Through the system's interface, I studied my opponents' Pokémon in detail—and my first thought was simple: wow… these kids are loaded.
Red-haired boy (leader):
Riolu ♂ — Fighting type, Level 7 Weaknesses: Flying ×2, Psychic ×2, Fairy ×2 Ability: Inner Focus — When flinched, its speed rises one stage.
Second boy:
Beldum — Steel/Psychic type, Level 5 Weaknesses: Ghost ×2, Dark ×2, Ground ×2, Fire ×2 Ability: Light Metal (Hidden) — Halves its normal weight. Useless for most battles, but hey, people collect Pokémon for all sorts of strange reasons.
Third girl:
Growlithe ♀ — Fire type, Level 6 Weaknesses: Ground ×2, Rock ×2, Water ×2 Ability: Intimidate — Reduces the Attack of all nearby foes by one stage when entering battle.
Three rare Pokémon, each valuable in their own way. The only minor blemish was Beldum's rather pointless hidden ability. Still, as the saying goes: there are no useless Pokémon, only useless Trainers.
When I glanced up, the red-haired boy was staring at me, clearly waiting for praise. I decided to skip the flattery.
"Well, not bad," I said evenly, "but my Squirtle's at a higher level. Fighting like this won't mean much for you…"
The boy opened his mouth to argue, but I continued before he could.
"How about this—I'll fight all three of your Pokémon myself."
"...Huh?" His voice cracked halfway. "Boss, you mean… you'll get up there yourself?"
"That's right. And consider this a free bonus," I said, bending to pick up a pipe-cleaner pole from the floor. "But before we start—safety first. Let's begin with an equipment safety class!"
Before they could react, I swung the iron hook upward and snagged the frayed protective net above the battlefield.
Rrrip!
The entire net tore free, collapsing like a fishing net over Growlithe. Sparks crackled from the frayed wires, igniting the layers of ancient bird droppings caked on the mesh. In seconds, flaming flecks rained down, creating what could only be described as a dung-fire meteor shower over the arena.
"Lesson one!" I announced, sliding dramatically across the wet floor to stop in front of Riolu. "Use your environment!"
I yanked open a manhole cover. The foul, sludge-like water that had been fermenting for three months erupted upward, splattering Riolu from head to toe in the pungent muck.
The red-haired boy's scream echoed off the walls as he scrambled for a spray bottle of antidote.
Meanwhile, I wrapped myself from neck to ankle in insulating tape, grabbed the leaky transformer, and charged at Beldum.
"Lesson two! Tactical deception—"
Bzzzt!
Electricity surged from the transformer, traveled across the wet floor, and struck Beldum. Sparks burst from the sockets in the ceiling, and all three students yelped as static jolted their sneakers.
Beldum ricocheted off the ceiling before landing squarely atop the vending machine Squirtle had been tinkering with. The impact jarred loose twenty cans of expired Moo Moo Milk, which exploded in a fizzy flood, coating Beldum in sticky foam until it looked like a dessert sculpture.
"And now," I said, digging into a nearby box, "the final phase: live combat drill!"
Out came the most cursed relic from my predecessor's stash—a full bunny-girl mascot suit.
Growlithe lunged instinctively with a Bite attack, but I sidestepped and jammed the mascot headpiece over Riolu's face. The Pokémon's claws shredded the floppy pink ears into confetti.
That was Squirtle's cue—he flicked the switch on the newly repaired sprinkler system.
Whooosh!
Foam-laced detergent blasted from every nozzle. Beldum slid helplessly across the floor like a toy tossed into a washing machine, spinning in tight circles while Growlithe tried to regain its footing.
"Alright, class dismissed!" I declared, stepping neatly over the puddles and mud like a master avoiding the battlefield's chaos. I clapped each student on the shoulder. "This sparring session is free—just this once. Next time, the rate will be two hundred Alliance Coins per match."
"Yes, sir! Thank you for the training!" they chorused, snapping to attention like soldiers.
I bent down to scoop up Squirtle and quickly retreated before my dignity had a chance to evaporate. These three were green, wealthy, and easy to impress—but an experienced trainer would see right through my antics.
[BEEP—]
[Temporary Mission Complete: Rookie Trainer's Awe]
Reward: Blue Item — Momentum Cloak (Survive fatal damage with 1 HP once per battle)]
[Defeated Riolu — Gained Skill: Aura Sphere (Unerring ranged Fighting-type attack)]
[Defeated Beldum — White Entry: Psychic Resistance +5%]
[Defeated Growlithe — White Entry: Fire Resistance +5%]
"One skill and two defensive boosts," I said with satisfaction. "Worth every second of making a fool of myself in front of kids."
The system's XP counter flashed—I'd leveled up to 6, with all my base stats rising evenly.
"If I hit level 100 one day," I mused, "I could fight champion-tier Pokémon myself. No partners needed—just roll up my sleeves and punch them in the face…" The thought was absurd—and thrilling.
With their Pokémon out of commission, the students had no reason to linger. But they seemed delighted with the experience. Before leaving, each one topped up their membership card with a thousand Alliance Coins.
When the gym fell quiet again, I felt a twinge of regret. If I'd kept them around longer, maybe their next payment would have come sooner.
[BEEP—]
[Infrastructure Task 1/3 Complete: Outdoor Pool Repairs Finished]
Reward 1: Second-hand treadmill (Improves Speed with continued use)]
Reward 2: Shower room fully operational]
Squirtle's maintenance work was clearly outpacing mine—he had the MK-II finish the pool repairs before sunset.
"Three thousand Coins in one day!" I cheered, scooping him up and planting an exaggerated kiss on his smooth head. "Squirtle, you're my lucky star!"
He chirped happily but cast a glance at the cracked walls and peeling paint. For him, every battle and repair job wasn't just work—it was part of his growth.
[BEEP—]
[Infrastructure Task 2/3: Repair the damaged protective net (Time left: 47:59:59)]
Reward: Random second-hand training device + 5,000 Alliance Coins]
I looked over at the net I'd shredded earlier. No amateur was fixing that anytime soon. Whether Squirtle's white-tier maintenance boost still applied was a mystery. The system didn't exactly hand out a manual.
Still, two days was plenty of time. Tomorrow, I'd search online for a proper repair guide.
For now, though, the gym was quiet, my pockets were heavier, and—for once—I could almost believe this place might survive.