Bidding farewell to Lisia.
There were still eight days until the start of the next Pokémon Contest. After some thought, Kashiwagi decided to finish his Gym challenge in Rustboro City first. He had been preparing for this for a long time; ever since leaving Petalburg City, he had been studying battle footage of the Rustboro Gym.
Once the Gym battle was over, he could focus entirely on researching various Contest themes, move sets, and transition techniques.
Mawile was supportive of this plan. After seeing the synergy between Lisia and Altaria, she was no longer satisfied with just "showing up" on the Contest stage. Entering without any preparation would be embarrassing.
"So, do you want to participate in the Gym challenge too?"
"Maw-wile!"
"Both, huh..."
Kashiwagi realized Mawile wanted the best of both worlds—she refused to give up on either battling or Contests. That was fine by him. He didn't want to split his team into "Battle" and "Contest" squads anyway; it was better to be like Wallace—powerful and beautiful all at once.
-----
Taking the tram to the Rustboro Gym, he immediately saw the facade covered in massive boulders. A sense of heavy, solid endurance radiated from the building.
Speaking of which, the Gym Leader, Roxanne, was also a rock enthusiast. Her choice to specialize in Rock-type Pokémon stemmed from her genuine love for stones. Not only that, but she was also a teacher at the Pokémon Trainer's School. Her online reputation was stellar; almost every trainer who challenged her said they learned a lot, and she was often called one of Hoenn's most beautiful Gym Leaders alongside Winona. She even had a massive fan base.
Kashiwagi was curious to see how much he could learn from her.
Beep! Appointment successful!
The smart navigation at the entrance signaled that Roxanne would be free in an hour; she was currently teaching a class at the Trainer's School.
"An hour is fine."
Kashiwagi spotted a bench for passersby and sat down to watch more Pokémon Contest videos. As the world evolved, Contests had developed many variations, just like Pokémon battles. There were the Pokémon Showcases in Kalos and the planned Contest Live events in Hoenn.
However, as the "ancestor" of them all, the classic Pokémon Contest remained incredibly popular, loved by the public just as much as the Pokémon League. The frequency of local events had increased from once a month to once a week. Because of this, Kashiwagi might not see the original three judges unless he made it to the Grand Festival.
"I see, dancing and spinning really are the secret techniques for high scores..."
Watching the Coordinators in the first appeals round, he noticed that the most beautiful techniques usually involved the Pokémon spinning while releasing moves. This reduced the raw power of the move—preventing it from simply exploding into smoke—while expanding its range to create a more grand, visual impact.
Kashiwagi pondered this and began forming a preliminary plan for a performance theme.
"A challenger?" a soft female voice called out from nearby.
He looked up and saw Roxanne, the Rustboro Gym Leader, standing not far away holding a stack of books. She radiated a quiet, academic aura. With her energetic twin-tails tied with butterfly ribbons, her composed face, and her grey dress paired with bright red tights, her charm was undeniable.
It was no wonder she was a top contender for the title of "World's Most Beautiful Gym Leader."
However, Kashiwagi still preferred Misty—and he stayed loyal to that choice.
"Yes. Hello, Leader Roxanne." He tucked his phone away and greeted her.
Roxanne's eyes crinkled into a smile. His polite attitude left a good impression. "Hello. And your name is?"
"Kashiwagi."
"Excellent. It seems you are the one who made the appointment. Please, follow me." She led the way into the Gym.
Following her through the doors, Kashiwagi found himself in what looked like a museum—a collection of fossils and precious stones from all over the world.
"These are fossils and special stones gathered from across the globe. If you aren't in a hurry, feel free to browse," Roxanne said, sounding like a collector proudly showing off her treasures.
He politely declined. "Please allow me to admire them after the battle. I can't wait to test my skills against your Pokémon."
"Fair enough." Roxanne smiled gracefully and continued to the end of a long hallway. She pushed open a set of double doors to reveal the Rustboro Gym's signature feature: a special battlefield filled with jagged rocks and uneven terrain.
"This is the Rock Field. I assume you've done your homework." Roxanne waved at the air, and a Rotom Phone (Drone version) flew up from a corner. The Drone Rotom was a popular replacement for human referees; it would provide the Leader with the challenger's data, explain the rules, and record the match.
"Do you need a moment to prepare mentally?" Roxanne asked.
"No, thank you." Kashiwagi shook his head and took his place on the challenger's side.
Once both were in position, the Drone Rotom spoke in its robotic voice.
"The Rustboro Gym challenge will now begin. Each side will use two Pokémon. The match ends when either the Leader's or the Challenger's Pokémon are all unable to battle. Only the Challenger is permitted to substitute Pokémon."
The rules were set. Roxanne didn't release her Pokémon immediately. "Is the Rustboro Gym your second badge?"
"Yes!"
"In that case... I'm counting on you! Graveler!" She tossed a Poké Ball high into the air.
Pop! A flash of white light revealed a massive rolling stone with four arms.
Kashiwagi threw his own Poké Ball while registering the opponent in his Pokédex. "You're up!"
Boom!
"Steeeelix!!"
Steelix landed with a heavy thud, letting out a muffled low growl. It looked at the Graveler and Roxanne with a look of pure interest. Finally! Finally a real battle! Awesome!
"What a massive Steelix." Roxanne looked slightly taken receive, but she quickly regained her composure. "To raise a Steelix to this size... you must be an excellent trainer."
"No, it grew to this size naturally," Kashiwagi clarified, not wanting to take unearned credit. Then, he moved quickly. "Pardon me—Magnet Rise!"
"Steeeel!"
Steelix growled again as brilliant sparks of electricity danced across its body. It lifted off the ground, floating into the air. Its massive frame blocked out the ceiling lights, casting a shadow so large it seemed to swallow the sun.
Roxanne's expression of admiration deepened. Graveler, however, wasn't quite as composed as its trainer. It looked up at the terrifying monster looming in the shadows above, its heart sinking with dread.
Size isn't everything in a fight, but when something that big is floating over you, it's hard not to feel a bit rattled!