Rustboro Gym, Hoenn Region
Wally, Aspiring Trainer.
Like most gyms, Rustboro Gym was located at the center of the city.
A grey building that didn't exactly scream 'gym' except for the signboard at the corner. It didn't have the pomp and flash that the Mauville gym had.
In fact, if he hadn't known better, he would've mistaken the building for a bank. Slate-gray walls. Clean-cut edges. A discreet stone arch over the door with the League's triskelion badge embedded in bronze. Efficient. Respectable.
Wally liked it. It was quiet.
Even solid, one may say.
Wally snickered at the thought. Then, he took a slow breath, adjusted the strap on his bag, and stepped forward. Behind him, Tinker floated in silence, his lens flicking green as he recorded.
"Lobby is clear. Reception desk at twelve o'clock. Two League staff. One vending machine, Berry Blends only. No suspicious mailboxes."
Wally huffed a quiet laugh. "Let's keep it that way."
Tinker had been watching too many strange shows lately. Somewhere along the line, it decided that all rectangular mailboxes were suspect. As it once whispered, with eerie conviction: "These mailboxes are not what they seem. They hold dark secrets."
Wally shook his head as he stepped into the gym. "Maybe giving you Pokenet access was a mistake." Half amused. Half concerned, he walked into the gym.
The interior was quiet and brightly lit, with polished tile floors and neat little signs directing challengers toward battle prep rooms and trainer seating. It didn't feel like the entrance to a battlefield. It felt like the waiting room of a private school.
Fitting, maybe. This was Rustboro, after all.
Wally had done the reading. As they say, know your enemy, and know yourself, and you will be undefeated in a hundred battles. So, it was common courtesy to learn about his opponent.
Roxanne had taken over the Gym shortly after graduating top of her class from the Trainer Institute. She wasn't just a Gym Leader, she was a scholar. Her team was trained like clockwork, built to test not just type matchups, but battlefield awareness, multi-angle coordination, and pivot control.
She was methodical. Academic.
A good first opponent, for sure.
He stepped up to the desk.
The receptionist, an older woman with square glasses. Her eyes was sharp, as she gazed at him.
"Name?"
"Wally," he said. "I have an appointment. First badge challenge."
She nodded, checking her screen. "Sponsored challenger from Mauville. You're early."
"I try to be," he said, masking the shortness in his breath. His heart was beating faster than he liked, some anxiety, sure, but mostly excitement.
"Take a seat. We'll call you when the field's ready."
Wally nodded, stepped back, and settled into one of the seats near the corner. Tinker hovered beside him, quiet for now. On the far wall, a screen played looping footage of League-sanctioned matches: challengers locking eyes across stadiums, Pokémon clashing midair, badges held high in trembling hands.
Wally watched with a half-focused gaze.
He wasn't new to battles anymore. He'd trained under Wattson. Helped manage Mauville Gym routines. Even ran strategy breakdowns with Claire's team. But all of that had been internal.
This was different.
This was official. Public.
His first badge match.
He could almost hear Sparky teasing him from hundreds of kilometers away. She already had her first badge a while ago.
Wally glanced at the magazine rack nearby. The latest Hoenn Competitive featured Steven Stone on the cover, halfway through an aerial throw of a Poké Ball, with Metagross behind him.
He flipped it open. Inside was a feature on League trends, more Dragon-types rising in Kalos, a new Gym construction initiative in Kalos, and the upcoming World Coronation Series. Champion Leon, still undefeated.
Wally frowned, remembering his uncle talking about that tournament over dinner. How most people hated the WCS format for being flashy and uneven, while others thought it "weeded out the conservative battlers."
Wally wasn't sure where he stood on it.
He liked battles where the strategy unfolded. Where control was earned.
And then he thought of Pearl. His tiny Feebas, still learning to aim Water Pulse without panicking. He thought of Alice, who preferred not to attack unless given a good reason. Of Briar, who bowed politely after each hit like a performer finishing a sonata.
His team wasn't flashy. They were unusual. Thoughtful.
Like him, maybe.
"Field is nearly prepared," Tinker whispered in his ear. "Do you require a hydration break?"
"I'm fine."
His breath was steady, and he wasn't coughing badly. A good sign.
He was ready.
Just then, the receptionist called out: "Challenger Wally. You may proceed."
He stood up. Place down the magazine.
And walked toward the battlefield.
....
The gym floor was cold beneath Wally's shoes. Stone-gray, ringed with jagged ridges and carved stepping ledges, terrain sculpted to favor Rock-types. Natural obstacles. Unforgiving footing.
Wally adjusted his collar. At his shoulder, Tinker's lens whirred softly, adjusting. The stream had been live for over a minute now, no flashy intro, no chat spam. Just a slow, focused pan across the battlefield.
Across the field, Gym Leader Roxanne gave a crisp nod. She radiated the calm confidence of a seasoned trainer.
"Three Pokémon," she said. "No switching mid-round. Standard League rotation."
Wally nodded back.
He knew the usual lineup, two Geodude, one Nosepass. But this time, he'd asked for something more. A greater challenge. Something to push past his limits.
Of course, he hadn't gone in blind. He'd watched the matches, followed the rumors about Roxanne's elite team.
Risky, sure. But he believed in his Pokémon.
"Briar," he murmured, pressing the button on her Poké Ball.
Roxanne's first throw was a flourish. "Graveler, field."
The boulder landed with a quake, arms flexing, eyes glowing. Gravel cracked under its weight.
Roselia materialized near one of the ledges. Her twin blooms shimmered faintly with power.
Perfect matchup. But the terrain? Dangerous. A Geodude-line opener, as expected.
Wally raised a hand. "Toxic Spikes."
Briar twirled, scattering glinting needles into the dirt and cracks across the battlefield.
Roxanne raised a brow. "Interesting opener."
"Graveler, Bulldoze!"
The arena trembled. Dust burst upward as the shockwave raced toward Briar.
"Jump, then Leech Seed!"
Roselia sprang up, clearing the tremor. Her vines snapped down, embedding glowing spores into Graveler's rocky hide.
"Follow up! Giga Drain!"
Briar's blooms flared green, energy pulsing between her and Graveler. The boulder groaned, knees buckling as its strength was sapped.
"Rock Blast!"
Stone shards fired like bullets. Two missed. The third struck Briar square in the shoulder, knocking her off balance.
Wally narrowed his eyes. "Stun Spore, now!"
Gold mist shimmered from her petals. Graveler inhaled, and froze mid-attack, limbs twitching.
"Finish it. Giga Drain."
Vines surged. Graveler hit the dirt with a satisfying thud.
Roxanne nodded, impressed. "Swift. You've trained Roselia well."
"She never misses a routine," Wally said, smiling. "Even on the road."
"That's a good habit." Roxanne returned the smile, brief, professional, and threw her next Poké Ball.
"Nosepass."
The compass-nosed Rock-type landed with a metallic thud. It didn't blink. Its magnetism thrummed in the air.
Wally scanned the field. The terrain was worse now, jagged from Bulldoze. He'd have to reposition.
"Briar, want to stay in?" he asked quietly.
Most trainers would keep a Grass-type in against Rock. Unless they were knuckleheaded, spiky-haired boys.
Briar nodded. Her blossoms swayed in quiet confidence.
"All right. Stun Spore again."
The golden mist drifted toward Nosepass.
"Rock Tomb."
Chunks of the arena's ledge shattered and flew. One caught Briar's leg. She staggered, but the spores landed true. Paralysis.
Wally winced. Her breathing slowed. Again.
"Magical Leaf!"
Petals curved midair, homing in. They struck Nosepass cleanly.
It didn't move. Sturdier than expected.
"It's not only you who inflicts status," Roxanne said calmly. "Thunder Wave."
The jolt hit Briar dead-on. Her whole body locked.
Wally clenched his jaw. "One more Giga Drain. Try."
She tried. The blooms flickered, then fizzled.
Paralyzed.
He exhaled, long and slow, and returned her. "You were amazing."
Across the field, Roxanne called, "Nosepass is sturdier than most. Its magnetism helps it stay grounded. You made it work for that one."
Wally nodded silently. The shimmer of Stun Spore still clung to Nosepass, slowing it. That had been the plan.
He unclipped another Poké Ball.
"Your turn, Alice."
The capsule flared. Kirlia landed softly, just above the scorched patch where Briar had stood. She glanced at Wally's hand, then turned forward. Ready.
No words between them. None needed.
Wally's mind tightened around numbers and timing. Psychic-type. Fragile but fast. High Special Attack. A good counter for a slowed opponent.
"Discharge," Roxanne ordered.
A bolt of crackling electricity surged across the field.
"Teleport."
Alice vanished an instant before impact. She reappeared on a higher ledge, balanced gracefully on one foot.
"Double Team."
She spun, ghostly duplicates flickered into place, circling the battlefield.
"Rock Tomb. Spread fire."
Nosepass hurled stone after stone. Illusions shattered one by one.
Then, impact. Alice staggered but caught herself with a psychic lift.
She didn't flinch.
"Disarming Voice."
A crystalline sound wave rippled across the field. Nosepass winced, caught in the harmonic force.
"Psychic."
Alice's eyes lit. Nosepass was lifted, trembling midair, crushed under invisible pressure, then slammed into the ground.
Dust. Silence.
"Nosepass is unable to battle," Roxanne said, raising a hand.
Wally let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Alice gave him a small nod.
One more.
Roxanne was already reaching for her last Poké Ball.
"I don't usually use this team," she said mildly. "But for a sponsored challenger... it feels right."
The capsule opened.
And from it emerged Cradily.
Ancient. Coiled. Silent.
Its petals unfurled. Its eyes glowed with eerie calm.
"Alice, return."
Alice didn't argue. But Wally could feel her reluctance. He smiled faintly.
"Pearl needs the spotlight too."
Alice blinked, and teleported behind him. He brushed her hair gently as she leaned into it.
Then Wally reached for his lightest Poké Ball.
He whispered, "Let's go, Pearl."
Feebas landed with a splash in her hydration ring. She blinked awkwardly, tiny and unimpressive beside Cradily.
But not unprepared.
"Giga Drain," Roxanne said.
Vines lashed. Pearl flopped, struck hard. Energy drained from her fragile frame.
"Hold on, Pearl."
She gasped, but steadied herself, staring up at the massive foe.
"Now, Water Pulse!"
The spiraling blast struck Cradily in the eye. It recoiled.
Confusion. Please.
Cradily roared, and slapped itself in the face.
"Again!"
Another Water Pulse. Faster this time. Wally had drilled speed over precision, and it paid off.
The second blast struck Cradily's midsection.
It reeled. Still upright.
"Ancient Power! Full force!"
The ground erupted. Pearl dodged the first burst, but the second and third hit.
Wally's heart seized. "Pearl!"
The Focus Sash shimmered.
Pearl opened her eyes. Despite the pain, she moved.
"Let's end it. Flail!"
The same Flail that had been mocked. The same Flail that had once looked pitiful.
Pearl surged forward, spinning like a stone across a pond, flailing wildly.
And hit.
Cradily groaned, tipped, and collapsed.
Silence.
Then: Buzzer. Victory.
Wally dropped to his knees beside Pearl. "You were incredible," he whispered.
She gave a soft burble, exhausted.
Roxanne crossed the field, silent.
Then handed him the Stone Badge.
"You earned it," she said. "It was a wonderful battle. TM 39, Rock Tomb. Yours."
"Thank you." Wally accepted both, eyes bright.
"And…" Roxanne added with a nod, "since you beat my elite team, you get a star on your League record."
Wally blinked. "A star? Does that mean anything?"
Roxanne's tone was dry. "Not really. Unless bragging rights count."
Wally grinned. "If beating someone as strong as you doesn't count, I don't know what does."
Roxanne smiled, just for a second, before her expression reset. "You flatter me. I'll be watching your journey. Do your best."
Wally looked down at Pearl's Poké Ball, then back up.
"I-no, we will."
First badge, done.
...
Thanks for reading~