CHAPTER 15 — Test

The dawn came and broke over Cherrygrove, heralding the beginning of a new day.

I woke up a full ten minutes before my alarm was set to go off. Vel jumped off the bed first as I sat up and ran a hand through my hair, already fully alert. There was none of my usual morning drowsiness.

March 30th. The promotion test awaited me.

As I got ready, I felt strangely calm. I was about to go through the most important day of my life, but my mind was clear and my steps light. I had prepared so much that it was impossible to feel nervous. There was just no room for that kind of feeling.

I put on a formal outfit similar to the one I'd worn on my last trip to the Indigo Plateau and selected a tie with stars to go with it. I wasn't sure I was going to need it, but I wore my Key Stone bracelet just in case. After carefully brushing my hair and making it look presentable, I headed out to the backyard.

Dad and Neil were already there and waiting for me. They took care of feeding the gym Pokemon while I led my Elites and the Pokemon I'd chosen for the test through light exercises.

We stopped shortly and returned inside for breakfast. As promised, dad had made his famous chocolate chip pancakes for me with strawberry slices and blueberries on the side. I ate everything with gusto.

The rest of my morning was spent quietly meditating until my phone beeped.

It was time to leave.

Dad, Neil, and the gym Pokemon gathered in the backyard to see me off. All my Pokemon had been returned to their Pokeballs except for Zuri.

They all looked at me solemnly as I got on the Dragonite's back.

"Go get 'em, kiddo," Neil grinned, shooting me a thumbs up. "We'll be watching you on TV." Next to him, Dad stared at me with an incredibly soft expression.

"I believe in you, Arin. Announce your presence to the world," Dad told me in a hoarse voice, and my chest swelled with emotion.

I offered both of them a determined smile. "See you in a bit."

Zuri shot upwards into the sky, and we blurred towards the Indigo Plateau at an incredible speed. Hardly a few minutes passed before Zuri slowed down as our destination came within sight. Unlike before, League Trainers were already on mounts in the air waiting for me, and they escorted me to the doors. I returned Zuri and went through the standard psychic checks. Then I stared at the doors in front of me once I was cleared.

I had returned to the hallowed grounds of the Indigo Plateau, and this time, I would come out of them born anew.

With long, steady strides, I made my way to the front desk and told them my name. The receptionist nodded and pressed a button on her desk. A pair of League Trainers instantly entered the main lobby from a side door and gestured for me to follow them.

Through numerous halls and doors we went, but I didn't pay any attention to my historical surroundings. I was only focused on the goal in front of me. Eventually, the League Trainers led me to a set of ancient-looking double doors on one of the lower levels.

They pushed them open for me, and I stepped inside.

The testing room I had been led to was so massive that it could have easily been mistaken for a Gym's stadium. I immediately noted that the battlefield was a standard one made entirely of earth. Around the field at the bottom, rows of stands cascaded upwards above a protective concrete wall.

There were familiar figures sitting in the lowest level of the stands— the Indigo Elite Four, I quickly realized. Lorelei, Bruno, Agatha, and Koga were all in attendance. Below them, at a rectangular table just a few feet from the battlefield's boundaries, was what appeared to be a panel of judges with papers and microphones set up in front of them. A person wearing a referee uniform and holding flags stood nearby.

My eyes focused on the person sitting in the middle of that table. Lance Wataru stared back at me with a steady gaze. Even from a distance, he managed to exude a charismatic aura.

"Announcing the arrival of Arin Watanuki, Gym Leader of the Cherrygrove City Gym!" One of my League Trainer escorts shouted as they bowed to their higher-ups.

I did not follow their example, but I offered a short nod of respect as I stepped closer to the table of waiting people. I wasn't sure if it was just me imagining things, but I could have sworn I saw some of their faces twitch imperceptibly.

Lance rose to his feet and stood in place. His eyes flickered briefly to the Key Stone bracelet on my wrist before they met my gaze once more.

"Welcome, Gym Leader Arin," he greeted in a powerful but polite voice. "Today we will be conducting the promotion test for the Cherrygrove Gym. With me here are a selection of individuals from the Indigo Committee. Together, we will be presiding over the test as judges. Masaki, if you would…"

Lance sat back down as the man sitting on his left stood up instead.

"I will now explain how the test will be conducted," Masaki began. "The first portion of the exam will consist of three different battles for the first badge, second badge, and fifth badge challenges. Whether you win or lose these battles will not be factors in the scoring process. What we will be evaluating instead is your ability to field appropriate Pokemon for each badge tier and adjust the difficulty level based on what badge a challenger is trying for. After each battle, we may ask you to explain your reasoning for decisions you make so please keep that in mind. We will also pass or fail you after each challenge. A fail will automatically end the test, but each pass will allow you to proceed to the next step."

I nodded. Everything made sense so far and was what I had prepared for.

Masaki continued, "Should you pass all three battles and clear the first portion of the exam, we will move onto the second and final part of the test. We will only explain the second part of the exam to you when and should you make it that far. Do you have any questions?"

I shook my head. "No. I understand."

He nodded and sat back down. "Then let us begin the first badge challenge," he said into his microphone. "Gym Leader Arin, please step into the box."

I barely refrained from clenching a fist as I took my position on my side of the battlefield. At the opposite end, a League Trainer got into place and introduced himself as challenger Dave. Excitement coursed through my veins.

It was about to begin.

Two Kadabra on standby raised their spoons and conjured a wall of psychic energy around the field. Only then did the referee finally speak.

"This will be a two-on-two battle with one switch-in allowed," the referee announced in a loud, clear voice amplified by his mouthpiece. "The challenger will send out their Pokemon first."

I blinked as a Sentret was released onto the field. As far as Johto Pokemon went, that was as common as you could get. I decided to reciprocate and threw out a Jigglypuff. Both of us waited for the referee's signal.

"Begin!" he soon shouted.

"Disarming Voice!" I said immediately.

"Get in close with Quick Attack!" Dave countered.

Pink sound waves blasted out from Jigglypuff's mouth upon my command, but Sentret dashed forward out of range. The small Pokemon weaved left and right as Jigglypuff continued shrieking, quickly closing the distance.

I hummed to myself. At this level, Sentret would only know close-range attacks.

"Stop and get ready," I said. Jigglypuff immediately knew what I was referring to and cut her attack short to save energy, focusing on the incoming Sentret. I waited until it was the perfect distance away. "Sweet Kiss!"

My opponent's eyes widened as a pink heart flew into Sentret's body. There had been no time for the Pokemon to react at such close quarters, and now it staggered back and forth in a dazed manner.

I smirked. "Disarming Voice."

Jigglypuff screamed anew, and this time the sound waves hurtled right into Sentret. I nodded in approval when my opponent recalled the Pokemon before another Disarming Voice could hit it. If he was a real challenger, I would have been pleased to see such a thing happening because it meant the challenger was smart and hadn't forgotten to take advantage of the one switch-in available to them.

Dave swapped out his confused Sentret with a Wooper. I threw a hand forward as soon as it materialized.

"Rollout."

Jigglypuff barreled forward as Dave yelled out for Water Gun. Short bursts of water were fired in the Jigglypuff's direction, but she dodged all of them and slammed into Wooper.

"Again!" Dave and I both ordered.

Jigglypuff came spinning forward in another Rollout as Dave's Wooper hurriedly picked itself up and sprayed more water. It wasn't nearly strong enough to stop Jigglypuff's momentum, and she crashed into the Water type a second time.

"Mud Shot!" Dave finally screamed as Jigglypuff came for round three.

Gunks of mud were spat on the ground in front of Jigglypuff. They mixed with the water that had already been there from Water Gun, and the ground was now so soggy that Jigglypuff actually slipped and slammed into the barrier behind Wooper instead. It was a good strategy, I mused to myself, but it came a little too late. Wooper was a frail Pokemon and looked to be on its last legs already.

Dave's Wooper fired another Water Gun while Jigglypuff was reorienting herself, but that was the only attack I gave them.

"Echoed Voice," I said.

Jigglypuff glared at the Wooper after taking a face full of water. The scream she let loose in retaliation swept the small blue Pokemon clean off its feet. It didn't get up.

"Wooper is unable to battle. Challenger Dave, please send out your final Pokemon."

Sentret came back out onto the field with an attentive expression, no longer confused.

"Keep using Echoed Voice," I said simply.

Sound waves blasted outwards again. Much like before, Dave had his Sentret use Quick Attack to dodge before ordering it to get close. I raised my brow. Obviously he was going to do something a little differently this time, and I'd let him try it. I wasn't supposed to go too hard in first badge challenges anyway.

Jigglypuff's sound waves got stronger the longer she screamed, but Sentret was too fast and expertly dodged. Only one managed to clip her tail. When Sentret got close enough, I called out for a Sweet Kiss like before. Dave was prepared this time.

"Jump! Then Fury Swipes!" he barked.

Unlike before, Sentret used its tail to spring into the air above the incoming heart. It came crashing down on Jigglypuff's face and raked glowing claws across her relentlessly. It only jumped off when my Pokemon fainted.

"Jigglypuff is unable to battle. Gym Leader Arin, please send out your last Pokemon."

I recalled my Pokemon and tossed out a second Pokeball without having to think hard. A Snubbull appeared on my side of the field.

"Quick Attack! Slam!" Dave yelled.

"Scary Face."

Sentret hurtled forward. Snubbull's face contorted in a menacing expression as he leered at it, causing Sentret to freeze up while running.

I took advantage of the gap. "Headbutt!"

Heads collided with a deafening bang as Snubbull slammed into Sentret with all the force he could muster, and I ordered him to finish it off with Bite. He grabbed onto the Sentret's midriff with his jaws. Even as the Sentret screeched with pain and slashed repeatedly at him with razor sharp claws, Snubbull didn't let go and only bit down harder. He dropped Sentret with a satisfied smile when he felt the Pokemon faint.

The referee immediately raised a flag. "Sentret is unable to battle. Gym Leader Arin is the victor of this match."

Dave and I immediately recalled our Pokemon following the match's conclusion. Some Geodude and Graveler that belonged to the League quickly moved onto the field to return it to its default state. In the meantime, I turned to face the panel of judges.

They were scribbling some notes down on paper. One of them finished first and spoke into her microphone.

"Gym Leader Arin, why did you allow your opponent to try the same strategy again with Sentret against your Jigglypuff?" a woman at the table asked. Aha, I thought they'd ask about that.

"As this is only a first badge challenge, I didn't see the need to punish them too hard and allowed them a chance to learn from their initial mistake instead. I wanted to see if they could adapt," I answered easily.

The woman nodded. "Thank you. That is the only question we had."

I waited patiently as the panel of judges discussed quietly among each other with microphones turned off. A minute later, Lance spoke up for them.

"The result is a pass. Please proceed to the second badge challenge," Lance said.

I refrained from smiling and kept my mind sharp as I turned back to face the field. The first badge challenge was pretty simple for both the Gym Leader and challenger, but now we were going one step up on the ladder.

The referee waited for the League Trainer to switch to a second belt of Pokeballs before speaking.

"This will be a three-on-three battle with two switch-ins allowed. The challenger will send out their Pokemon first."

Out popped a monkey with beige and purple colored fur. Aipom. I studied it for barely a second before making a choice. Marill appeared in front of me.

I waited for the referee to announce the start of the match before moving.

"Aqua Jet!" I commanded.

"Tickle and Double Hit!" Dave barked.

Water enveloped Marill's entire body as she rocketed forward. Aipom was nimble enough that it managed to backflip through the air with its tail and land behind her. Snickering, it tickled the water mouse with its tail and punched her twice in the face when she whirled around in anger.

"Fury Swipes!"

"Splash, Bubble Beam, Play Rough," I said in rapid succession.

With surprising natural speed, Aipom lunged forward with glowing claws. I wasn't worried. Instead, I watched proudly as Marill carried out the sequence of moves perfectly. She slapped her tail harshly against the ground and bounced up several meters much to Aipom's shock. Its claws only met thin air. With wide eyes, Aipom snapped its head up just as Marill blew bubbles into its face.

They exploded against his eyes and skin.

Aipom stumbled back howling with pain as it clawed at its own face, but Marill wasn't done yet. Gravity took its course, and she crashed down on Aipom's face with all the fury of a tiny mouse. Her stubby hands and feet were coated with Fairy energy as she punched and kicked Aipom every which way.

My opponent jabbed with his finger. "Iron Tail!"

I kept my eyes from widening. I hadn't expected the Aipom to know that kind of super effective move.

"Defense!" I quickly yelled.

Marill abruptly stopped her beatdown. She barely had time to hunch and wrap her body with energy when a glowing tail slammed into her, knocking the wind out of the small mouse. She brought a hand to her stomach with a wince.

"Charm, then Aqua Tail!" I said as I saw Aipom's tail begin to glow again.

Doe-like eyes looked innocently at the monkey, but Aipom only faltered for a moment before swinging its tail. That second was enough for Marill to whip around with water swirling around her own appendage.

There was no contest of strength. Marill's Huge Power boosted Aqua Tail slapped Aipom straight up into the field's barrier, and he landed back down on the ground with a resounding oomph. Aipom didn't move.

"Aipom is unable to battle. Challenger Dave, please send out your second Pokemon."

A Nidorina took the fallen Aipom's place, and I stared at it in contemplation. I had been wondering when they would send out a Poison or Steel type Pokemon. When I looked at Marill, she looked like she could only take one more hit at most before fainting.

Even though it would sound cruel to some people, I wasn't going to use a switch here. Any good trainer knew that in a Pokemon battle, especially a gym challenge, the switch-ins you had were invaluable tools. I decided to let Marill go down to this Nidorina so I could keep my switches in reserve for my Pokemon with fresh health instead.

"Toxic Spikes," Dave gave as his first order.

"Aqua Jet. Interrupt it."

Marill flew forward, but she wasn't fast enough. Poison managed to seep from Nidorina's spikes into the field before she was bowled over. I avoided grimacing when I saw purple spots spreading across my Pokemon's fur as she wobbled to her feet. She was poisoned.

My opponent could have just let Marill fall to the poison since she was already so close to fainting, but he played it safe and had Nidorina finish her off with a Bite. I'd known about Nidorina's Poison Point and chose to rush it anyway to stop Toxic Spikes. It hadn't paid off sadly, but at least Marill managed to get one hit in before going down.

"Marill is unable to battle. Gym Leader Arin, please send out your second Pokemon."

I had two ways to counter the Nidorina based on the Pokemon I'd brought with me as options for the second badge challenge. I chose the annoying one for the opponent.

Cottonee was released high in the air above the Toxic Spikes, floating with a dopey smile on his face. I didn't miss the way the referee and League Trainer gaped at him for a second before schooling their faces back into neutral expressions. I didn't look, but I was pretty sure the panel of judges probably had similar reactions. They might have known about Unova, but I don't think they knew about any of its native Pokemon. They had probably never seen a Cottonee before.

I didn't waste time reveling in their reactions. I just smiled as I gave my order.

"Fairy Wind and Stun Leaf."

Cottonee propelled himself into action the moment the first word came out of my mouth. A shimmering wave of pink wind started buffeting the field. It wasn't effective against Nidorina and would barely chip away at its health over time, but that wasn't the point of the Fairy Wind.

Cottonee rode it across the entire field. Since he barely weighed over a pound, his light weight made it so that he was carried incredibly fast to and fro, and he could control the wind to his liking. Leaves coated with Stun Spore were aided by currents and shot towards Nidorina.

"Poison Sting!" Dave yelled.

Out came a barrage of poisonous quills from Nidorina's back, but they couldn't take out all the incoming leaves. Several sliced into its skin, and I grinned as I saw the Nidorina immediately began to twitch from the paralysis effect.

"Get out of there with Dig!" Dave shouted. I wasn't going to let them escape just yet.

"Leech Seed! Cotton Spore!" I ordered.

Clouds of cotton mixed with seeds rained down on Nidorina as the Poison type dug painfully slowly at the earth. The cotton clung to its entire body and slowed it down even further. At the same time, the seeds popped open to reveal vines that wrapped themselves around Nidorina, draining it of its energy.

"Energy Ball," I said.

Nidorina had given up on digging. Instead, it was trying to melt off all the cotton and seeds using acid from its spikes. It didn't work. There was just too much covering its body. The Poison type was torn out of its vain efforts as spheres of green energy peppered it one after the other, and it reared its head back from pain.

Finally realizing the terrible matchup, Dave recalled the immobile Nidorina before it could take too much damage and sent out his next Pokemon, a Pidgeotto. The commonly seen bird of Kanto-Johto announced its presence with a loud screech.

"Gust!" Dave shouted.

"Poison Powder!" I yelled almost simultaneously.

I kept a hand on Cottonee's Pokeball, watching carefully as he instantly spewed a cloud of purple dust. The hazardous particles rushed toward Pidgeotto with the help of his Fairy Wind and barely managed to make contact before Pidgeotto began beating its wings furiously.

I quickly returned Cottonee before the ensuing gales of wind could sweep him away, and the Fairy Wind petered out with his disappearance. Being able to land a Poison Powder was good enough, I thought as I eyed the purple spots blooming across Pidgeotto's plumage. It was on a timer now.

Cottonee was too vulnerable to Pidgeotto's Flying type attacks, and its more powerful winds would just overwhelm him due to how light he was. I needed a different Pokemon.

In his place, I sent out Granbull to fight. I uttered my command almost before he finished materializing.

"Taunt."

Granbull winced a bit as poison from the earlier Toxic Spikes infiltrated his body through his feet, but he quickly snapped to attention. His eyes locked onto the bird flying above him. Pidgeotto flinched from the intensity of Granbull's gaze alone, rattled by his Intimidation. My Pokemon smirked at the reaction and barked out a mocking laugh, beckoning with a single paw. Our opponents would only be able to attack for the time being now.

Dave shouted for a Gust. I remained unfazed even as strong winds began picking up again.

"Break the earth around you into rocks," I instructed.

The wind only served to annoy Granbull as he dug his paws into the ground with a grunt. He was too heavy to be blown away. His jaws lit up with a sinister glow as he suddenly slammed forward, ripping out chunks of the ground with just his teeth. Rocks of various sizes piled up at his feet.

I smiled. "Throw them at Pidgeotto. Knock it down."

Dave's eyes widened at my words. "Get out of there!"

Granbull wore a vicious grin as he grabbed a rock in each paw and launched them like speeding bullets. Pidgeotto had to stop whipping up wind to swerve out of the way, but Granbull nonchalantly followed up with more projectiles. This song and dance went on for almost twenty seconds before a rock finally nailed Pidgeotto's left wing.

It let out an undignified squawk as it plummeted to the ground.

"Thunder Fang!" I yelled.

Electricity crackled along Granbull's jaw as he gleefully dashed forward. The instant Pidgeotto hit the ground, he pounced and snapped his jaws around its chest. Screams of pain filled the air as Pidgeotto spasmed from the electricity arcing off its attacker.

"Wing Attack! Get it off you!" Dave screamed.

Reacting more on instinct rather than on command, Pidgeotto lit up its wings with white energy and hammered them against Granbull even as it writhed in agony. Granbull bore with the beating as he kept his jaws wrapped tightly around Pidgeotto's body. The bird managed to hit his eyes at one point, and that was when he finally let go and snarled with pain, slapping his paws to his face.

"Air Slash!"

Pidgeotto was barely conscious both from the super effective attack it had taken and the Poison Powder still running its course in its body, but it managed to fire off several blades of pressurized air upon Dave's command. The Air Slashes exploded against Granbull's fur, forcing him to his knees.

That was all Pidgeotto could do before it crumpled into an unconscious heap of feathers.

"Pidgeotto is unable to battle. Challenger Dave, please send out your last remaining Pokemon."

My gaze was on Granbull as Nidorina popped back out onto the field with cotton still clinging to its body. He had raised himself back up, but his legs were shaking and his breaths coming out more unevenly. The damage he'd taken from Pidgeotto plus the poison from Nidorina's earlier Toxic Spikes had rapidly added up. He was going to go down soon.

I still had Cottonee at full health, so there was no need to make a switch here. I decided to let Granbull make his last stand.

"Rush in and use Ice Fang," I told him. He barked, charging forward sluggishly but with a determined expression.

"Poison Sting! Stay back," Dave barked.

Poisoned darts flew forth in waves at the approaching bulldog. Granbull jumped and twisted his body as he ran, but his movements were clumsy because of the poison and several stingers buried themselves in him. To his credit, he avoided howling with pain and kept running. He lunged as Nidorina tried to dart away and grabbed its leg with his teeth. Frost spread rapidly on the limb before Granbull involuntarily let go.

"Granbull is unable to battle. Gym Leader Arin, please send out your last Pokemon."

I promptly released Cottonee onto the field again after recalling my fainted Pokemon. He started up a Fairy Wind without me needing to give the command and zoomed forward, dropping a bombardment of cotton pieces and seeds onto Nidorina.

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With a half-frozen leg from Granbull's Ice Fang and the leftover cotton from earlier that Nidorina hadn't gotten rid of yet, it couldn't move fast enough and suffered the same fate as before. It was now covered head to toe in sticky fluff and life-draining vines.

"Finish it with Energy Ball."

I saw Dave's expression shift as he realized there he was not going to win this battle, but he still ordered Nidorina to put up a fight with Poison Sting.

Cottonee easily zipped around thanks to the air currents and dodged every last dart sent his way. In return, he shot a series of glowing orbs as he flew around. Nidorina was a sitting duck with no way out, and it eventually went down.

"Nidorina is unable to battle. Gym Leader Arin is the victor of this match," the referee declared.

I exhaled quietly as I recalled my Pokemon. I'd kept the first match very basic on purpose, and I had upped my game a bit for the second badge tier. I turned now to the panel of judges to await their decision, confident that I had passed.

Much like before, the men and women at the table wrote notes down and discussed quietly among themselves. One of them eventually spoke up.

"Gym Leader Arin, the panel and I only have one question to ask you which involves the second Pokemon you brought out. What Pokemon is that?" the man asked.

I had expected this question to come up and easily replied. "Cottonee. It's a Grass and Fairy type whose species originates from Unova."

The panel broke out in surprised murmurs over my response. Even Lance wore a thoughtful expression as he stared at me.

The man who had originally asked me the question cleared his throat over all the noise. "Gym Leader Arin, please do not take offense but we will need to verify your claim that this Pokemon is a Fairy type as we have never seen it before. We only want to ensure that all the Pokemon you use today for the test are Fairy type or related to said type of your Gym. Do we have your permission to run a lie check with one of our Psychic Pokemon?"

"I understand and give permission," I said with a nod of my head. What they were asking was perfectly reasonable, and I saw no problems with it.

An Alakazam Teleported into the testing grounds and stood in front of me. I stared back with a neutral expression as it raised a spoon, barely reacting when an unfamiliar voice entered my head.

I am a Psychic type Pokemon associated with the Indigo League, the Alakazam introduced itself. Please answer the following question. Are all the Pokemon you have already used and will use today for the promotion test Fairy type or related to said type?

I spoke both out loud and in my mind. "Yes."

There was a brief tickling sensation as I felt Alakazam carefully brush over the surface of my mind and emotions. I had mental shields in place due to my own Pokemon, so I knew the Alakazam wouldn't be able to dig deeper, but I wasn't worried in the first place. Alakazam would not dare to do beyond what was asked of it because to go further would be a serious crime that could cause a major fallout with the League's reputation. There were very stringent laws in place regarding psychics and reading minds and emotions.

After a few more seconds, the sensation vanished. Alakazam dipped its head to me before turning around. He nodded at the committee members and Teleported away, signaling that his job was done.

The same man from before spoke. "Thank you for your cooperation, Gym Leader Arin. Now that Alakazam has verified you are telling the truth, I will announce the results of the second battle," he said. "You have passed. Please proceed to the fifth badge challenge."

I rolled my shoulders a bit as I turned around. The first and second badge battles had been warmups. Now I was going up against the last obstacle that stood between me and the second portion of the exam. Similar to what my opponent was doing on the other side of the field, I pulled out from my bag a belt of Pokeballs containing gym Pokemon for the fifth badge level and clipped it around me. We waited for the League Pokemon to fix up the field and remove the poison.

"This will be a five-on-five battle with three switch-ins allowed. The challenger will send out their Pokemon first," the referee explained once everything was ready.

Dave sent out a scowling Marowak without delay. I took one look at it and snagged a familiar Heal Ball off my belt, tossing it up high.

More than a few individuals in the room leaned forward in their seats as a tiny bee no more than a few inches tall emerged in the air. The referee and Dave in particular had to squint their eyes for several long seconds before they finally realized that yes, I had actually sent out a Pokemon.

Cutiefly were counted among the smallest species in the world, and I really had to stop myself from laughing out loud at everyone's shocked looks. I could already tell what they were thinking because it was written all over their faces: why had I sent out such a small and weak looking Pokemon for a fifth badge challenge?

Cally just let out a determined buzzing sound in response to all the attention. They were about to see exactly why I'd chosen her for today.

The referee cleared his throat, resuming a neutral expression as he raised a hand. I tapped a foot against the ground almost impatiently.

"Begin!" the referee said as he brought down a hand sharply.

"Ground it!" Dave shouted immediately. I just grinned.

"Fairy Wind, Play Rough. Hit-and-run."

Strong glittering winds blanketed the entire arena at my discretion. Marowak had just kicked up a barrage of mud when a mere speck of pink slammed into it, and the bipedal Pokemon reeled back in pain and shock. It slashed at the air with the bone it carried, but there was nothing to hit.

The Marowak stumbled forward as something slammed into it from behind, then his right, his left, and all over again. He kept stumbling around like a drunkard with every impact. Every time, he waved his club around trying to get a hit in, but it was just impossible.

Cally was too fast. Riding along the winds she had summoned, the Cutiefly was nothing more than a blur as she zoomed back and forth pelting Marowak with successive Play Roughs from various angles. He was losing health fast. Cally made what Cottonee had done earlier look tame in comparison. Out of all the gym Pokemon I'd brought today, she was the fastest.

I could practically see the gears turning in Dave's mind as he bit his lip. "Stomping Tantrum!" he finally called after some thought.

Marowak clumsily slammed his feet against the ground in between Cally's onslaught of attacks. Jagged pieces of rock and debris ricocheted off the field. Cally's legs got clipped since she was close when it happened, but she quickly righted herself and blurred out of range.

Dave called for a Bonemerang while Cally flew away. Marowak's bone club hurtled through the air but Cally just spun past it and dove down for another Play Rough. She was forced to pull up short as Dave hurriedly returned his Pokemon. He'd realized what a terrible match-up this was.

In Marowak's stead, he sent out a Pokemon with yellow fur and black stripes. The Electabuzz roared at us. I hummed in thought to myself, already having an idea of what was probably coming.

Dave didn't disappoint. "Discharge!" he roared.

"Fairy Wind, full power!" I shouted.

The winds transformed into a complete storm right as electricity exploded outwards from Electabuzz. It gritted its teeth as the wind battered it from all sides yet stood its ground defiantly. Cally flew into the currents and zipped left and right of the incoming bolts as best she could, but there were just too many. Electricity eventually zapped her entire body and made her drop fast.

I returned Cally before the Electabuzz could follow up with an attack, swapping her with another Pokemon that caused murmurs to break out: Galarian Weezing.

"Smokescreen. You know what to do," I told the Pokemon.

Thick smoke clouds instantly flooded the field from the protrusions and tubes along Weezing's body. Neither Dave or I could see the field as it was completely obscured now, but I trusted Weezing to do his thing.

Bright sparks of electricity lit up the field intermittently along with shouts from both Pokemon as we waited patiently for the smoke to thin out. Inside, I knew Weezing was using the smoke as cover while harassing it with waves of endless poison like we'd practiced.

When the Smokescreen finally cleared, two battered Pokemon revealed themselves to us. Electabuzz was the worse off between the two with huge splatters of poison all over its now mangy fur, and its face was pale from what I assumed was internal poisoning. Steam rose from acid-induced craters in the ground around its feet. My own Pokemon hadn't gotten off scot-free. Weezing was covered in scorch marks from electrical attacks and one of his eyes was squeezed shut in pain.

"Strange Steam."

"Thunder Punch."

Both Dave and I gave our orders simultaneously. Weezing expunged powerful fumes that sparkled under the arena lights, but Electabuzz dove right in with complete disregard for its health. It smashed two fists sparking with electricity into Weezing in a one-two punch combo, and Weezing dropped to the ground. I reassessed Electabuzz with a wary gaze as I recalled my Pokemon. The Electric type was actually a lot stronger than I originally thought. I had expected the Galarian variant to be able to take it out.

Maybe in the next badge tier or two up, I could have called for a Destiny Bond or Self-Destruct to take the Electabuzz down with Weezing, but it wasn't appropriate at this level.

"L-Leader Arin's Pokemon is unable to battle. Leader Arin, please send out your second Pokemon," the referee quickly said, fumbling the first part of his announcement. He didn't recognize a Galarian Weezing so he was unable to name it.

I decided to let Cally back out. There were still fumes left from Weezing's Strange Steam that covered the arena, and I planned on using them.

"Stay low and dazzle it," I said.

Cally understood what I wanted and flew forward into the steam. Electabuzz pre-emptively let loose arcs of lightning from its arms even before Dave commanded it to, but it couldn't aim properly when it had no idea of where my Cutiefly had gone. After a sharp u-turn, Cally burst forth from the smoke behind Electabuzz. A wave of light exploded in its face.

Electabuzz barely managed to stay on its knees after the powerful Dazzling Gleam, but Cally latched herself onto its arm and stabbed her proboscis through the skin. The still blinded Electric type tried to shake her off to no avail. A few seconds later, and the Electabuzz finally fell from the Draining Kiss.

"Electabuzz is unable to battle. Challenger Dave, please send out your second Pokemon."

My eyes narrowed when an Arbok came out next, eyeing Cally like she was something worth eating. She buzzed bravely even as she felt the effects of its Intimidation ability. This was not a good match-up for us, but I needed to scope out the Arbok's abilities first.

"Silver Wind," I ordered.

Delicate wings fluttered even more rapidly as they produced tremendous winds for their deceptively tiny size. Inside the currents, sharp crescents of light flew towards Arbok.

"Coil and Sludge Bomb!" Dave yelled.

Arbok tensed briefly in concentration, and then it jumped high above the incoming blades of silvery wind. Multiple globs of brown sludge were spit out from its mouth in rapid succession, all at a downward angle.

I hadn't expected such mobility from it considering its bulky size. We needed to keep this thing on the ground.

"Get close to it!"

Cally stopped her Silver Wind to produce a Fairy Wind instead. With sharp movements, she weaved in between the incoming bombardment and zoomed towards the fast-falling Arbok.

"Stun Spore!"

"Glare!"

Apparently Dave had a similar idea as me. I clenched a fist as Arbok twisted its head and hissed at Cally with glowing red eyes. Cally immediately froze up, but she pushed herself to spray spores and send them rushing forward before she fell. The powder fortunately settled on Arbok's body.

Cally hit the ground with barely a sound while Arbok's landing kicked up a massive cloud of dust. Both Pokemon twitched from paralysis, but only Cally had a way out.

"Aromatherapy," I said immediately.

"Stop it with Acid Spray!" David countered.

A soft green glow enveloped Cally's form as she concentrated. Several meters away from her, Arbok awkwardly moved its spasming body and belched out poison.

It splattered everywhere.

Cally recoiled as globs of acid landed on top of her, pinning her to the ground. She'd finished curing herself of paralysis on time, but I was pretty sure she was going to get a different kind of debuff at this rate.

I had no doubt Cally was under immense pain from the super effective attack, but I knew she could fight a bit more.

"Struggle Bug," I said quietly. Cally still heard me.

She beat her tiny wings with renewed energy as a red aura emanated from her body. Arbok realized something was off and tried to create more distance, but the paralysis meant it could barely slither a few centimeters away before its muscles locked up.

Cally buzzed the loudest she had all day as a massive wave of red exploded outwards to her surroundings, melting all the poison on her body. Her pain and frustration had been converted into tangible power. It slammed into Arbok like a tidal wave and sent it crashing into the barrier in front of its trainer.

"Hit it with Dazzling Gleam!" I ordered.

Dave hurriedly called out his next command as Cally rushed forward. "Sludge Bomb!"

Another burst of blinding light filled the arena, but not before Arbok let loose a barrage of polluted filth. Cally dropped to the ground as the snake reared back with newfound scorch marks.

"Leader Arin's Pokemon is unable to battle. Leader Arin, please send out your third Pokemon."

I recalled my Cutiefly with a smile. She'd put in a lot of work in this match, and now it was time for everyone else to take over.

More gasps filled the room as I let out my third Pokemon of the match, Tinkaton.

"Flash Cannon," I said simply.

A silver beam of energy blasted out of Tinkaton's mouth the instant I relayed my command. That was all it took to finish off the vastly weakened Arbok.

"Arbok is unable to battle. Challenger Dave, please send out your third Pokemon."

Marowak came back onto the field with its bone club raised high above its head. Tinkaton took one look at her opponent and did the same with her hammer, lips curled in a challenging smirk.

This was going to be a battle between two warriors, or in this case, a warrior and a reformed gangster.

"Play Rough," I ordered.

"Bone Rush!" Dave yelled.

Both of our Pokemon dashed forward, one with a hammer radiating pink sparkles and the other with a bone club lit up in a brilliant blue. Sparks collided as they slammed their weapons against each other. The next minute was full of them jumping forward and back, left and right, diagonal and not. With each step they took, they exchanged blow after blow in an intricate dance. Tinkaton had more brute strength and speed than Marowak, but the latter's skill and technique were a cut above Tinkaton's.

I simply waited for the best moment to strike. The moment Marowak stepped too far out, I shouted my command.

"Fake Out!"

With startling speed, Tinkaton closed the gap in an instant and smacked her hand against the handle of her hammer. The resulting reverberation echoed right in Marowak's face making it reel back with surprise. Tinkaton and I grinned at the same time.

"Gigaton!" I shouted.

Tinkaton's hammer seemed to grow larger as silver energy whipped around it like a raging tornado. An excited scream filled the air before she swung her tool down like a divine punishment upon Marowak's head.

She buried him halfway into the ground.

The impact was so powerful that the ensuing shockwave shook the entire field. I was a little impressed when I saw Marowak barely clinging to consciousness after taking such a direct and powerful blow, but that quickly turned into shock when I heard the next move come out of Dave's mouth.

"Endeavor!" he barked.

"Get back!" I yelled almost before he even finished.

Tinkaton dashed away, but it was too late. Marowak squeezed out of the crater it was in with the last of its strength and rushed at Tinkaton with a glowing aura. It hit her so hard with its bone club that it actually managed to send both her and her heavy hammer flying. Marowak collapsed right after.

"Marowak is unable to battle. Challenger Dave, please send out your fourth Pokemon."

I honestly hadn't expected Marowak to know that move. My eyes focused on Tinkaton's form near the barrier's edge. She was struggling to get back on her feet after the devastating Endeavor, both hands tiredly grasping her hammer like a makeshift crutch. There was no way she was going to survive more than one attack, but at least her eyes were still bright and determined.

The next Pokemon Dave sent out was not one that could be found in Johto. At least, not to my current knowledge. I had no idea if biodiversity efforts had occurred during the decade I had spent traveling the world. Right now, a Beautifly fluttered its wings softly in the air.

"Air Cutter!" Dave yelled.

"Flash Cannon. Give it all you got," I said quickly.

Blades of air shot towards Tinkaton in waves. She was too tired to try dodging, so she opened her mouth instead and fired a larger than normal beam of energy. It seared a path through the pressurized air and clipped Beautifly's wings as it abruptly flew up.

Tinkaton went down from the Air Cutters and sheer exhaustion right after.

"Leader Arin's Pokemon is unable to battle. Leader Arin, please send out your fourth Pokemon."

My next choice was made quickly. Mr. Puff came out next in a vibrant flash of red.

"Get up there!" I shouted.

Mr. Puff jumped with a grin. Much to the astonishment of the referee and my opponent, he kicked repeatedly at the air and shot upwards to his target. His light weight and natural ability to float meant he ascended very quickly.

I yelled for a Fire Punch when he got close enough. Mr. Puff made an extra large kick to propel himself forward as Beautifly tried to escape. His fist lit up with fire as he swung it, but he was denied his chance to show off the new move I'd taught him. Dave recalled Beautifly with wide eyes. I don't think he'd expected Mr. Puff to be so agile or capable of a Fire type move.

My Pokemon wore a sour expression as he dropped silently back to the ground, though he perked up a bit when the next Pokemon came out. It was another Pokemon not native to Johto. A large bell-shaped Pokemon with red eyes stared back at him. Bronzong.

"Rain Dance!" Dave yelled.

Bronzong instantly raised its arms and summoned clouds high up in the sky. Drops of rain fell first in a light drizzle and then an utter downpour.

I think Dave had been more spooked by the Fire Punch than I'd thought. His last two Pokemon that he had on hand for the match were both weak to Fire, so he must have thought Mr. Puff was the biggest threat to his team and changed the weather to negate Fire Punch's viability.

What he had failed to realize, however, was that I still had one Pokemon left in reserve.

That Pokemon happened to benefit very much from the change in weather.

I returned Mr. Puff for the time being and threw out Azumarill's Pokeball. Dave grimaced as soon as the water mouse's form fully materialized, but I didn't wait for him to react verbally.

"Aqua Jet into Tail," I said quickly.

By the time Dave yelled for a Flash Cannon, it was too late. Azumarill blitzed forward in a blur of raging water and slammed into Bronzong's tough exterior. The impact of his boosted Water attack was so powerful that it created a thunderous bang both Dave and I flinched from.

Azumarill whipped around before Bronzong could so much as blink and slammed his watery tail into the bell Pokemon's face. One more bang echoed in the hall.

"Iron Head!" Dave screamed.

Bronzong dropped forward immediately. The Iron Head was more like a body press as Azumarill was slammed into the ground, forming a small crater.

"Liquidation!" I ordered.

Water swirled around Azumarill's hands and feet as his eyes snapped open. With a furious yell, he struck outwards with all his limbs.

Bronzong, a Pokemon that typically weighed over four hundred pounds, actually got shoved off. It flew back into the barrier before righting itself, but I had already given my next order.

"Aqua Ring to heal, then get in there and clobber it."

A ring of water droplets appeared around Azumarill's body as he propelled himself with Aqua Jet. Realizing Azumarill could not be stopped, Dave decided to engage us in a head-on fight and ordered Bronzong to fight back.

Azumarill and Bronzong went back and forth trading attacks. Every time Azumarill smashed a water-infused limb into it, Bronzong countered with beams of psychic light or tackled him with Steel type energy wrapped around its body.

I stayed silent as I watched the exchange. I knew the attacks were hurting Azumarill more than he was letting on, but we needed to take advantage of the rain while it lasted to punch through Bronzong's iron defenses. Azumarill hadn't practiced Rain Dance yet so he wouldn't be able to refresh it. I vaguely wondered if Dave would order Bronzong to change the weather again to Sunny Day as I knew their species was capable of doing, but since he wasn't making any move to do so, I thought he was just fine letting things play out. That, and he didn't want to give any advantage to Mr. Puff later even though his Beautifly would also benefit from the sun.

Ten painful seconds ticked by before the slugfest finally came to an end. Two fists writhing with water were slammed down on Bronzong's head, and its Levitation deactivated as it went down. The rain petered out.

"Bronzong is unable to battle. Challenge Dave, please send out your last Pokemon."

As Dave recalled his Pokemon, I decided to do the same. Azumarill still looked like he had fight left in him, but Mr. Puff's mobility was better suited for the next opponent.

Beautifly and Mr. Puff both appeared on the field again in flashes of light.

"Sling the mud!"

"Air Cutter!"

Sickles of wind came bearing down from above, but Mr. Puff popped in and out with Minimize to avoid them. As soon as he became his regular size again, he spun in place and kicked powerfully with his feet. The former Rain Dance had significantly altered the terrain of the field to something akin to wet mulch. Now, globs of mud were flung towards Beautifly in an erratic wave.

"Climb!" I yelled while Beautifly was busy dodging.

Mr. Puff didn't need to be told twice. He kicked up into the air and zoomed towards Beautifly. Dave was in the middle of shouting out a command when a blazing fist uppercutted his Pokemon.

Ugly screeches filled the air as Mr. Puff punched Beautifly two more times before needing to fall back. Beautify had released a flurry of spores from its wings in its panic, and Mr. Puff narrowly avoided them by crashing to the ground with Gyro Ball.

"Bug Buzz!" Dave snapped.

Powerful sound waves fueled by Beautifly's distress surged outwards and crashed into Mr. Puff. The ground was too muddy for him to dig his feet into, and so he went flying back into the barrier in front of me. I couldn't see his expression, but I knew he was probably feeling insulted even through all the pain.

"Hyper Voice," I ordered with a small smile. "Let's make some real noise."

Pinned as he was to the barrier, Mr. Puff still managed to smile as he opened his mouth and screamed. His sound waves gradually overpowered the resounding vibrations from Beautifly and sent it plummeting into the mud.

It twitched for a few seconds before laying still.

"Beautifly is unable to battle. Gym Leader Arin is the victor of this match."

Mr. Puff's stern expression actually broke for once as he beamed, turning back to me with pride radiating off his entire body. I grinned at the Jigglypuff before recalling him. Every single member of my fifth badge team had contributed to our victory, and I was pleased with the overall direction it had taken. I made sure to whisper a promise to buy Leppa Berries to Mr. Puff's Pokeball before putting it away.

I now turned to face the judges.

This time, the panel had several questions for me. Most of them were pretty simple and included asking me to explain my thought process during several stages of the match. I didn't have any trouble with that.

They nodded with very satisfied expressions when I was done explaining. Another few minutes of discussion passed before Masaki finally turned his microphone on.

"Gym Leader Arin, thank you for waiting patiently. After a thorough discussion, we have come to an agreement regarding the fifth badge challenge's results," he said, and then he paused. I was confident I had shown a suitable performance for this level, but I held my breath anyway.

"You have passed. Congratulations."

I exhaled slowly. After three different series of battles, I'd finally reached the end of the first portion of the exam. I allowed a small smile to tug at the corners of my mouth as I dipped my head in acknowledgement.

"This concludes the first portion of the exam. We will now proceed to the second and final part of the Cherrygrove Gym's promotion test," Masaki said. I straightened immediately, my mind alert as I focused on the man in front of me and what he was saying.

"You were asked in advance to bring your Elite team of Pokemon with you today. As a Gym Leader of Johto and Kanto-Johto at large, you are expected to be held to a minimum standard of strength. This is even more true for those who represent major gyms. Gym Leaders are pillars of our country who must help keep it safe. For this final part of the exam, you will face a proctor with your personal team and fight them in a six-on-six Elite tier challenge. Please defeat as many Pokemon as you can. We will grade you based on how many you are able to knock out and pass or fail you depending on the end results. Do you have any questions?"

I wasn't surprised in the slightest by this reveal. In fact, it had been a long time coming. Ever since dad first told me about how they'd said to bring an Elite team for the test, I'd had my suspicions they were going to test my full and unhindered capabilities as a Pokemon trainer. I'd made sure to increase the intensity of my Elites' usual training as a result.

Of course, I still had questions regarding the final exam's rules. For one thing, it was vague. Not just a bit but extremely vague, and I voiced my concerns now.

"You said I will pass or fail depending on how many opposing Pokemon I am able to defeat. May I get clarification on this? How many knockouts would be considered a pass?" I asked politely.

"We cannot give you a number. There is no minimum," Masaki answered in a smooth voice. "We will be looking at your overall performance during battle when making our final decision."

I stopped my eyes from narrowing but couldn't help a brow from arching slightly. That was… not exactly the answer I'd wanted to hear. Basically, they were implying I needed to put up a good fight. But I still wanted to know what was considered a 'good' number of knockouts to achieve—

I barely refrained from smiling as a thought occurred to me.

"Okay. Then let me ask a different question. Since you are grading me on how many Pokemon I defeat, does that mean the more I defeat, the more points I receive that go towards passing?" I asked instead.

"Yes."

This time, I actually let my lips curl into a smile as I stared at Masaki. "Then," I said slowly. "If I was to knock out all six of my opponent's Pokemon, that means I would be guaranteed a pass… am I correct?"

Masaki hesitated for some reason. I also had no idea why, but I felt Lance staring at me from the seat next to him.

"…Yes, that would be correct. Defeating all of your opponent's Pokemon would ensure a pass."

I felt annoyed once I heard his answer. Vagueness of the original explanation aside, why didn't they just mention something like that in the beginning? I felt like I'd gotten worked up over nothing.

At least now I knew for sure the win conditions for this test. I just had to knock out all my opponent's Pokemon if I wanted them to pass me without a shadow of a doubt.

"I have one last question: is Mega Evolution allowed for this portion of the exam?" I asked. The panel broke out in quiet murmurs over my words.

Mega Evolution was and had been a commonly known phenomenon on the other side of the world for decades now. In the Kinjoh Area, it had been discovered just two years ago, and they were only aware of a few Mega Evolutions such as the Kanto starters. Many more had yet to be realized by the scientists of this sphere of influence.

Due to the relative newness of the phenomenon as well as how expensive and rare Key and Mega Stones were, not a lot of trainers out there aside from those who worked for the League had access to Mega Evolution. The Stones needed for it were easily worth a year or more's worth of salary even for a veteran Trainer, and even then, they needed to wait until Stones were found from the deep wilds and put on the market. They didn't just grow on trees.

Lance's stare somehow grew in intensity, but I just kept my eyes focused on Masaki rather than returning his gaze.

"For the purposes of this test, Mega Evolution will not be allowed for both sides. We wish to see your capabilities without it," he answered.

I'd brought my Key Stone for nothing then, but I didn't feel a sense of loss. I did not and had not ever needed to rely on it to eke out a win. My team was more than capable enough on their own.

"I see. Thank you for answering my questions. I don't have any more to ask."

Masaki nodded. "Very well, then I will continue my explanation. As you requested in a previous correspondence, this last part of the exam will be broadcasted live. For the exam proctor… Traditionally, we ask the reigning Blackthorn City Gym Leader to preside over this final part, but due to… inherent type immunity issues between Fairy and Dragon types, the Committee came to the unanimous decision that a change in proctors was necessary. The point of the final test is to test the applicant's capabilities as an Elite trainer, and we wanted to make sure both sides would be able to have a proper fight to that extent without immunity issues. We hope you understand."

I nodded silently. The explanation made sense to me. I was kind of happy with the reasonable change they'd made, too, since this meant less leeway for a possible bad ruling at the end. I wouldn't have wanted a type immunity issue to become something they factored in when deciding whether or not to pass me.

Though, it did make me wonder who my opponent was. I was already a bit surprised that my original proctor would have been Clair Ibuki if not for the change. My guess had been that the League would have one of their Ace Trainers test me, but apparently that was not the case. It also made more sense now why past minor gyms had always failed the exam in the end. They couldn't get past the last hurdle that was the reigning Blackthorn Gym Leader.

I snapped back to attention as Masaki gestured to one of the guards at the doors.

"I will now introduce the proctor and opponent you will be fighting," Masaki said as the guards pulled the doors open. My eyes instantly went to the man that walked toward us with slow but dignified steps, cane in hand.

It was a figure I'd seen on TV many times when I was a child. I'd watched countless interviews and read about him in the newspapers dad always brought to the breakfast table, and I'd seen him every year at the Silver Conference for the opening and closing ceremonies.

I was staring at Pryce Yanagi, the former Champion of the Indigo League.

He stopped just a few feet away from me. A decade had changed the former Champion from the figure in my memories. His hair had fully turned white, and there were more wrinkles than there used to be on his face and skin. I also didn't remember him using a cane before.

Just one thing hadn't changed about Pryce Yanagi: his eyes. They were sharp and full of life. He still carried with him an aura of steadfast dignity.

I wasn't sure whether or not I should say something, but I decided to just dip my head in a short nod for a greeting seeing as I was still in the middle of an exam. He gave back a curt nod of acknowledgement before we both turned to face the panel of judges.

"As you can see, we have called in Pryce Yanagi, the Mahogany City Gym Leader, to be the proctor for the final part of this exam. You will be given fifteen minutes to prepare for the battle ahead as we take a break to fix the arena and set up the broadcasting equipment. The intermission begins now."

As soon as Masaki finished speaking, the rest of the panel got up to stretch or get water. Workers and their Pokemon walked onto the messed up field to fix it while others began carrying in equipment for the upcoming broadcast. They even called in an Alakazam — presumably the same one from earlier — to make a stronger barrier for the next part of the test.

I ignored everything, including the renowned man standing next to me, and immediately went to a corner of the arena to sit down and contemplate.

Pryce Yanagi.

I had never expected to be fighting him as my opponent today. Suddenly the weird pauses and looks I'd gotten earlier from Masaki and Lance made sense. They'd known I'd be fighting the former Champion, and they didn't think I was capable of defeating him.

They were about to be proven wrong.

I didn't have much of a personal opinion on Pryce as I hadn't really idolized him as a kid, but he still had my respect. While he had not been the most popular Champion or always implemented the best policies for Kanto-Johto, he had still done a lot of work during his tenure as Champion.

What I needed to focus on now, though, was his capability as a trainer. I rapidly went through memories and thoughts in my mind.

Pryce had first stagnated and then slowly dwindled in power over the last decade due to growing complacency. It was part of the reason why Lance had been able to achieve victory over him. He'd since been relegated to the duty of being the Mahogany Gym Leader, but this was still a Champion-level trainer we were talking about. He hadn't been able to hold onto his position for decades for nothing. Even if he was no longer at his prime, he was still considered to be as strong if not stronger than Clair Ibuki.

As far as Ice Specialists went, he was the cream of the crop. He was a master of setting the weather up for his Pokemon and freezing opponents into oblivion. Many a trainer had fallen prey to the variety of custom moves at his disposal and the howling storms his Pokemon could instantly create. I'd fought Ice Specialists before, but Pryce was going to be a cut above them.

I wondered how many new Pokemon he had and which ones he would use in today's match. I did have some memories of Pokemon he used when he was Champion, but that was a whole decade ago. Ten years was a long time. Some of them might have retired, or they might have learned new skills and vice versa.

In spite of all the thoughts running around in my head, I was relaxed as I sat there on the ground.

Did fighting Pryce change anything for me?

No, nothing at all.

What I had to do was still the same: beat up all six Pokemon. Pryce's Pokemon.

It didn't matter that he had been Champion of the Indigo League up until six months ago. Unfortunately for Pryce, he was going to be my stepping stone for entering the ranks of the major gyms.

I'd toppled Champions before, and I was going to do it again.

I kept track of the time as I went through a brief strategy outline in my head. One of Pryce's greatest weapons, freezing his opponents, was not going to work with me, so I focused on everything else I needed to consider for the upcoming match.

As fifteen minutes drew to a close, I clipped my Elite team's Pokeballs to the layered belt I wore. I stood up and paused in place.

"It's you and me, guys," I whispered. I knew my Pokemon were listening intently from inside their capsules.

"Let's show them the might of Fairies."

Without further ado, I walked towards the newly repaired field that was waiting for me. Pryce had already taken his place on the opponent's side. As I stepped into my own trainer box, a League Trainer came up and helped attach a small microphone to my shirt. He also informed me the broadcast would start in one minute.

I breathed in and out slowly, tuning everything out except for the referee, the field, and my opponent. My eyes locked with Pryce's briefly before we looked away from each other.

One minute soon came and passed. A League Trainer held up a sign that said the broadcast had started, and the referee immediately cleared his throat.

"We will now begin the final portion of the Cherrygrove Gym's promotion test. This match is between Gym Leader Arin Watanuki of Cherrygrove City and Gym Leader Pryce Yanagi of Mahogany Town," the referee said in a clear voice. "This will be a six-on-six battle with no switch-ins allowed. Trainers, are you ready?"

Pryce and I both nodded at the referee and grabbed Pokeballs off our belts. He eyed both of us before nodding back.

"I will count down from three. Please send out your Pokemon when I get to the number one," the referee continued. "Three… two… one!"

In front of Pryce, a Pokemon with a long, elegant tail and fur as white as snow appeared on the field. It was a Dewgong, one of Pryce's most iconic Pokemon that he had used regularly as a Champion. I could tell it was the same one because of a very distinct pair of scars near its left flipper. I knew better than to underestimate its friendly and beautiful appearance. Case in point, when it casually flicked its tail against the ground, it left a very sizable crack in the field. This Dewgong packed a lot more bulk and power than people would normally guess.

As for me, I'd chosen to start off with a very specific Pokemon with the full intent of making a strong statement to all of Johto and the Kinjoh Area at large.

Taffy.

I saw Pryce's eyes narrow in concentration as he stared at the Wigglytuff on my side of the field. Taffy just wore a jovial expression as he innocently hopped a bit in place. Normally he would have gone a bit further and waved and smiled brightly for the audience, but since the situation was a bit serious, he focused on the Pokemon in front of him instead.

Wigglytuff, a Pokemon that was unanimously considered cute by the masses. Just about everyone in Kanto-Johto knew what it and Jigglypuff looked like because of how common its pre-evolution was. Wigglytuff were very rarely seen in high tier Pokemon battling. If anything, the species was used more for caretaker and health services. Combine all of this with the fact that Fairy types seemed to be looked down upon in the Kinjoh Area, and you had a Pokemon that was often underestimated as being weak.

Well, the Kinjoh Area hadn't met Taffy yet.

As the referee raised a hand in the air, I felt eerily calm. I'd faced worse before.

Here we go.

The referee swung his hand down.

"Begin!"