Chương 65: Chapter 57: After all, what other options were there

Compared to the Eterna City Gym arena, a wide-open flower field ringed by white wooden stands, or the Oreburgh City Gym arena, housed in a cave with seating carved directly into the mountainside, the Hearthome City Gym arena felt downright quaint. In fact, for being easily the most important city of the three cites, its understated nature was almost bizarre. Tucked away in the forest behind the old haunted house that served as the Gym, it didn't even have proper stands.

Instead, several of the surrounding trees had simply been cut down to a height where spectators could sit on the stumps and watch the battles unfold. The fields themselves were little more than patches of forest where the tall grass had been cleared away, with no attempt to make them look like a proper arena.

"I guess it's an off day?" Myst asked, sounding almost confused as he swept his gaze over what ostensibly passed for spectator seating.

"... Maybe," Cynthia replied, though even as she said it, the answer felt vaguely unsatisfying. Normally, a third-badge Gym challenge would draw at least a couple dozen spectators, and that was the bare minimum. Hearthome might have been a massive city overflowing with distractions, but there were still very few things people enjoyed more than watching Pokémon battles. At some level, it was simply woven into people's DNA. Really, she had almost prepared herself for the opposite problem.

For there to be so many people watching that she might finally feel nervous. After all, the third badge was the first Gym challenge without League-imposed restrictions on the Gym Leader. That usually meant attendance practically doubled. Instead... She scanned the arena, counting heads. Seven. Or eight, depending on whether the backpack leaning against one of the stumps represented an actual spectator or just belonged to the man sitting nearby.

Either way, that was less than half the crowd they had drawn in Eterna, and nowhere close to the audience that had shown up in Oreburgh.... Then again, maybe she had it backward. She squinted at the seating. Maybe it wasn't that people were uninterested in the battle itself. Maybe nobody wanted to spend hours sitting on those miserable tree stumps. When attending a Gym challenge, tickets usually covered three battles. With the breaks between matches, that meant at least an hour of sitting on a stump.

It was almost ridiculous when she thought about it. The exterior of the Gym looking shabby was one thing. You could argue it was an aesthetic choice. But who had looked at this setup and decided it was acceptable? Wasn't there some kind of regulation for minimum Gym standards? Like, she got it—it was a Ghost-type Gym. Fine. But the place still needed to make money somehow. If this was considered normal attendance, how did they even stay operational? Johanna sighed.

"C'mon, you seriously don't understand why there are so few people here?" she asked, sounding genuinely exasperated. Myst tilted his head.

"The shitty seating?" he guessed, echoing Cynthia's thoughts exactly. Johanna stared at him. Then she slowly turned toward Cynthia. Cynthia merely blinked. Johanna let out a long, suffering groan.

"Guys, look around you. We are literally standing in the middle of a haunted forest." She threw an arm out toward the trees, and they both followed it. Perched among the branches of a nearby oak was... something. Cynthia wasn't entirely sure what. The creature remained hidden behind leaves and shadows, revealing only a pair of glowing red eyes and a stream of cheerful, almost childlike laughter.

"See?" Johanna demanded.

"Even I'm getting chills standing here, and I'm an experienced trainer. You think anybody except the most battle-obsessed lunatics wants to spend their afternoon here? People literally tell stories about leaving this forest haunted. Haunted. You think families are lining up to buy tickets after hearing that?" Myst glanced toward the laughing figure in the tree.

"I don't know." He tilted his head, studying it for a moment before grinning back at the glowing eyes.

"Don't you think it's kind of cute? I wouldn't mind it following me to be honest." Johanna stared at him for a full two seconds. Then, slowly, she turned toward Cynthia. Her expression was utterly flat.

"For the love of god, do something about him plea—" She cut herself off mid-sentence. Cynthia paused her quiet cooing. Slowly, she looked up from where she'd apparently been smiling at the glowing-eyed creature as well. The dark look on Johanna's face made her freeze.

"... Seriously?" She said flatly. Myst just pouted.

"Are you telling me you're a Ghost-type hater?" He gestured toward the treeline.

"Because I'm ninety percent sure it's just a Misdreavus." Johanna's lips twitched. Against her will, her eyes flicked back toward the trees. The glowing red eyes were still floating among the branches. The unseen Pokémon's laughter drifted through the forest, cheerful and childlike in a way that somehow only made it more unsettling. Her expression crumpled.

"I'm not even against Ghost-types. Really, I'm not." Johanna raised one slightly trembling hand before stabbing a finger toward the treeline with enough force that it looked personally offended.

"But that? That's just creepy." Cynthia opened her mouth, fully prepared to point out that this was exactly the sort of thing people who discriminated against Ghost- and Dark-types always said. But, before she could even open her mouth, a voice rang out from behind.

"Cynthia Shirona? I was told you wanted to speak with me." The voice was a deep baritone, colored by a heavy Kalosian accent. Cynthia spun on her heel, and came face to face with an older man. … Though, it wasn't like she had actually needed to turn to know who it was. The current Hearthome Gym Leader was unmistakable from his voice alone.

Not just because Cynthia had probably watched a hundred recordings of his battles over the years, but also because every time he had an interview her grandmother would always switch the channel to one featuring him. Tall, silver-haired, and sporting the same neatly trimmed mustache she remembered from those broadcasts, Andre raised an eyebrow as the silence stretched. Cynthia snapped out of her thoughts at the motion and hurriedly opened her mouth before he could open his.

"Ah, yes—sorry. I wanted to ask whether I could challenge you at the fifth-badge level. I already battled Benkara at the fourth-badge level, so I was—" Andre held up a hand.

"Sorry, but let's back up for a second." His brow furrowed.

"I thought you only had two badges?" Cynthia paused.

"I do," she said.

"But I already challenged Benkara at the fourth-badge level for my second badge—and won. You can check the recording if you'd like, and if you do—" Andre cut her off again.

"Sorry, but no." … what? Cynthia stared at him. For a second, she was genuinely dumbfounded. Then, with an actual force of will, she plastered a polite smile onto her face.

"Can you at least hear me out? I know it's unusual, but there is a reason I'm asking." Andre continued as if he hadn't heard her.

"I know why you're asking. I know you're strong enough. I've seen your battle against Benkara." He shook his head.

"But that's not really the point. It's a matter of principle. I don't do level jumps. If I won't do them for anyone else, I'm not going to do one for you." Cynthia felt her smile crack, and a hot spike of frustration shot through her chest, the feeling far too familiar after the last few days.

"Sorry, but if I'm strong enough, then why not?" she asked.

"If you've seen my battle against Benkara, then you know I won't get anything out of a third-badge challenge. I'm a lot stronger now than I was back then. I would win with a single Pokémon. It would be easy." Andre let out a sigh.

"Then win with one Pokémon. I don't have an obligation to let you fight any of my fourth badge Pokémon." Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Cynthia's mouth snapped open. For a brief, horrifying moment, she could actually feel the argument with Volkner trying to claw its way back out. What do you mean, then win with one Pokémon? Did he not hear her? The entire point was that she wouldn't get anything out of it.

Sure, she could have Riolu smash through his entire team, but why even do it at all? If he already knew she was stronger than what was required for a third badge, then he might as well hand it to her now and spare them both the time. She wasn't asking for a privilege. She was asking to be allowed to experience the Gym challenge like everybody else. Why was that so fucking hard for people to understand?

Her eyes narrowed into slits as she started to step forward, only for Myst to grab her shoulders and pull her back. She shot him a look of pure betrayal, but before she could get out a single word, he'd already stepped in front of her.

"Then can you explain why?" Myst asked, staring down at Andre.

"Because I'm not really seeing the difference. You literally just said she's strong enough." Andre glanced him up and down.

"And you are?" Myst frowned.

"Myst Terri, I'm the challenger right after her." Andre nodded slowly.

"And what? You were thinking of jumping straight to the fifth badge?"

"Yeah." Myst's answer came instantly, without so much a second of hesitation. Cynthia immediately whipped her head toward him, her irritation with Andre forgotten for a split second. He'd been planning to challenge the Gym at the fifth-badge level too? Then why had he told her?

"But that's not the point," Myst continued.

"I'm not asking about me. I only managed to draw against Byron's third-badge team, after all. I'm asking about her. You literally just said she's strong enough, so why not just let her?" Andre stared at him, before turning his head back to Cynthia.

"You think I'm being unfair? That you've shown your strong enough, so you should be allowed to fight at a higher level just based on that?" Cynthia forced herself to look away from Myst and met his gaze.

"I do," she said simply. A tired smile crossed Andre's face.

"At least you have the confidence." The smile faded.

"But it isn't about you, or how strong you are. Benkara was your second badge. Almost nobody pays attention to challenges at that level unless something bad happens. At most, there might be a few rumors afterward. In the end, the odds of anyone really noticing are pretty low. He wasn't on the frontlines on that debate, so it wasn't that big a deal when he allowed it." He glanced toward the seating area.

"For me, it's different. I was heavily involved, staked a lot of my reputation on it. Most of those people? They're here because I'm doing a sixth-badge challenge later. Reporters from trainer magazines, battle journals, and whatever local rags are looking for a story. Most days they leave disappointed. A sixth-badge challenge isn't usually exciting enough to make headlines." A brief pause.

"But a two-badge trainer challenging at the fifth-badge level? Considering my comments after the Sunnyshore incident? That's a story." His expression hardened slightly.

"And it's a mess I don't want to get into, especially when I'm stepping down soon. Because once that article gets printed, it stops being about your battle." He glanced back at her.

"You're the Shirona heiress. The moment I approve a fifth-badge challenge for a two-badge trainer, nobody is going to write about the battle. They're going to write about that." He let out a sigh.

"By the time the story reaches Veilstone, half the region will be convinced I handed you a favor because of your name. By the time it reaches Snowpoint, people will be saying I let you beat me if you win." Cynthia stepped out from behind Myst.

"So you're going to deny me because of politics? Just because you don't want to be bothered." She said, her voice heating up. Andre gave her a flat look.

"I have a lot of reasons for denying it. The fact that I'm against level jumps without proper regulations. The fact that if even a single thing goes wrong, I'm the one who loses my Gym. The fact that a Gym battle isn't the only place to find a challenge. If all you want is a fight at the fifth-badge level, then go find one. There are dozens of trainers in the training grounds who would be happy to battle you if you look around for a bit. Why does it have to be a gym battle?" She grit her teeth.

"So what? I'm supposed to spend the next few months fighting random trainers until the Gyms finally catch up?" she shot back.

"Do you even hear yourself? What's the point of the badge system if the actual challenge stops matching the trainer? At that point, you're just asking me to go through the motions." Andre didn't budge.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying." He said bluntly.

"I understand your frustration. More than that, I agree with it. I was one of the people pushing hardest for changes to the current system. I didn't want to scrap it entirely. I wanted there to be a formal process for requesting higher-level challenges. The current way of doing things, it's not sustainable. Because right now it's about exceptions, and sooner or later somebody makes one that's too big. Then another Pokémon ends up dead." He didn't move forward, just inclined his head slightly to stare into her eyes.

"I'm not saying no because I don't understand you. I'm saying no because I do. In all my years as a Gym Leader, I've never met someone asking for an exception who didn't have a good reason. Yours are better than most. That doesn't change the answer." Cynthia slowly closed her mouth. She had more arguments. More reasons. She knew none of them would matter. Andre had made up his mind, and nothing she said was going to change it. So instead, she clenched her fists and stared back at him. Really?

This was how it was going to be? He wanted her to challenge his third-badge team? Fine. She would. And while she was at it, she would prove exactly how ridiculous it was that she had to.

"Fine, then. Let's do a regular third-badge challenge." Her voice came out ice cold. Andre merely sighed. … She didn't have to wait long. Only a single, fast battle where someone challenged Andre for their first badge before her name was called. As she walked toward her side of the field, Myst and Johanna both watched her with faintly concerned expressions. Neither of them said anything, like they were worried if they did she would do something stupid. Which was, frankly, ridiculous.

She got that she'd blown up at Myst a few days ago, but this was different. She wasn't angry. She wasn't frustrated. She certainly wasn't about to do something stupid. She was calm. Completely calm. Cool, calm, and collected. She stopped when she reached her position, marked only by a stupid white box painted onto the mowed grass. Then she looked up. Her eyes met Andre's just as the referee's voice rang out across the field.

"This is a Gym battle for a third badge. It will be a three-on-three battle. Each trainer is permitted one switch. No additional rules apply." The referee raised a hand toward her.

"On the right side, we have our challenger, Cynthia Shirona, from Celestic Town." His other hand swept toward Andre.

"And on the left, Gym Leader Andre Lenoir of Hearthome City." He lowered both hands.

"Trainers, release your Pokémon!" Andre's Poké Ball was already in his hand. With a practiced flick of his wrist, it sprang open.

"Misdreavus, let's see if she spots the trick." Cynthia grabbed her own Poké Ball, holding it out towards Andre. Calling out the Pokémon you were sending out. Giving them a brief introduction. It wasn't something trainers usually did. In fact, Gym Battles were the only place Cynthia had ever seen it happen. She wasn't entirely sure where the tradition had started. Maybe some Gym Leader had wanted to put on a better show. Maybe a challenger had wanted to stand out. It didn't really matter.

Nowadays, it was simply tradition—the formal way to send out your Pokémon in a Gym Battle. A small ritual that told the crowd, the referee, and your opponent that this wasn't just another trainer battle. Cynthia felt her lips curl into a cold smile as she pressed the button on Roselia's Poké Ball. Roselia emerged in a flash of white light. The worn red scarf around his neck stirred as he settled onto the grass, then dipped into a shallow bow toward Misdreavus, every bit the gentleman despite the frayed fabric.

She didn't say a word. Roselia straightened. The referee waited. Cynthia continued saying nothing. Across the field, Andre's expression remained unchanged. She didn't blink. He wanted her to simply go through the motions? Fine. Then she was going to treat this like any other battle. Slowly, the referee seemed to realize she wasn't going to say anything. After an awkward pause, he cleared his throat, stepped back, and raised a hand.

"Since both trainers are ready—" He brought it down.

"—let the battle begin!"

"Slow it," Andre barked. Misdreavus darted skyward as pale blue energy swirled around it. Ice-type energy flooded the air in an instant. Then its eyes flashed blue, and a frigid gale erupted across the battlefield, frost racing through the grass in its wake. Icy Wind. Roselia responded before Cynthia could have opened her mouth. A green glow erupted around him as Grass-type energy surged through the field. The turf rippled.

Then, a heartbeat before the freezing gale reached him, thousands of blades of grass tore free from the ground. Magical Leaf. The storm of emerald petals swept together in front of him, weaving itself into a dense shield. Icy Wind slammed into it only a heart beat too late to hit him instead. Boom! The two attacks collided in an explosion of icy mist and shredded greenery, turning the battlefield into a swirling haze. Misdreavus darted left the instant the collision obscured the field.

It continued to strafe, never staying still for more than a moment as it searched through the drifting leaves. Then it found Roselia form. Instantly, it stopped. Its eyes flared with ghastly light. Confuse Ray. A ray of yellow light shot out from its eyes, striking the figure. And yet— Andre's mouth snapped open.

"Split!" Misdreavus didn't hesitate. The ghastly energy gathering in its eyes vanished the instant the command left Andre's mouth, its form already beginning to blur. Too late. Cynthia didn't so much as twitch. Her attention had already moved on from the Roselia-shaped mannequin hidden within the swirling leaves and masked beneath a Double Team illusion. Instead, her eyes locked onto a patch of ground where fresh grass had begun to sprout.

Roselia shimmered into view a moment later, his form wrapped in a faint green glow. Grass-type energy poured from him in waves, one bouqueted hand already raised. Misdreavus split, first into two and then— Cynthia's lips began to move. Leaf— A hurricane of emerald erupted from Roselia. Leaves, stems, and razor-edged petals exploded outward in a massive cone, devouring half the battlefield in an instant.

The freshly formed Double Teams vanished the moment they touched the attack, shredded apart so completely they looked as though they had never existed. —Release. Misdreavus simply vanished into the attack. Andre didn't hesitate.

"Return." The red recall beam cut through the emerald storm, and a heartbeat later it snapped back toward his Poké Ball, carrying an already fainted Misdreavus with it. Andre was silent for a moment as he glanced down at his Poké Ball. He didn't say anything, but his lips curled downward ever so slightly. Cynthia understood why. Roselia's Leaf Release was a finished Custom Move—an instantaneous fusion of Growth and Leaf Storm designed to minimize the latter's drawbacks. But it wasn't meant to be used like this.

It was supposed to be a finisher. Against a healthy opponent, opening with it was a gamble. When she'd helped Roselia develop the move, Cynthia had always envisioned it being used against an opponent that was pinned down, distracted, or simply too slow to escape. Under normal circumstances, what Misdreavus had tried would have worked. If it had been a little faster. If it had managed a few more Double Teams. If the gap between them had been just a little smaller. If.

Cynthia met Andre's gaze as he pocketed Misdreavus's Poké Ball and reached for another. Andre was known as the best Ghost-type specialist in Sinnoh. He was especially famous for his disruptive battle style, layering status effects until opposing Pokémon could barely function. Icy Wind into Confuse Ray. Confuse Ray into Thunder Wave. Charm. Will-O-Wisp. Scary Face. By the time he was finished, your Pokémon would be slowed, weakened, burned, and confused.

Then, while you were still struggling just to function, he would begin setting up his own Pokémon, turning them from technical fighters to terrifying powerhouses. It was what made him terrifying. If his Pokémon could even just hold their own, they would slowly whittle away at their opponents until they became the stronger ones. If. The referee finally seemed to snap out of his daze.

"Gym Leader Andre's Misdreavus is unable to battle. Please send out your next Pokémon." Andre ignored him completely. His eyes remained fixed on Cynthia.

"That was a Custom Move, right?" he asked quietly. Cynthia tilted her chin up slightly.

"Does it matter? Is it not something you expected to see in a third-badge battle?"

"No," Andre said easily. The corner of his mouth twitched upward.

"But it's also not something I'd expect to see in a fifth-badge battle." The referee cleared his throat. Andre finally looked away from Cynthia. Then he threw his next Poké Ball onto the field.

"Haunter. Remind her why Ghost-types are feared." She glanced toward Haunter, just for a moment. It was stronger than Misdreavus. Strong enough that, if it had been facing an ordinary challenger, this would have been the point where they began to struggle. Where the battle turned into a slow, grinding mental game of trying to keep up as Andre piled one status effect on top of another. If.