"Mr. Roy, please come in."
The staff member pushed open the doors to the Battle Hall.
Roy walked inside and saw Erika already standing at the other end of the field.
Today, she had changed into traditional gym leader attire—a green Kimono with a white belt tied around her waist. Her long hair flowed down, adorned with a small white flower.
The Kimono accentuated her slender waist, and the slightly open collar revealed her fair neck. The hem reached her calves, showing her feet in white Tabi socks.
She stood there gracefully, looking gentle and dignified.
Upon seeing Roy, Erika's eyes lit up, and she walked over with a smile.
"Roy, we meet again." She gave a slight bow, perfectly polite.
Roy nodded, "Gym Leader Erika, sorry for the trouble today."
Erika shook her head and said gently, "It's no trouble at all. I should thank you for your help yesterday. If it weren't for you all, I don't know how much damage that fire in Celadon City would have caused."
She paused and looked at the Pikachu on Roy's shoulder. "Pikachu did a great job yesterday. On behalf of Celadon City, thank you."
Pikachu felt a bit bashful from the praise and scratched his head. "Pika pika~"
Erika smiled, then turned serious. "However, today is a Gym challenge. Although I'm grateful to you, as a gym leader, I must take this seriously."
Roy smiled. "That's exactly what I want. Bring it on."
Erika nodded and turned to walk toward the gym leader's position.
Roy also walked to the challenger's spot.
On the sidelines, an apprentice with a high ponytail raised a flag.
"The Celadon Gym challenge match starts now!"
"Rules: A 2v2 battle! The gym leader releases their Pokemon first. The gym leader cannot make tactical rotations, but the challenger is free to swap!"
"Both sides, take your positions!"
Erika stood in the gym leader's spot and elegantly raised her hand.
"Then, the first one: Tangela!"
She threw a Poke Ball.
In a flash of white light, a Tangela appeared on the field.
Its green body was wrapped in dense vines, revealing only two red eyes. The vines wriggled, looking somewhat eerie.
Roy did a quick observation; it was at the Common Grade (Lv. 25).
Pikachu was more than enough to handle it.
Just as Pikachu set one small paw onto the field, Erika suddenly spoke.
"Roy, although I know you're quite capable, I should remind you that grass-type have an advantage over Electric-type. I suggest you carefully consider which Pokemon to send out."
Even though Erika said she wouldn't go easy, this reminder and impromptu guidance gave Roy plenty of room for error.
In the stands, Joe was stunned. He tilted his head toward the field and muttered, "Does Gym Leader Erika usually give reminders like that? When I challenged her, why wasn't she this gentle? She defeated me cleanly in just a few moves..."
On the field, Roy nodded with a smile. "Thank you for the reminder, Gym Leader Erika, but I've made up my mind. I'll use Pikachu."
Having received affirmation, Pikachu immediately ran onto the field and waved a small paw. "Pika!"
He was full of momentum!
Seeing this, Erika said no more and gestured with her hand. "Then, let's begin!"
The flag dropped!
The battle began!
Tangela moved first.
"Tangela, Vine Whip!" Erika ordered.
Two vines on Tangela's body suddenly lengthened, lashing out at Pikachu like two green snakes.
They were very fast, making a sharp whistling sound through the air.
Pikachu stood in place, motionless.
It looked like the Vine Whip was about to hit.
"Pikachu, Agility."
Pikachu's figure flickered.
An afterimage was left behind while his true body had already vanished from the spot.
Snap!
The Vine Whip struck the afterimage, passing through the air and hitting the ground.
Dirt sprayed everywhere.
Tangela was stunned, its red eyes searching all over.
Where did he go?
In the stands, Joe's eyes widened. "So fast! I can't even see him!"
On the field, Pikachu had already appeared behind Tangela.
"Iron Tail," Roy commanded.
Pikachu's tail glowed with a metallic sheen, instantly becoming as hard as iron.
With a spin, his tail swept out.
The Iron Tail whistled through the air, slamming hard into Tangela.
Bang!!!
Tangela was sent flying, rolling several times on the ground as its vines scattered.
It struggled to get up, but its eyes were already swirling.
"Tangela is unable to battle!" The flag was raised.
An instant knockout.
In the stands, Joe's mouth hung open. "One... one move?"
He rubbed his eyes, thinking he had seen it wrong.
It was indeed a one-hit KO.
A grass-type with a type advantage against an Electric-type, and yet it was one-shotted by the Electric-type?
On the field, Erika was also stunned.
She looked at the fainted Tangela on the ground, then at the calm Pikachu standing in the middle of the field, shock flashing in her eyes.
In that moment just now, Pikachu's speed...
It was too fast.
So fast that even she hadn't reacted.
This kind of speed was something even some gym leader couldn't train, yet Roy, a rookie Trainer...
Erika took a deep breath, recalled Tangela, and looked at Roy with a more serious gaze.
"Roy, you really are strong."
She took out a second Poke Ball, her tone becoming solemn.
"However, this next one has been my companion for many years."
She threw the Poke Ball.
A flash of white light.
A Gloom appeared on the field.
On the field, Gloom had five bright red petals on its head and drool leaking from its mouth, looking somewhat dazed and cute.
But if one were to underestimate it because of that, they would be making a huge mistake.
"Gloom, let our guest see what you can do," Erika said softly.
Gloom nodded and suddenly opened its mouth.
A visible yellow-purple mist spewed from its mouth, quickly filling the entire field!
Roy's nose stung; even from a distance, he could smell an indescribable stench.
It was like rotten eggs mixed with decaying vegetables, with a hint of fishy smell from dead fish.
On the field, Pikachu bore the brunt of it.
He covered his nose with his small paws, tears welling in his eyes. "Pika... chu!"
It smelled terrible!
The foul mist covered more than half the field, making vision blurry.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Roy ordered.
Pikachu endured the stench, electricity flickering on his cheeks.
Zzzzt!
A bolt of golden Thunder Shock shot toward Gloom.
But the foul mist was not only smelly but also contained damp particles, causing the current to disperse as it passed through the mist.
After a series of crackles, only a small portion hit Gloom.
Gloom shook it off; the leaves on its head were slightly singed, but the injury wasn't serious.
Pikachu released several more Thunder Shock in succession.
But the foul mist grew thicker, and the accuracy of the electricity became worse.
A few shots even missed completely, exploding at the edge of the field.
Erika smiled slightly. "Gloom, Razor Leaf!"
Gloom flicked the leaves on its head, and over a dozen emerald leaves spun toward Pikachu like sharp blades!
"Dodge with Agility!"
Pikachu's figure flickered repeatedly, weaving through the leaves.
But just as he dodged the Razor Leaf, the stench of the foul mist invaded his nose again.
Pikachu's legs went weak, and his speed slowed down.
"Pika..." He covered his nose, eyes teary.
It smelled too bad!
Roy frowned.
This couldn't go on. No matter how fast Pikachu was, his movements would be distorted under the influence of the stench.
He had to end this quickly.
And he had to get close.
Since the electrical attacks were being interfered with by the foul mist, they would use close-quarters combat.
"Pikachu, Dig!"
Pikachu's eyes lit up, and his small paws instantly began churning the ground.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Dirt flew, and in the blink of an eye, Pikachu had burrowed underground, leaving only a dark hole behind.
Erika was taken aback. "Dig?"
Can a Pikachu learn Dig?
No, a Pikachu can indeed learn it, but few people would teach it.
After all, Pikachu usually follow a high-speed Special Attack path; physical attack skills like Dig are rarely used.
However, while this Pikachu was training in the wild, he often played around with Delia's Eevee, and the two little guys had long become proficient at digging around.
At that moment, Erika suddenly remembered that Iron Tail from earlier; its power was astonishing.
Is this Pikachu trained in both physical and special attacks?
On the field, Gloom stood in place, bewildered.
Where was the opponent?
Where did that yellow Pikachu go?
"Watch out below!" Erika quickly warned.
No sooner had she spoken.
Pikachu burst out of the soil right beneath Gloom's feet!
His small paws still had dirt on them, and his body was covered in dust, but he endured the foul mist's stench and slammed directly into Gloom!
"Iron Tail!"
In mid-air, Pikachu's tail glowed with a metallic sheen. With a spin, his tail slammed hard against Gloom!
Bang!!!
Gloom was sent flying, spinning three times in the air before crashing heavily onto the ground.
"Now, Thunderbolt!"
Pikachu's face flared with intense electricity. This time, with no foul mist to block it, the golden current poured out!
Zzzzt zzzzt, Gloom was engulfed in electricity, its body trembling violently.
"Gloom!" Erika cried out.
The electricity dissipated.
Gloom lay on the ground, eyes swirling, with black smoke rising from its head.
"Gloom is unable to battle!" The flag was raised.
"Pika... chu..." Pikachu panted, his small paw still covering his nose.
Roy walked over quickly, took a bottle of Deodorizing Spray from his backpack, and sprayed it on Pikachu.
Then he sprayed some on himself.
Finally, they could breathe.
"Great job." Roy patted Pikachu's head.
Pikachu squinted his eyes. "Pika pika~"
On the sidelines, Joe jumped straight up from his seat.
"Holy crap!!! He won!!!"
His face was flushed with excitement as he waved his fist. "Brother Roy is awesome!!! A total victory despite the type disadvantage!!!"
"Pikachu is so cool!!!"
"Dig plus Iron Tail plus Thunderbolt, holy crap holy crap holy crap!!"
He was so excited he was incoherent, jumping up and down in the stands.
Beside him, several of the Gym's Spicy girl apprentices widened their eyes at him.
A red-haired Spicy girl put her hands on her hips. "Hey, hey, hey, this is a Gym, be quiet!"
Another apprentice with twin tails also frowned. "You're too loud! Careful or we'll kick you out!"
Glared at by the Spicy girls, Joe immediately shrunk his neck and sat back down properly.
But the excitement on his face was still uncontrollable as he whispered, "So cool... Brother Roy is really too cool..."
On the field, Erika recalled Gloom.
She looked at the Poke Ball in her hand, then at Roy, who was spraying Deodorizing Spray on Pikachu across from her, a complex look flashing in her eyes.
This man...
Is he really just a rookie Trainer?
That Pikachu's strength has definitely reached Gym-level.
And his battle awareness is too good.
Knowing the electrical attacks were countered, he decisively changed tactics, used Dig to get close, and pushed through the stench to complete the attack.
That decisiveness, that calmness...
Erika took a deep breath, a gentle smile appearing on her face.
She walked toward Roy.
"Roy, you won."
She took a delicate green box from her waist and opened it, revealing a multi-colored Badge inside.
"This is the Rainbow Badge, proof that you defeated the Celadon Gym."
Roy took the Badge and nodded. "Thank you."
Erika then took three beautifully packaged bottles from an apprentice.
"This is Perfume I blended myself. It's a special blend that hasn't been released yet."
She handed the three bottles of Perfume to Roy and gave a slight bow. "About yesterday, thank you so much. This is a token of my gratitude, please accept it."
"Give these two bottles to Misty and Delia!"
Hearing that it was Perfume personally gifted by Erika, Misty jumped down from the stands, excitedly expressing her thanks.
Then Erika gave one bottle to Roy separately and said with a smile, "This bottle is suitable for men. It's for you~"
Roy took the Perfume and opened a bottle to smell it.
A fresh grassy scent mixed with a faint floral fragrance, and a bit of... wait, is this the scent Erika wears?
He looked at Erika.
Erika's face turned slightly red, but she quickly regained her dignified composure. "This is my personal favorite blend. I hope you like it."
Roy smiled. "Thanks, I'll make good use of it."
Erika nodded, took a step back, and looked at Roy gently. "Then, for the rest of your journey, I wish you a Tailwind."
"Good luck at the Indigo League Conference. I'll be watching on TV."
Roy put away the Perfume and the Badge. "I will."
He turned to leave, then stopped, looked back at Erika, and said, "By the way, if we meet next time, let me treat you to dinner."
Erika was taken aback, and then a faint blush appeared on her face.
She lowered her head slightly and said softly, "Okay."
Roy smiled and walked away.
Behind him, Erika stood in place, watching his retreating back with a gentle smile on her lips.
Joe followed closely behind. "Brother Roy, wait for me!"
He ran to the door, turned back, and waved to Erika. "Goodbye, Gym Leader Erika!"
Then he chased after Roy in a flash.
Outside the Gym.
Joe rubbed his hands excitedly. "Brother Roy, I'm going to continue my training too!"
"After watching your battle today, I've had an epiphany!"
"I'm going to catch even stronger Pokemon!"
He clenched his fist, fighting spirit burning in his eyes. "One day, I'll be just like you, crushing opponents despite type disadvantages!"
Roy smiled and patted his shoulder. "Keep it up."
Joe nodded vigorously and then turned to run.
After a few steps, he looked back. "Brother Roy, see you at the Indigo League Conference!"
"I'll definitely be stronger by then!"
With that, he disappeared in a flash.
Roy looked at the high-spirited youth and smiled.
He turned and continued his own journey.
...
Celadon Gym.
After seeing Roy off, Erika returned to the Gym.
"Today's training ends here. Thank you for your hard work, everyone," she said gently to the apprentices.
Several of the Spicy girl apprentices nodded.
"gym leader Thanks for your hard work!"
"Then we're leaving now~"
The apprentices left one after another.
Erika stood alone in the Gym, looking at the empty battlefield, the battle from earlier still playing in her mind.
That Pikachu...
That sharp Iron Tail the moment he came out of the Dig.
And Roy's calm commands.
She sighed softly.
This man is truly both powerful and full of charm.
Then she began to handle the day's Gym affairs, registering battle records and organizing the Badge inventory.
By the time she finished, it was already evening.
Erika changed into casual clothes, left the Gym, and returned to her villa in Celadon City.
The villa wasn't large but was very exquisite, serving as her private residence as a gym leader.
She pushed open the door, changed into slippers, and walked into the living room.
Suddenly, she saw clothes hanging on the balcony.
Roy's Jacket was fluttering gently in the evening breeze.
Erika's footsteps paused.
This is...
It was the Jacket Roy had forgotten yesterday. Last night, Erika had personally and carefully hand-washed it, intending to give it to him today.
In the end, during today's Gym battle, she had been so busy being shocked by Pikachu's strength that she forgot to return the Jacket to Roy again.
Erika walked to the balcony and reached out to touch the Jacket.
It was already dry.
She took down the Jacket and held it in her arms; it still carried the faint scent of laundry detergent.
"Maybe... I'll give it to him next time."
Erika whispered to herself, a gentle smile appearing on her lips.
After all, there will surely be a chance to meet again.
She hung the Jacket back on the balcony, letting it continue to flutter in the evening breeze.
In her heart, she had one more reason to look forward to their next meeting~