March 8th, Monday.
Snowpoint City, Snowpoint Gym.
Fresh snow blanketed the Gym's roof, while white drifts piled around its perimeter.
In the distance, the shadowy silhouette of Snowpoint Temple loomed atop a mountain peak.
Gym Leader Candice stood before the Gym, exhaling a white puff of breath as she gazed at the Temple.
"Mr. Brandon, the evacuation drill notices have been issued."
She spoke into her Pokédex's video call:
"By this afternoon, Snowpoint's citizens will begin relocating to neighboring towns. Major structures have also been reinforced with Light Screen and Reflect… Hopefully, we can minimize the damage."
"Good work."
The stern-faced man on the screen crossed his arms. "I'm keeping watch for any signs of Regigigas. If anything changes, I'll alert you immediately."
"But…" Candice hesitated. "Will we have enough time to mobilize reinforcements?"
Mr. Brandon was stationed alone at Snowpoint Temple.
If Regigigas truly awakened—
Even the Pyramid King wouldn't last until backup arrived.
Brandon: "No need to worry. My historical research suggests Regigigas's Ability is… unique."
"What is it?" Candice asked.
"It reacts extremely slowly. Revival typically takes five days to a week—likely tied to an Ability similar to 'Truant.'"
Brandon frowned. "If it awakens, our best chance is to Imprison it during that sluggish period."
Impressed by his expertise, Candice nodded. "Understood. I'll expedite the evacuation and reassure the citizens."
"An aura wielder will also assist you."
Brandon added, "His name is Riley. You'll recognize him by his distinct attire—I'll send a photo. He should arrive by afternoon."
"Given his mastery of aura," Brandon recalled their meeting, "Few in this era could rival him."
An aura wielder's reputation commanded respect wherever they went.
Candice felt a flicker of relief. "I'll await Mr. Riley at Snowpoint Gym."
The call ended.
Brandon stood knee-deep in snow, arms folded as he studied the rumbling Temple.
"'Pacifying its rage' is just wishful thinking."
He sighed quietly.
"I hope the Sinnoh League dispatches its Elite Four—or even the Champion—soon. We'll need all hands to face Regigigas…"
...
"Closing this afternoon?!"
Ash slammed his hands on the Pokémon Center counter, staring at Nurse Joy.
"Correct."
The gentle, soft-spoken Joy—who bore an uncanny resemblance to every other Joy—blushed slightly as she glanced at Natsume-sensei before explaining:
"Per the evacuation drill, we'll be suspending operations and relocating this afternoon."
Lucian, in his burgundy suit and lavender curls, frowned.
"Snowpoint City doesn't have evacuation drills… Something's wrong."
He sighed internally.
More overtime…
Well, that's the Elite Four life for you.
"Nurse Joy! Is Snowpoint Gym still accepting challenges?!" Ash pressed.
"It should be."
Joy pondered. "Since Leader Candice is coordinating the evacuation, she'll stay until the end."
Natsume nodded approvingly.
Candice seems more mature than Maylene or Gardenia.
Sinnoh's Gym system was still new, with young Leaders prioritizing "revitalization" over experience.
In short? They hadn't been hardened by reality yet.
Meanwhile, in Unova—where entertainment thrived—Gym Leaders treated it as a side gig.
Like model Elesa, movie star Brycen, or mining tycoon Clay…
Even if they plateaued as Trainers, their futures were secure.
As for Natsume? Post-retirement plans included streaming—
Or returning home to marry Moe-Moe!
Snapping back to reality, Natsume cleared his throat. "Let's head to Snowpoint Gym first."
"You're coming too?" Lucian blinked.
"With this many people evacuating, traffic checks will last till tomorrow."
Natsume shrugged. "Might as well wait it out."
Also, watching Ash get crushed sounds hilarious.
If he somehow wins? Free exhibition match. Win-win!
"Then I'll lead the way."
Lucian adjusted his glasses, striking a pose.
"I intend to uncover the truth behind Snowpoint City's—"
His cool-guy moment was promptly ignored.
"Little Rotom, navigate to Snowpoint Gym."
"Rotom is not a GPS, Rotom! o(TヘTo)"
"Wow, you do know your role is to be useless."
Ash pumped his fist. "Time to earn that Badge! Let's go, Pikachu!"
"Pikachu~! (`皿′)"
Lucian stood alone, snowflakes drifting onto his shoulders.
Why am I always the third wheel…
"Hey—wait for me!!"
...
Snowpoint City, Snowpoint Gym.
"Be good and listen to your parents, okay?"
Candice patted the little girl's head and smiled. "Head out of the city with them."
"Teacher, you gotta do your best too!" The little girl waved before walking away, holding her parents' hands.
Candice watched with warmth in her eyes and nodded firmly.
With that, the children from the Breeding School had all been evacuated.
Now, all that was left was to figure out how to deal with Regigigas!
Though Candice was a Gym Leader, she was also a teacher at a Trainer Academy.
Her greatest idol was Professor Rowan, and her mentor in education was Professor Erika.
She had even signed up for last year's Inter-School Exchange Tournament, hoping to represent the Sinnoh Region.
But due to her lack of experience, she was ultimately not selected.
Still, Candice aspired to become a strong yet kind teacher.
Just like Natsume-sensei!
THUD!!
As she was lost in thought, the gym doors were shoved open with force.
"Hello there!"
A lively young man's voice rang out.
"Anyone here? I'm Ash from Pallet Town, here for a Gym Challenge!"
Candice stepped out of the shadows with an apologetic smile.
"Sorry, but due to special circumstances, the gym isn't accepting challenges right now."
"Aw… But we came all the way from Norman's place," Ash persisted. "Can't you make an exception?"
"Hmm…"
This is really putting me in a tough spot, Candice almost said.
But then her gaze shifted to the two people beside the young man, and she froze.
"Aren't you… Lucian of the Elite Four, specializing in Psychic-types?"
"Indeed, that would be me."
Lucian smiled, though he couldn't help but feel a twinge of bitterness.
Two whole days, and finally someone recognizes me as an Elite Four member!
"And this person—"
Before Natsume could even introduce himself, Candice exclaimed excitedly:
"Natsume-sensei!"
Natsume scratched his cheek awkwardly and chuckled.
Fans really are everywhere…
Maybe I should skip the Master Tournament next time and just stick to internal matches… At least then it'll just be people from our own fan group!
"If you two are vouching for this Trainer, then of course I'll accept the challenge."
Candice gave a friendly smile and turned. "Follow me!"
With Candice leading the way, the three of them headed toward the gym's battle arena.
Seeing Ash's excitement, Lucian hesitated but decided to save the heavier questions for later.
"Isn't Candice cold?" Natsume suddenly murmured.
Lucian glanced over.
Despite the freezing environment, Candice wore only a shirt and a short skirt, paired with leather shoes and knee-high socks, leaving her pale thighs exposed.
"Young people don't feel the cold," Lucian replied quietly. "Unlike us old folks."
"Who are you calling old?" Natsume teased.
"Uh… myself, I guess." Lucian thought of a certain Sinnoh Champion and answered meekly.
"Still," Natsume said, "this might be part of her training."
"Maylene from the group chat only eats one meal a day for the sake of her training."
"Such admirable willpower and determination," Lucian remarked.
As they chatted, the battlefield came into view—a frozen arena lined with towering ice pillars.
"Challenges at Snowpoint Gym take place on an ice field," Candice explained. "Normally, we'd use a six-on-four format, but given the circumstances, let's stick to a standard 3v3."
"No problem!" Ash said confidently. "I'm pretty familiar with ice fields!"
He wasn't lying.
Pikachu's legendary god-slaying battle had taken place on an ice field created by Regice, where it managed to turn the tables and defeat Regice itself.
Ice-types' poor defensive matchups made them especially vulnerable to Ash's aggressive playstyle.
It was like running a hyper-aggressive deck in competitive play—either you steamroll your opponent, or you concede outright!
"You seem pretty confident."
Candice smirked, her eyes sharpening. "But don't expect me to hold back!"
"I'll be the referee for this match—fair and square! Rotom!"
Rotom slipped into a drone, transforming into the classic aerial camera Rotom seen in the Master League.
Natsume and Lucian sat on the sidelines, offering commentary.
"What do you think the outcome will be, Natsume-sensei?" Lucian asked.
"Depends on whether Ash brought his main team," Natsume said. "But knowing him, he probably brought newly caught Pokémon instead."
"Using new Pokémon every time he reaches a new place?"
Lucian raised an eyebrow. "That makes becoming a Master significantly harder."
"The essence of bonds lies in meeting new life and helping it shine in its own way."
Natsume smiled wryly. "Ash catches Pokémon because he believes in letting each one prove itself."
"That philosophy…" Lucian nodded. "I can respect that."
First Round Battle.
Ash sent out his sturdy Grotle.
Candice countered with Weavile, using its speed to weave around Grotle's attacks.
But Grotle didn't just turtle up.
"Grotle!!" Despite being covered in wounds, Grotle ignored Weavile's slashing Twin Scythes, raised its front legs high, and brought them down with crushing force!
Weavile swung an icy Ice Punch, colliding with Grotle. CRACK! The ice shattered instantly.
"Superpower," Lucian noted approvingly. "Ash seized the opportunity perfectly."
Weavile, with its quadruple weakness to Fighting, was instantly knocked out by the Fighting-type move.
Natsume: "So he does know type matchups… Though sometimes he just stubbornly ignores them."
Candice's expression remained steady as she sent out her ace—Abomasnow, a towering beast of ice and pine, its roar scattering frost as it lumbered forward.
Snow Warning activated—hail began to fall!
Ash recalled his wounded Grotle and sent out Gliscor.
"Fire Fang!"
Natsume's expression turned odd.
I just praised him, and now he sends out a Gliscor—quadruply weak to Ice!
Still, Fire Fang was super effective against Abomasnow's Grass/Ice typing.
It all came down to who struck first.
"Living in Snowpoint City, I've learned that ice isn't as fragile as people say," Candice declared.
"Even flames that melt steel can be swallowed by the cold!"
"Abomasnow, Double-Edge!"
The battlefield blurred as Abomasnow charged like an avalanche, slamming into Gliscor with terrifying force.
Though Gliscor's flaming fangs left searing marks, it was sent flying—only for Abomasnow to follow up with a Ice Punch, encasing its fist in a swirling vortex of frost.
BAM!!
Gliscor crashed to the ground, unable to continue.
Ash didn't falter. In the face of overwhelming odds, he threw his next Poké Ball.
"Chimchar, I'm counting on you!"
The small, determined Chimchar burst forth, its eyes burning with resolve.
As the battle raged, Chimchar erupted in golden flames, its eyes turning red as it launched a blazing Flame Wheel, forcing the massive Abomasnow back!
Abomasnow staggered, then nodded in approval before collapsing.
"Every time I see Master-bro, I become more of a fan," Natsume said cheerfully.
"Wonder when it'll evolve."
"Master-bro?" Lucian questioned.
"Oh, that's Ash's Chimchar's nickname. It's got incredible potential."
Lucian: "I can see that… But bringing it to this battle was still too much."
Candice's final Pokémon was the eerie and beautiful Froslass.
At near-full health, it swiftly took down Ash's two weakened Pokémon.
Rotom announced:
"Winner—Gym Leader Candice! Rotom!"
The two shook hands. Ash scratched his head.
"Senior Candice, can I challenge you again in a few days?"
Candice blinked, then smiled. "Of course. I look forward to seeing you at your best."
"Thanks a ton!" Ash grinned.
"Alright, the Gym battle's over," Lucian said, standing up with a serious expression. "Candice, there's something I need to ask—"
Yet once again, Lucian's attempt at gravitas was ignored.
Candice: "Natsume-sensei, could you give me some guidance in a battle?"
"Me?" Natsume pointed at himself.
Candice nodded eagerly. "Actually, my dream is to become a proper Trainer Academy teacher."
"I watched last year's Inter-School Exchange Tournament, and your performance left a huge impression on me."
Her eyes sparkled. "Please teach me the way of being a teacher!"
"Uh…"
Natsume fell silent.
The way of a teacher? You mean scamming students with cards and then beating them in Baby Cup matches?
"Ahem… Sure, but I'm not sure what to teach," Natsume admitted honestly.
"That's fine!"
Candice raised her Poké Ball, her gaze sharpening. "Let's battle."
"In battle, a Trainer's true intentions are revealed!"
Lucian's words died in his throat. Defeated, he sat back down and waved at Ash.
"Quit standing there, Ash. Come watch and learn!"
"Got it!" Ash cupped his hands around his mouth. "You can do it, Leader Candice!"
Natsume paused, then scowled.
My own apprentice, and he's rooting for the opponent?!
But Candice's sincerity was undeniable.
Natsume rolled up his sleeves, pulled out a Poké Ball, and stepped onto the battlefield.
Then, he smirked.
"Rotom, start with the rice cooker—no, wait, Microwave Mode!"
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