John's Team

Tyrant - Slaking

Vordt - Ursaluna

Smough - Snorlax

Klee - Blissey

Port - Mantine

Zephyr - Pidgeot

Klaus - Wyrdeer

Luna - Clefable

Pixel - Porygon-Z

Euphie - Sylveon

Ornstein - Obstagoon

Wraith - H-Zoroark

Winston - Lickitung (Shiny)

The New Normal – 12-16 – The New Gym

Turns out that Cynthia's and Karen's mutual hangout session went really well. I briefly spoke to them after they were done with their shopping session, and besides that one guy that tried to harass and bother them, it had been a happy and pleasant time for the both of them. I also made sure to message Blaine and thank him for the supportive words that he said on their behalf.

He just shrugged it off and told me that anyone respectable would have done the same in his place. In the meanwhile, he told me to keep an eye on the news for the publication of his latest discovery. He was being coy about it, but I guessed that it was likely that his H-Growlithe had successfully hatched, meaning that we had a new Fire/Rock type on our hands.

Nevertheless, it was good that Cynthia's time in Indigo ended on a high note – as today she was returning back to Sinnoh.

Currently, the Elite Four and I were at Vermillion City, where we were giving our goodbyes to the foreign delegates from Sinnoh. Inwardly, we all knew that this was likely a short goodbye, as it was very likely that the situation with Galactic Company will allow us to visit Sinnoh soon.

"…Oh, speaking of which, you still haven't visited the Lavender Gym yet right?" Karen asked me while Cynthia exchanged a few words with Lorelei about something.

"I haven't." I confirmed, "Maybe we could visit it after this?" Dorothy did mention wanting to meet me.

"That's what I was thinking too." Karen nodded, then she turned to the rest. "Anyone else coming along?"

"Maybe some other time." Koga shook his head, "I have other plans for today."

"Likewise." Lorelei said, "With the Regional Union being set up in the Sevii Islands, I'm starting to think that we could really do something to capitalise on that."

"I heard that the Lavender Gym was quite bare bones at the moment, though." Lance commented, "Not that it's surprising – the Gym did just finish being constructed not too long ago."

Karen agreed, "The first priority was to make sure the Gym could actually function as one; the decorations and distinctiveness could be added on later."

"Fair enough." Lance nodded. Then the blaring of a ship's horn interrupted our conversation, signalling to us that it was time for the Sinnoh delegation to leave.

Lance turned to Cynthia first, making a show of shaking her hand for the reporters, "We greatly appreciate your time and effort to visit our region. I hope that the discussions that we had were fruitful, and that our hospitality has been nothing less than friendly."

"It has. Thank you." She nodded formally, "Indigo has more than lived up to my expectations, and Lucian and I have not a single word of criticism to say. Nonetheless, while we ultimately must return to Sinnoh and attend to her needs, we are thankful that our time here was equally as productive as it was relaxing."

The formalities ended there, and the two Champions broke off their handshake. Cynthia immediately turned to me and gave me a modest goodbye hug – we were in public, after all – and we exchanged sentiments about looking to see each other again soon. In the corner of my eye, I saw that Lucian and Lorelei were exchanging a few whispered words, but I was tactful enough to not listen in.

Karen and Cynthia also exchanged a few words that I also wasn't close enough to overhear, but the friendly gazes that they both had told me enough.

Then, with all the goodbyes done, the Sinnoh delegation finally stepped onto the ship, and soon were heading off into the horizon. I stood there for a little longer than I had to, simply staring at the retreating figure of the ship. But soon enough I pulled myself out of my thoughts, before heading to Lavender Town with Karen in tow.

As we approached from the skies, I noticed that the radio tower, which had previously been nothing more than a small stump coming out of the ground, was actually now a proper tall tower. Admittedly, the tall modern building looked a little out of place with the sleepy town, but in a way it symbolised the change that the whole town was about to go through.

It was an icon of a new era.

"So is the radio tower nearly done?" I asked, pointing to the structure, "It looks like it's been fully built."

"Eh. Not yet." She replied, "Building the exterior is the easiest part. We still need to fill it in with the right equipment and also hire on the right broadcasters etc. That last part is going to be the biggest hassle. I'll have to get on that soon."

"Agatha not helping you with this?" I questioned.

"No. She's mostly leaving it all to me now." She explained, "I was already gradually getting more responsibilities, but now that I'm actually in the Elite Four Agatha's already stepped back from practically all of her old duties – besides the Gym. I have to manage all the contacts now." That was about what I expected.

We promptly landed right next to the new Lavender Gym – which looked very hastily constructed, but at least it didn't look decrepit. The exterior was very bare bones and plain, though at least it was very sizeable and it was obvious that the building was brand new. There was none of the spooky or 'ghostly' aesthetic that I would have expected for a Gym from Lavender Town, but I supposed they hadn't had time to decorate yet. Not only that, the Gym also had installed reinforced windows that were likely one-way, so you couldn't see from the outside in.

Overall, my first impressions of the Gym was acceptable. It clearly was built to last, and I felt that once the decorations were added, this Gym could really become a standout amongst Kanto.

My inspection of the Gym's exterior was suddenly interrupted as a familiar voice began to mock us, "So are you both just going to stand there and gawp at the Gym this whole time? Or are you going to come inside? Surely you did not grow dull just because I left the Elite Four."

I just smiled, "It's good to see you again, Agatha. Sorry for not visiting; I know you missed me."

"Bah, I couldn't care less if you visited me or not. And you should smack whoever said otherwise." Agatha gave Karen a knowing glare, "Well? Are you both going to stand there? You've already forced this retired old lady to come outside to get you."

"Yeah right, you're about as 'retired' as Blaine is. Don't try to play that off." She said with a snort, but the two of us still followed her into the Gym, "Anyways, where's Dorothy? Or is she not able to move unless you tell her to, like a good obedient puppet?"

"I'm right here, Elite Karen." Dorothy approached the two of us before performing a short bow. She looked the same as she did back when I met her at the Committee meeting – perfectly unassuming. Yet at the same time, as she stood framed in the doorway of the Gym, I admit that she had a certain presence to herself that reminded everyone that she was a veteran and experienced trainer.

"Oh, Dorothy. Good to see you again." Karen's tone had visibly softened as she spoke to the new Gym Leader, "I hope that Agatha hasn't been running me ragged."

"It's okay – I knew that this position would be a busy one when I accepted." She replied, "It's all been within my expectations."

"Nevertheless, I appreciate your visit. Would you like me to show you around?" She asked us.

"No need, but thanks for the offer." Karen said, "I'm sure Agatha can do so."

Nodding, Dorothy quickly left us to our conversation as she stepped away. I turned to Agatha, "So…I always meant to ask – but why her? Not that there's anything wrong with her, but I'm just curious."

"I felt she had the most suitable personality type to be a Gym Leader." Agatha replied easily, "And she was one of the stronger Ace Trainers that I knew. There's nothing more to it."

"In other words, you chose her because you knew she would be a good puppet." Karen cut in snidely.

Agatha snorted, "Think what you like. Even if she is a puppet, I can guarantee you that she is at least competent. I would not have my reputation and Lavender's smeared because of an incompetent Gym Leader, not when we lucked out to be granted this opportunity to host a Gym in the first place."

"But enough of the chit chat. Now that you're here, I'd like you to do something for the Gym." Agatha stared at me, "Spar against Dorothy in front of the cameras. That way, we can get some 'proof' that the Gym Leader is competent, show off her strength a little bit, and generate some actual interest in the Gym."

"I would do it, but my relationship with Agatha is too obvious to avoid accusations of bias." Karen added, "So you'd be doing us a favour if you went along with this."

I shrugged easily, "That's simple enough. Besides, I have a few weaker Pokémon that I can make use of for a more interesting fight."

"Good." Agatha nodded, "Then I'll call Dorothy over. Make your way to the arena. We'll make it a 2v2 match, with one Pokémon at a time. Be sure to make it interesting." She walked away once I nodded.

"She means thank you." Karen added cheekily, then she pretended to whisper into my ear, "Don't let her hear this, but Agatha's been quite nervous about the Gym. I've watched her spend a few late nights struggling over what's best for the Gym's development. Obviously, she wants to make sure that the Lavender Gym is as perfect as possible so that no one has any reason to take it away – since everyone knows that Agatha basically brute forced its creation. It hasn't been too easy for her."

I could understand. I was sure that as soon as Cinnabar Island is rebuilt, there would be many clamouring for the return of their Gym to its 'rightful place'. Agatha, and by association Karen, would have to fight tooth and nail to make sure that the Gym remained under their control.

Honestly, I didn't really care where the Gyms were located, but as a friend I was happy to do help them with whatever they needed.

We reconvened at the arena, which was as plain as the rest of the Gym. Amusingly, when I turned to the seating areas, I noticed that the VIP room was surprisingly furnished compared to everything else. I imagined that it was likely because that was where Agatha would be spending most of her time when she spectated the fights, so they prioritised making sure that was completed before everything else.

Before the fight started, Dorothy actually approached me.

"I'm sure others may have said so, but thank you for accepting this fight." She said to me, "It will be a great boon for establishing the Gym's reputation."

"It really isn't a problem." I said, "…I hope the Gym Leader position is treating you well. No offense, but your situation is…very unusual, compared to the other Gym Leaders I've spoken to. No other Gym Leader has someone so obviously looking over their back like you do."

"Mhm. That is understandable." She nodded, "Many Gym Leaders would chafe at being a puppet. Let alone working with someone as difficult to work with as Agatha can be at times."

"So why do so?" I asked, unable to hide my curiosity, "I know you're an Ace trainer, and you've clearly got several years of experience under your belt. Surely there must be other opportunities for you, especially if you are strong enough for Agatha to have picked you to become a Gym Leader. She wouldn't have picked anyone weak."

I knew that I wasn't the most prideful of people, but even I would not be able to accept being known as nothing more than a puppet to someone else. I was incredibly curious about why Dorothy would be okay with it.

"Firstly, I owe a debt to her – I won't be going into detail about it, as truthfully that is not the reason I chose to take up this position." She revealed, "But the main reason is because, just like so many others who live in Lavender Town, we share Agatha's dream of ensuring that our little town is prosperous and stable."

"There is a lot of history that I won't be going into detail about, but let's just say that without Agatha and her efforts, Lavender Town might not even be the sleepy town that most know it to be." She explained, "In fact, it probably would be nothing more than a backwards town that no one ever visits or even remembers. We might not even be placed on the map."

"I cannot understate the importance that Agatha had to improve Lavender Town into the state that it's in today." She continued, "Karen understands, which is why we're happy that she's carrying on the mantle. So for me, I will do all I can to support Agatha in her endeavours – and if that means dancing to her tune, then I will happily do so. We all trust her judgement."

Ah. That made so much sense. I always knew, intellectually, that Agatha must have been a crucial part of developing Lavender Town, since she practically ruled the place. But I had overlooked the feelings of gratitude that people might have had because of her actions.

No wonder they didn't mind when Agatha pulled out the iron fist or was her usual abrasive self. Not when she was responsible for much of their prosperity and livelihood.

"Thank you for that explanation, and I hope my curiosity hasn't offended you." I replied, "That was very enlightening."

"Don't be." She waved me off, "You're actually quite popular in Lavender Town, you know. We recognise that you've helped Agatha, even if only to further your own interests. And with your friendship with Karen, we hope that you will continue to assist Lavender Town in the future as well."

I was about to respond before I was quickly interrupted, "OI! Are you idiots going to fight or are you just going to chat?" Agatha's voice echoed through the Gym, "Hurry up and fight already before I come down there and smack you."

Dorothy let out a wry grin, "We should probably obey. It's best not to make her cranky." I smirked at that, and the two of us quickly moved to our starting positions.

I had already selected the Pokémon I would use; there was something I had been wanting to show off.

"Trainers? Are you ready?!" One of the Gym Trainers served as the referee shouted out, "THEN FIGHT!"

"Come out, Mismagius!"

"Euphie, go!"

I blinked as I saw the Mismagius take to the field. In hindsight, it shouldn't have been that surprising, but I was still so used to seeing purely Indigo/Hoenn ghosts that I was taken aback by a Sinnoh one.

Either way, it made no difference. It was finally time to properly show off all that I had taught Euphie.

"Misty Terrain, Euphie!"

A tidal wave of blue, sparkling mist flooded the battlefield as Fairy energy poured out of Euphie. It had been a move that I had been making Euphie slowly train up in the background as the ultimate move to counter Lance's Dragons, since Misty Terrain halved the damage of all Dragon type moves which would cripple his damage output until the Misty Terrain faded.

Furthermore, Misty Terrain had an added benefit of causing all affected Pokémon to be immune to status conditions as well, giving me another powerful counter to teams like Karen's.

I saw the look of confusion that Dorothy was sending my way; she must be puzzled at the effects of Misty Terrain. Ironically, Mismagius' Levitate actually worked against it here as it was immune to the status resisting effects of the Misty Terrain.

Wary of the potential consequences of the new terrain, she played it safe by unleashing a standard volley of Shadow Balls at Euphie.

A Light Screen shimmered into existence in front of Euphie, blocking most of the damage and allowing her to begin setting up with Calm Minds.

"Taunt it, Mismagius!"

"Moonblast, Euphie!"

Mismagius moved to cancel Euphie's Calm Minds with a Taunt, but I had expected this and immediately had Euphie quickly fire off a Moonblast. Her training had bore fruit, as the speed that she managed to fire off that Moonblast meant that Mismagius was still locked into firing off a Taunt and couldn't move out of the way in time – causing it to be struck by the glowing orb of Fairy energy.

"Confuse Ray, Mismagius!"

"Moonblast again!"

Shrugging off the damage, Mismagius released a burst of dizzying light that shot through the air like a bullet as it struck Euphie. However, to the surprise of both Mismagius and its trainer, Euphie completely shrugged off the effects of the Confuse Ray thanks to the Misty Terrain as she fired off another Moonblast and followed that up with a Dazzling Gleam – with the latter catching Mismagius as it tried to dodge out of the way of the former.

"Quick Attack, Euphie! Close in!"

"Shadow Sneak away!"

Euphie charged forwards in a blur as she dashed quickly towards Mismagius, who had recovered quickly and was now trying to escape into its shadow and create some more distance. But Euphie was faster, crashing into the Ghost with a Pixilated Quick Attack before unleashing a point-blank Hyper Voice that sent Mismagius tumbling to the ground.

Mismagius tried to counterattack with a Thunder Wave, looking to paralyse Euphie and likely set up for future Hexes, but just like with the Confuse Ray, the Misty Terrain simply allowed Euphie to ignore the effects.

Not knowing what Misty Terrain did was really punishing Dorothy as another Moonblast from Euphie blasted the Ghost type into the ground.

At this point, Mismagius had been backed into a corner. If the whole point of having this battle with me was to show off the strength of the Gym, then her performance thus far would be considered lacklustre. We both knew that she needed to show off more than what she had shown so far.

And she didn't prove my suspicions wrong as a single spectral arm suddenly shot out from the shadows, causing Euphie to let out a surprised shriek as the ghostly arm latched onto her and held her in place.

It was like a weaker version of what Agatha had used with her own Gengar.

"Dazzling Gleam, Euphie! Break free!"

"Punish it, Mismagius!"

Euphie began to shine with energy, but Mismagius had pulled itself off the ground and smashed into Euphie with a quick Astonish, causing her to flinch and interrupted her attack. Then Mismagius followed that up with a Shadow Ball, which Euphie partially blocked due to her earlier Light Screen. But Mismagius knew that this was its sole opportunity to bring down Euphie, so it kept trying to brute force past the Light Screen with further Shadow Balls.

However, Euphie wouldn't be suppressed by Mismagius' sudden assault for very long. Mismagius was clearly reliant on its status conditions, and with those denied, her attacks weren't nearly capable of overwhelming my defensively trained Euphie and her impressive Special Defenses.

So after shrugging off a few more Shadow Balls, the hold that Mismagius had on Euphie began to weaken, allowing Euphie to break herself free with a Hyper Voice and crash into Mismagius with another Quick Attack that sent both Pokémon to the ground once more.

"Pain Split! Heal yourself up, Mismagius!"

"Hyper Beam, Euphie! END IT!"

Before Mismagius could get off its Pain Split, Euphie unleashed her most devastating attack, firing off a powerful ray of concentrated energy that struck Mismagius point-blank. Boosted by Pixilate, Mismagius instantly crumbled as it was completely overwhelmed by the attack.

Mismagius' attempt at a reversal was a valiant one, but it wasn't enough to overcome the large gap in strength between them as a result of the Misty Terrain.

It had been an excellent showing on just how powerful the move was.

"...That Misty Terrain of yours…what is that?" Dorothy asked as she withdrew her Mismagius, "It must prevent status effects, right? My Confuse Ray and Thunder Wave bounced off your Sylveon like it was nothing."

"It does." I confirmed, "I kinda figured that you would be reliant on status moves, based on what I knew about how Agatha fought. So I thought this would be a nice fight to demonstrate that effect."

Before this fight had taken place, I had considered keeping Misty Terrain a secret, but I ultimately chose to reveal it here. The main reason why I chose to do so was because Misty Terrain was not some 'secret move' that I came up with, but rather a move that most Fairy types could naturally learn. Therefore, with the increasing prevalence of trainers owning Fairy type Pokémon, it was really only a matter of time before someone else came up with the move.

I might as well show it off before then.

"Ah. Well, that explains a lot." Dorothy nodded, "I suspect that it does more than just deny status moves, right?"

"Perhaps, but that'll be on others to figure out." I replied vaguely, "Let's table this conversation for now. You still have one more Pokémon to fight with, right?"

"I do." She confirmed, "And, not to make excuses, but Mismagius was one of my newer Pokémon. Let's see you deal with this."

"Go, Shedinja!"

I involuntarily let out a snort as the small Bug type took to the field – I really wasn't expecting this. Obviously, I had Euphie fire off a Shadow Ball, as that was really the only thing that she knew that could actually harm Shedinja, but it suddenly split up into a horde of illusions with a Double Team and easily evaded the attack.

One of the illusions quickly rushed towards Euphie, but popped out of existence as soon as she tried to strike with a Bite. Another one then came up from behind her, and slashed down with a hard-hitting Shadow Claw.

Euphie tried to turn around and retaliate with her own Shadow Ball, but the real Shedinja had already disappeared back into the horde of illusions that it had made.

"Hyper Voice, disperse them!"

"Shadow Claw again, Shedinja!"

Euphie unleashed a booming, Pixilate-boosted Hyper Voice that instantly cleared out the horde of illusions, but as she was distracted with her Hyper Voice, the real Shedinja shrugged off all the damage with Wonder Guard before it blinked forwards and smashed into Euphie with a Phantom Force into a Shadow Claw.

As the fight played out, it became clear that the fact that Euphie wasn't able to fight back with her regular arsenal of moves and was forced to be reliant on Shadow Ball really cut down on her options, especially as Shedinja proved more than agile enough to evade her Shadow Balls.

No, this wouldn't work. The Misty Terrain had all but faded away as well. I needed to try something else.

"Switch out, Euphie!" I recalled her just as she reeled back after taking a hit from another Shadow Claw. Seeing its opponent retreat, Shedinja immediately began setting up with a Swords Dance in preparation for my next threat.

And I felt that it was finally time for him to make his debut in his first public battle.

"Prove yourself, Winston!"

I could hear a slight gasp from the audience as Winston's shiny form emerged onto the field, but I shoved that to the side for the moment as he aggressively charged at his opponent, his fists searing with flames as he readied a Fire Punch. In response, Shedinja reformed its horde of illusions with another Double Team, confusing Winston as he was no longer sure who to hit.

But just like Euphie, he had his own method of dealing with a horde of illusions.

"Lick them, Winston!"

A stupidly long tongue that glowed faintly with Ghostly aura extended out from Winston's mouth as he began swinging his tongue around like a cowboy tossing a lasso, quickly clearing out the illusions before they could get close.

However, the real Shedinja proved too mobile to be hit, easily dodging out of the way before staying out of range as it calmly sent out a Will-O-Wisp towards Winston, which Burned him as he was busy dealing with the illusions.

Unfortunately, the attack came just as the Misty Terrain had faded away. Still, I wasn't too bothered by that, as attacking power meant nothing when a single blow would be able to bring down Shedinja.

"Rock Slide, Winston!"

A storm of rocks started to fall on the revealed Shedinja's position. Yet the Ghost type merely cut down the incoming rocks with a series of precise Shadow Claws before it quickly darted forwards with a Shadow Sneak, reappearing right in front of Winston as it slashed down hard with a X-Scissor.

But Winston held his ground, retaliating with a Fire Punch that unfortunately went wide as Shedinja made a hasty retreat.

Hit-and-run tactics were, by necessity, an essential component of how a Shedinja fought. It was clear that Dorothy augmented its tactics with a powerful Double Team and Shadow Sneak, allowing it to distract its opponents more easily and ambush them more effectively.

Against a slow and stationary target, that combination might have been enough to bring its opponent down. However, Winston was not merely a stationary target.

He had just been waiting for the right moment.

"Rollout, now!"

Just as Shedinja began to back away from another attack, Winston suddenly lunged forwards, throwing himself into a roll as he began his Rollout. That sudden burst of speed took Shedinja completely off-guard, which was definitely compounded when a white burst of light began radiating out of the rolling Lickitung.

Ever since I began training him with Rollout, he had always told me that he was about to evolve. However, he had purposely held back his evolution, wanting to make sure that he evolved at an appropriate time.

Now was that time.

Winston's new form as a Lickilicky emerged from the light as he finished his Rollout, using the momentum to swing his elongated tongue around like a flail as he struck down Shedinja with a Lick.

Completely shocked at this turn of events, Shedinja barely managed to block the attack in time with a Protect shield, and as a testament to the training it must have received, it even managed to dart backwards with a quick burst of speed and narrowly dodged out of the way of another Fire Punch before slinking away into its own shadow.

However, in a display of his own hidden mobility, Winston used his own tongue to bounce off the ground before transitioning into yet another Rollout as he chased after the retreating Shedinja – his Ghostly-infused tongue swinging around wildly as he did so. He even managed to grab onto one of the support beams close to the roof and used it to swing himself around before he slammed down right where Shedinja was barely a second ago.

Shedinja reacted quickly to this surprise as it threw out a quick Mud Slap, blinding Winston for long enough to slash into him with a X-Scissor before rapidly falling back as Winston flailed around blindly with a Fire Punch.

Unfortunately, in its haste to backpedal away from Winston, Shedinja's focus was only on Winston's flaming arms, thinking that they were the only immediate threat. Yet this was a crucial mistake, as it had lost track of Winston's flailing tongue, which ended up whacking Shedinja across the side as it made its hasty retreat.

Shedinja was Licked.

And Shedinja immediately crumbled to the ground as the supereffective attack broke through the Wonder Guard.

That was it. The fight was over.

Winston had earned his first victory.

"Licki." Winston boasted smugly, and he celebrated his victory by placing his hands on his waist as he posed over Shedinja's fallen form, deliberately showing off his newly evolved form. I let out a wry smile at his antics, but I made sure to congratulate him regardless.

"Good job, Winston." I said to him, patting him on his newfound muscles, "You're looking strong as ever."

What I didn't say was that his victory was partially because he got lucky. If it wasn't for Shedinja's mistake, the Ghost type would have likely proven victorious even with Winston's surprising evolution.

"Lickilicky." He nodded proudly, as if my words were to be expected.

This guy, I was going to have to make sure that his new evolution didn't go to his head.

Dorothy sported a wry smile as she approached me, "First a new move, then a surprise evolution? You really weren't pulling your punches today." She chuckled, "And here I thought that since Shedinja had taken down some pretty powerful opponents, I thought I might be able to bring down one of yours too. Too bad it only took one mistake for me to lose the fight. Still, good job."

"Thank you. I wasn't exactly expecting the evolution either." I replied, "Neither did I expect to fight against a Shedinja of all things – it was quite the experience. I hope that fight was good enough for your purposes." Even though she lost 2-0.

She nodded, "It'll be fine. If I was fighting a person with a less storied reputation than you, then losing 2-0 would not be the best look. But it's fine since its you, especially since you pulled out a few surprises of your own that would help justify the loss. Besides, its why I chose to use Pokémon like Mismagius and Shedinja – Pokémon that most people have never or rarely seen before. That should catch people's attention and interest."

I nodded; as long as she was fine with it.

"Speaking of interest, where in Indigo did you find a shiny Lickitung – sorry, I mean, Lickilicky now." Winston preened appropriately at the correction, "This is the first time I've seen a shiny Pokémon in my life."

"I found him in the depths of the Cerulean Cave." I replied, making sure that my voice was loud and clear so that the cameras could hear me, "I got pretty lucky when I found him, if I could be honest."

"Huh. Think there'll be more shiny Pokémon down there?" She wondered aloud.

"There should be." I nodded, shamelessly using the opportunity to advertise the Cerulean Cave. Admittedly, I doubted there would actually be that many shiny Pokémon down there, but technically I wasn't lying.

"Actually…I have a question of my own." I said to Dorothy, "What made you choose to use a Shedinja and train it up so much? You have to admit seeing such a well-trained Shedinja is a rare sight."

Shedinja were commonly seen at a lower level of Pokémon battles, because their Wonder Guard ability meant an auto-win against anyone who either wasn't aware of it or didn't know how to deal with it. Therefore, it dominated most beginner trainers, to the point where it was seen as a 'cheap win' if you used one.

However, at the higher level, no one really used Shedinja for obvious reasons. The fact that it fainted to literally any move that could break through its Wonder Guard, or to damaging status effects, was a huge detriment. And that wasn't even mentioning how difficult it was to find a Shedinja in the first place.

Yet Dorothy's own Shedinja very clearly stood out from the common chaff. With its excellent usage of moves like Double Team and Shadow Sneak, if I hadn't taken it by surprise with my evolution and Winston's unique ability to fight with his tongue, then I still believed that Winston would have eventually lost the fight.

Unaware of my thoughts, Dorothy just shrugged, "I find it to be nice challenge. I'm not one of those Ace trainers that are looking to become Champion or Elite Four – I'm perfectly happy just being above average. And I've always wanted to see if I could train up some unusual Pokémon, who aren't commonly seen as strong, and try to make the most out of their potential – it's partially why I became a Ghost specialist in the first place. Shedinja is just one such example of this. My other team members are just as unique, in my opinion."

"Ah, I see. That's cool, and I respect your efforts." I nodded, "…You know, I'm not just saying this to butter you up, but I think that humbleness is probably why Agatha chose you to be a Gym Leader. I'm sure you'll do well, even without Agatha looming over your back."

I meant every word. Dorothy would never be the strongest of Gym Leaders, but that wasn't a negative. So long as her administrative abilities weren't terrible, which I highly doubted, her humbleness and worldview would serve her well in this position.

And from what I've seen today, she was no mere puppet that could only serve as a stand in for Agatha. If the rest of her team was as unique as the Pokémon she showed off today, then I think she would prove to be quite the memorable Gym Leader for the public, allowing her to stand out amongst her equally talented peers.

That bode well for the future of this Gym. I looked forward to seeing it grow.

A.N. Winston evolves! Like I mentioned in chapter, he was already close to evolving when John captured him, but now he had finally learnt Rollout the evolution finally came! A new Licklicky joins the team! I hope you enjoyed the emphasis I placed with his tongue, since that's an aspect of Lickilicky that I will be focusing on in his future training!

Also, this chapter was meant to show off the new Lavender Gym and its Gym Leader, Dorothy. Likewise, I hope you liked the personality and team that I had crafted for her – I wanted to make her stand out a little compared to her other counterparts.

And yes, this is the penultimate non-INTERLUDE chapter before we start getting the ball rolling with the next arc, which will be starting soon. Hope you enjoyed!

And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!