"Second to the World Gym!"
Of course, it should now be called Dark Gym.
League law clearly stipulated that any officially recognized Gym must be named after its host city.
In other words, before receiving League certification, a Gym Leader could name their Gym whatever they pleased. But once formally acknowledged, the name had to be changed to match the local city.
Inside the main hall of the rear courtyard, Kael sat at one end of a long table. Opposite him sat a Miss Joy dressed in a gray trench coat.
Though her appearance was identical to every other Miss Joy he had met, the aura she carried was entirely different. Most Joys gave off a gentle, spring-breeze warmth—the image of a soft-spoken angel in white.
This one did not.
Her pink eyebrows were trimmed long and slightly angled upward, giving her a stern impression. Between her brows lay decisive sharpness and an unmistakable air of authority.
At a glance, Kael knew she was not someone to trifle with.
Miss Joy fixed him with a serious stare and spoke slowly, word by word.
"My younger sister in Celadon City has called me quite a few times these past few days. She said there's a very outstanding young man who wants to compete for Dark City's official Gym position—and asked me to give him a chance."
Kael smiled mildly but did not interrupt.
"I've reviewed your file," she continued. "You have a bounty hunter background, but no criminal record whatsoever. A child from an orphanage managing to obtain the League's Elite Trainer certification at your age—this alone speaks to your excellence."
"You flatter me," Kael replied with a polite smile. "Please, have some fruit."
"No need." She waved him off. "But don't get ahead of yourself. I've already learned about what Kaz Gym and Yas Gym were doing. Regardless of circumstances, neither of them qualified to become official Gyms. However, your private arrangement to battle them was also inappropriate…"
For the first time, Kael discovered that when a woman became serious, the endless stream of words could truly be overwhelming.
"This is the League-issued official Gym license," she said at last, placing the document on the table. "I will submit your information to the League. In a few days, they'll send several design options for the Dark Gym badge. You may only choose from those designs—you do not have the right to create your own badge."
...
The League inspector came swiftly—and left just as swiftly.
From her tone and expression, Kael could tell she did not hold him in particularly high regard. If Dark City hadn't been left with only one remaining Gym, perhaps the official certification would still have been uncertain.
She was strong-willed, the type whose eyes tolerated no sand.
Having lived two lifetimes, Kael could easily guess what she was thinking. Cole's good intentions had likely backfired—constantly asking the Celadon City Joy to put in a word probably gave her the impression of backdoor maneuvering.
But now, everything was settled.
His Gym had officially become the twelfth recognized Gym of the Kanto League.
Dark City lay in a remote region, economically underdeveloped. Few trainers ever came here. Even with official Gym status, traffic would only modestly increase.
Official Gyms stimulated local economies—that was precisely why the League had granted Dark City certification in the first place.
Many less capable trainers carried a gambler's mentality. They believed newly established Gyms would be weaker, making it easier to snag a badge.
After all, once you collected eight badges, you could enter the annual Indigo Plateau Conference. No one cared which Gym the badges came from, or whether those Gyms were strong or weak.
Kael was certain that once Dark Gym's badge design was finalized and the League's official site announced the twelfth Gym, the coming month would be overwhelmingly busy.
That was fine.
He still had over five million Pokédollars on hand. The next month could be used to purchase rare medicinal materials and training equipment, strengthening his team and refining their coordination in group combat.
The large-scale battle against Kaz and Yas had looked like a complete stomp—but in truth, many details could have been handled better, more cleanly.
Against a mob of rabble, overwhelming force was enough.
But what if next time the opponent was equally strong—or stronger?
After every battle, self-reflection was something Kael insisted upon. That chaotic fight had been recorded in full by a Falconer drone hidden overhead, capturing everything in high definition.
Whenever he had time, he opened his laptop and rewatched the footage from a third-person perspective—analyzing what he had done well, and where he still fell short.
...
As he watched Miss Joy's figure disappear into the distance, Kael moved to close the Gym doors.
Then he noticed movement in a bamboo grove to his right. The trembling leaves were far too deliberate to be wind.
"Come out," he said with an amused smile. "Hey—you've got half your butt sticking out. What are you hiding for?"
"Jerk!"
With a flustered shout, Ann Chovy stepped out from the bamboo grove, face flushed red.
Previously, she had worn the green overalls and cap of Yas Gym. Today, she had changed into a denim skirt, paired with a black high-collared short-sleeve top. Her long hair, once loose over her shoulders, was now tied into a ponytail and secured with a silver headband.
Red-and-white canvas shoes tapped lightly against the ground as she jogged over. Stopping before Kael, she gave him a deep bow.
"Mr. Kael, I want to join Dark Gym!"
"Hold on." Kael raised a hand. "What's with that outfit?"
"Isn't it cute?"
Ann spun in place proudly. "I had it custom-made based on what you wore when you fought Yas Gym and Kaz Gym yesterday! And this headband—Yas Gym didn't pay much, so I could only afford silver-plated. The hollow pure-silver one like yours was way too expensive!"