He stepped forward quickly and pulled Shauna into his arms, gently patting her back, his voice still trembling with a hint of lingering fear.
"You girl, running off again! How many times have I told you? The forest is dangerous!"
Shauna nuzzled into his chest and muttered softly, "I just wanted to find Aron..."
Brawly sighed and then turned his gaze toward Ariel, his eyes filled with sincere gratitude.
"Ariel."
Ariel shook hands with him, his tone indifferent.
"It was nothing."
His palm was dry and powerful, and his eyes were as calm as a deep pool, showing no sign of pride or desire for credit after saving someone.
Brawly's first impression of him was excellent; such a powerful yet humble young man was truly rare.
"It's getting late, Ariel. You must be a Trainer traveling to Dewford Town, right?"
Brawly extended a warm invitation.
"If you don't mind, stay at the Gym tonight. Let me properly thank you, my sister's savior."
This played right into Ariel's hands.
"Then I shall trouble you." He didn't decline at all.
Entering the Gym, a scent of salty sea breeze mixed with the unique aroma of wooden structures hit him. However, the interior of the Gym made Ariel pause slightly.
There was no spacious training field as imagined, nor were there bright lights.
Before him was a deep darkness, like the entrance to a giant maze, where only a winding path extending into the unknown depths could be vaguely seen.
A damp and oppressive atmosphere filled the air, and the wooden floorboards beneath his feet would occasionally let out a "creak," sounding particularly abrupt in the silence.
"This is..."
Ariel's gaze swept through the darkness, showing little surprise.
Brawly introduced with some pride:
"This is a special test I prepared for Trainers who come to challenge. True strength lies not only in the power of the pokémon but also in the Trainer's own will and courage. Only those who can cross this dark maze alone are qualified to battle me."
As soon as he finished speaking, Shauna, who was tugging at the corner of his clothes, immediately exposed him without mercy.
"Brother is lying!"
The crisp child's voice echoed in the dim space, sounding exceptionally loud.
"It's not a test at all! It's just that Brother doesn't want to work and thinks about going surfing all day, so he intentionally made the Gym look like this to scare away challengers!"
The little girl put her hands on her hips, her face saying "I know everything."
She paused and added a critical blow:
"Brother also makes the senior disciples of the Gym hide in the pitch-black corners and secretly release pokémon to scare people! Lots of Trainers come once and never return!"
The air instantly froze.
Brawly's cheeks flushed red at a visible speed. He awkwardly raised his hand to scratch the back of his head, letting out a "ha-ha" dry laugh in an attempt to hide his embarrassment.
Ariel's face showed no expression, but he understood perfectly in his heart.
The Team Rockets data only mentioned that Brawly was the Fighting-type Gym Leader, with decent strength and a sunny personality. It didn't mention that this guy was essentially a slacking expert.
A man who valued surfing more than his Gym duties.
This was his best opening.
After passing through the pretentious dark corridor, the Gym's backyard opened up. This was the true living area and training ground, with plenty of sunlight and complete facilities.
Brawly prepared an extremely sumptuous dinner for Ariel and Sandile.
Fresh grilled fish, pokéblocks drizzled with secret sauce, and a berry salad specialty of Dewford Town.
Sandile was clearly starving. Faced with the delicacies, it wasn't polite at all, opening its large mouth to feast with "crunch-crunch" sounds, nearly swallowing the plate as well.
"Your Sandile is very well-bred."
Brawly watched Sandile's fierce eating manner and praised from the bottom of his heart.
"It's full of wild vitality, and its eyes are very sharp."
"It's still young and needs more training," Ariel responded flatly while feeding a piece of grilled fish to Sandile.
Brawly's hospitality went far beyond just one meal.
He kept his promise, stating that while Ariel was traveling in Dewford Town, he could stay at the Gym indefinitely. Furthermore, he could freely use all the training facilities in the Gym, including those specifically designed for the strength and speed of Fighting-type pokémon.
Ariel's heart stirred slightly. This was much more cost-effective than staying at a Pokémon Center. Not only did it save a large amount of expenses, but he could also use professional equipment to strengthen Sandile.
He offered his thanks, but his mind was clear.
Although Brawly was warm and hospitable, the vigilance belonging to a Gym Leader had not entirely disappeared.
When he brought out Sandile and when he calmly accepted the hospitality, there was always a flash of scrutiny deep in Brawly's eyes.
A young Trainer of unknown origin, carrying a fierce Sandile, suddenly appearing by his sister's side.
No matter who it was, it would be impossible to trust 100%.
After dinner, Brawly enthusiastically took Ariel to visit his most precious "secret base" — his surfing shack.
It was a small wooden hut right next to the Gym. The moment the door opened, a thick scent of board wax and sea salt hit them.
The room wasn't large, but the four walls were covered with all kinds of surfboards: long, short, fishtail, pointed, and in various colors, each polished to a shine.
Many photos were also pinned to the walls, all showing Brawly's vigorous figure riding the wind and waves on various swells.
The Brawly here was a completely different person from the somewhat awkward Gym Leader before. His eyes sparkled with a burning light, a light belonging solely to dreams and passion.
"Look! This is the board I used when I first successfully mastered a giant wave!"
"And this one, I made it myself!"
He introduced his collection as if counting his family treasures, completely immersed in his own world.
Ariel listened quietly, but his gaze was drawn to a calendar on the wall. Tomorrow's date was marked with a large red circle, and an exaggerated wave pattern was drawn next to it.
"Gym Leader Brawly,"
Ariel spoke as if casually,
"I see on the calendar that tomorrow is a specially marked day? Is the Fighting Gym going to be closed?"
At the mention of this, Brawly's excitement reached its peak instantly.
"You've hit the nail on the head, Ariel!" He clapped his hands excitedly. "Tomorrow is no ordinary day; it's the annual Dewford Town Surfing Day!"
"Surfing Day?"
"Exactly!"
Brawly's eyes were amazingly bright.
"Only on this day every year, a special ocean current from the eastern Hoenn region passes precisely by our Dewford Town offshore! The convergence of currents will give birth to the highest and most perfect wave of the year! We call it Humungadunga!"
He opened his arms, gesturing to an exaggerated height.
"Surfing experts from all over the League will gather here on this day just to challenge that legendary giant wave! How about it? Isn't it cool!"
No wonder the Pokémon Center required a reservation a week in advance; it turned out there was such a large-scale event. Ariel instantly connected the information in his mind.
Brawly continued:
"Moreover, whoever successfully conquers the giant wave can also receive a mysterious grand prize provided by the Fighting Gym!"
Oh? A mysterious grand prize?
Ariel became increasingly interested.
He was certain it wouldn't be anything ordinary.
Perhaps a rare evolution item? A powerful Technical Machine?
Whatever it was, it was worth striving for.
Conquering the waves?
Although Ariel had never systematically learned to Surf, he had absolute confidence in his body's balance and control over power.
The countless drills in the training camp had long since polished his body like a precision instrument.
A perfect plan quickly took shape in his mind.
He looked at the excited Brawly, smiled with feigned humility, and then, with a thought, took out a completely black, sleekly designed surfboard from his storage ring.
He had picked up this board at a black market before, and he hadn't expected it to come in handy so soon.
"To tell you the truth, Gym Leader Brawly."
Ariel stroked the smooth surface of the board, a perfectly timed look of yearning appearing in his eyes.
"I'm actually a surfing enthusiast myself, though I've only just started. I wonder if a newcomer like me is qualified to participate in tomorrow's Surfing Day event?"
Brawly's gaze was instantly drawn to the black surfboard in Ariel's hand. When he heard Ariel say he was also a surfing enthusiast, that final bit of vigilance and scrutiny finally collapsed before their common hobby.
It was as if he had found a long-lost comrade, and he excitedly grabbed Ariel's shoulders.
"A fellow traveler! Ariel! You're actually a fellow traveler!"
Brawly's face overflowed with heartfelt ecstasy; the way he looked at Ariel was practically closer than if he were looking at his own brother.
"Of course you can! You absolutely can! What's wrong with being a newcomer? A heart that loves surfing doesn't distinguish between newcomers and experts! We'll go together tomorrow! I'll take you to see the real Humungadunga!!"
Looking at Brawly's guileless and excited appearance, Ariel lowered his eyelids, hiding a glint of sharp light deep in his eyes.
Plan successful.
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