Kashiwagi had been busy playing with Deino and hadn't really tried to eavesdrop on the conversation between Toshiki and Norman. When he saw the two of them walking out, he asked, "Did you find a solution?"
"Yes!"
Toshiki nodded vigorously, his eyes full of newfound resolve. "I've decided to close down the Gym!"
"—Wait, what?"
Kashiwagi was stunned. He glanced at the composed Norman, then looked back at Toshiki. "What happened?"
Logically speaking, shouldn't Toshiki have gained some massive epiphany that would transform him into a legendary Gym Leader starting today? Why was he pulling the plug entirely?
"Talking with Master Norman made me realize that my current strength is simply not enough. If I am powerful enough, fame will follow naturally. Challengers will seek me out just hearing my name. I won't have to worry about recruiting people then."
Toshiki spoke with great spirit. It seemed Norman had shared his own path to success with him.
While the "get stronger to boost your reputation and feed back into the Gym" strategy was solid—with Norman being a living example—it wasn't necessarily a perfect fit for everyone. Whether Toshiki could replicate it was another matter entirely.
But since he was happy with the decision, what could Kashiwagi say? He couldn't make decisions for the guy.
"So?"
"So, I plan to participate in various tournaments, challenge powerful Trainers, and catch more formidable Pokémon to improve myself," Toshiki said confidently. "I'll keep training until I'm as famous across Hoenn as Master Norman!"
As he spoke, he couldn't wait to get started. He thanked them both profusely and headed excitedly toward the exit.
Kashiwagi didn't know what to say for a moment. He turned to Norman. "Mr. Norman, did you mention the part about his Gym being too much of a copycat?"
"I did... but he clearly didn't internalize it."
Norman gave a helpless smile, then added: "However, if he keeps getting stronger until he's impossible to ignore, I believe people will eventually seek him out specifically, even with the imitation elements. Don't you think?"
"...That makes sense." Kashiwagi had to agree.
Because Pokémon battling was a global phenomenon, personal idolization was extreme in this world. From Regional Champions down to Gym Leaders, everyone had fans everywhere. This wasn't limited to battling either—Contests and breeding also had their superstars. Theoretically, these top-tier Trainers were very similar to pop idols.
In this context, Toshiki's plan to gain fame through raw strength was a "royal road" to success. Even Kashiwagi himself would eventually become the center of attention as Yamamino's PR machine began to move.
"I hope he gets what he's looking for." Kashiwagi offered a sincere blessing.
"As long as he keeps working hard, he'll get there." Norman remained as confident as ever.
-----
Outside the Gym.
Kashiwagi was surprised to find Toshiki hadn't left yet. He was leaning against his car, waiting.
"Something else?"
"Ahahaha... I almost forgot. Here, I want you to have this." Toshiki scratched his head awkwardly and handed over a small box.
Kashiwagi opened it to find a sparkling, beautiful scale. It had a gradient of colors, shifting from blue on the outer edges to pink on the inside. "A Prism Scale?"
"Thank you for your help. I don't have much to give in return, so please take my lucky scale." Toshiki smiled. "Take it. Trust me, it really brings good luck."
"...Thank you."
Kashiwagi had intended to decline, but seeing Toshiki's earnestness, he nodded. Regardless of whether the Prism Scale actually brought luck, it was a kind gesture. "Then I won't refuse your kindness."
"Great!"
"By the way," Kashiwagi added, "if you're going traveling, remember to take your brother with you. He's got too many wild ideas; heaven knows what he'll do if you leave him unsupervised."
"I understand." Toshiki's expression became much more mature and steady at the mention of Hideki.
Suddenly, Kashiwagi remembered something. "Also, on Route 102, I heard there's a very large Azumarill. If you're interested, you might want to catch it. Large-bodied Pokémon won't let you down."
"Azumarill, huh... sounds like a good Pokémon." Toshiki looked interested, then added: "Speaking of which, I've known you for a while but we've never battled. How about a match?"
"If it's just a friendly spar, I don't mind."
Kashiwagi didn't refuse. He knew that strength was accumulated through these repeated battles. Besides, he needed active battles to cool down his simulator.
-----
The two found a wide open space outside the Petalburg Gym. After taking their positions, they chatted for a moment before releasing their Pokémon.
"I heard from your brother that you also like using Normal-type Pokémon?"
"It's not that I 'like' them specifically; it was mainly to learn from Master Norman."
"There's no need to use the same type just to learn from him. If you don't love the type, you'd be better off switching back to one you actually like when you reopen the Gym. It'll make it easier for people to remember you."
Kashiwagi pulled out a Pokéball. "What about Fairy-type? What do you think of that? Just a suggestion, of course—the decision is yours."
"Fairy-type, huh..." Toshiki thought about it. "That might actually work!"
As he spoke, he threw his Pokéball.
Pop!
A cream-colored cat with purple ears and a ruff landed on the ground. It tilted its head elegantly and licked its paw.
Kashiwagi's Pokédex chimed.
Delcatty, the Prim Pokémon. It prefers a free-spirited lifestyle. If another Pokémon takes its nest, it won't fight back, but simply find another place to sleep.
"I'm sorry for taking up so much of your time. Let's make it a one-on-one," Toshiki said with a smile.
"Fine by me."
Kashiwagi released Mawile, who had been waiting for its turn.
"Maw-ile!" Mawile appeared, standing with its hands on its hips, looking perfectly composed.
Because this little one had thrown a bit of a tantrum last night for missing the Gym match, Kashiwagi had promised to let it out at the next opportunity. Mawile was much harder to handle than Steelix; Steelix only cared about Gym matches, but Mawile wanted to be out all the time.
With no referee, the two moved in perfect sync, using their first moves as the signal to start.
"Attract!"
"Taunt!"
Both Pokémon opened with status moves.
Delcatty raised a paw to its mouth and gave Mawile a seductive wink. Its flirtatious posture was so intense it made even Kashiwagi shiver slightly. A string of pink heart-shaped energy waves flew out.
Mawile, however, was completely unmoved. It gave Delcatty a look that said, "Is there something wrong with you?" before tilting its head up with a look of pure disdain.
A wave of dark, rippling energy surged from Mawile, clashing with and neutralizing the pink hearts—
No!
Mawile's Taunt actually overpowered the Attract. The black ripples successfully enveloped Delcatty, causing a surge of uncontrollable rage to rise within it.
"Wait? Your Mawile isn't female?" Toshiki looked incredulous that Attract failed. "She resisted it?"
"Is your Delcatty male?" Kashiwagi was also surprised. Such a flamboyant Delcatty was actually a boy!
As for why Mawile—definitely a female—wasn't affected...
If you brought out a cute throw pillow, she might fall for it. But a flashy "beauty" with no substance isn't worthy of getting near her!