issues in challengers and offering guidance for improvement was also part of a Gym Leader's responsibilities.
"Yes! I've challenged Gyms in the Unova region too!"
Nemona nodded eagerly.
Before coming to Paldea, she had also attempted to become a Trainer in Unova and even challenged the Driftveil Gym.
However, due to health reasons, she had taken a long break and decided to start over in Paldea.
Mr. Aiden was indeed very skilled—he had noticed so much from just one battle.
"However…"
Aiden suddenly shifted his tone.
"In terms of Pokémon training, you still have some room for improvement. Allowing your Pokémon to be frightened into stopping its attacks is a serious mistake."
"Also, this Pawmi has the Iron Fist Ability, right? So developing its physical power and speed is crucial. From now on, focus on nurturing these two aspects."
Although Pawmi was an Electric-type, it would evolve into an Electric/Fighting-type, and it was relatively rare as an Electric-type physical attacker.
Most Electric-type physical attackers had the awkward disadvantage of not learning powerful Electric-type moves. However, the lineage of "electric rats" Pokémon had a unique advantage in this area.
Whether it was Pikachu's Volt Tackle or Pawmot's Double Shock, these were incredibly useful moves.
Thus, the simplest training method was the "252 Method" from the games, prioritizing Attack and Speed stats.
"Mm-hmm! You're absolutely right, Mr. Aiden!"
Nemona nodded repeatedly, fully accepting Aiden's advice.
Even as a rookie Trainer, she could tell that Aiden's suggestions were very logical.
Moreover, aside from the Driftveil Gym, she had also challenged other Gyms and received advice from several Gym Leaders.
But generally, their guidance was limited to in-battle performance.
Aiden, on the other hand, skipped over her battle performance entirely and instead carefully guided her on how to train Pawmi. This was the first time she had encountered such thorough instruction.
Indeed, Mr. Aiden was an incredibly skilled Gym Leader!
If only she could challenge him every day…
If she could battle him once a day, she'd surely reach Champion-level strength in no time!
"Mr. Aiden, can I come to the Gym to challenge you regularly?"
As someone who acted on impulse, Nemona expressed her thoughts without hesitation.
To her surprise, Aiden hesitated for a moment.
Oh no, why is she targeting me?
Nemona's endless desire for battles wasn't something an ordinary person could handle.
Hmm… Wait?
Could there be another solution?
After a brief moment of thought, Aiden didn't give a direct answer but instead posed another question:
"If that's the case, Nemona, would you be interested in becoming an apprentice at our Sunshine Gym?"
A Gym apprentice referred to the NPCs that existed in every Gym in Pokémon games. They were an essential part of the Gym's assessment system.
For a Gym to operate sustainably, apprentices were indispensable.
The reason was simple—
Once the tournament season began, a single Gym Leader couldn't possibly handle all the challengers alone.
Additionally, Gym Leaders often needed to travel to learn new skills or catch new partners.
During those times, apprentices could temporarily take over the Leader's duties to ensure the Gym remained open.
Although the Sunshine Gym wasn't well-known yet, and Aiden alone might be sufficient for now, it was clearly on the path to growth, and expanding its influence was only a matter of time.
This period could be used to let things settle, boost Eevee's confidence through sparring matches, and guide Nemona into becoming a qualified Trainer.
Plus, it wouldn't interfere with her participation in next year's Paldea Champion Road.
Win-win!
"Eh? Can I really do that?"
Nemona was a bit stunned by Aiden's question.
For a rookie Trainer, becoming a Gym apprentice was like taking the fast lane—they could frequently receive personal guidance from the Gym Leader, which was far more valuable than real-world experience.
But precisely because of that, the excitement she had shown earlier was now replaced with a hint of self-doubt.
"Don't worry, Nemona. I can sense that you have the potential to become a Champion."
Aiden smiled faintly.
"If it's you, you might even become a dark horse next year."
"Really?!"
Nemona's dream had always been to become a strong Trainer. If even Mr. Aiden believed she could do it…
Then she would work even harder to become the Champion!
If she could master powerful combinations like the ones Mr. Aiden had demonstrated earlier, she would surely grow stronger too, right?
"I'll be counting on you for guidance, Teacher Aiden!"
---
A/N:
Nemona's poor stamina was showcased multiple times in the Scarlet and Violet games, so based on that, I added the setting of her taking a break for recovery.
Come to think of it, based on her appearance, Nemona looks like she'd be a sports ace, but she struggles even climbing school stairs—it's clear she's really weak.
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