Early the next morning, the entrance of Rustboro City's Rock-type Gym was packed with people.
With the inflatable fish tank containing Feebas strapped to his chest and the energetic Tyrunt following at his feet, Theo had only just arrived at the Gym doors when he was immediately recognized.
These past few days, phrases like "The Mysterious Trainer Theo," "The Champion Steven's Gift," and "The Ultra-Rare Fossil Pokémon Tyrunt" had already become trending topics among trainers everywhere.
And since Theo had announced on his account that he would be challenging the Rock-type Gym today, many trainers who happened to be in Rustboro City were eager to come in person and see the rare fossil Pokémon Tyrunt with their own eyes.
"Look, it's Theo! He actually came to challenge the Gym!"
"So that's the Tyrunt? It looks so mighty! It's even more impressive than in the videos!"
"And that shiny Feebas too—he really fished that up from the sea. His luck is insane!"
"I want to touch him! Maybe I'll get some luck and encounter a shiny Pokémon too!"
"..."
Theo smiled and nodded to the people around him, then activated his streaming equipment.
Almost instantly, the number of viewers online shot past one hundred thousand, and the chat filled up like a rising tide—
"Finally! The stream is up! Gym battle let's go!!"
"We finally get to see an actual battle! All this time it's been just training—who knows what his real battling skills look like? Don't be all talk, streamer!"
"Hahahahaha, that's harsh! If he loses to the Gym it'll be entertaining though."
Theo slid his finger across the screen, completely ignoring the teasing and jokes spamming the chat. He carefully wiped the device's lens to make sure the video was clean and clear.
When the camera finally focused on him, he lifted his head with a confident, excited smile. His voice carried clearly through the microphone to every viewer:
"Thank you all for waiting! I'm standing right now at the entrance of Rustboro City's Rock-type Gym.
Today marks the very first match of my rookie Gym Challenge journey—and my goal is to win the Stone Badge!"
His voice echoed throughout the stream, and the chat instantly surged with waves of "Let's go!!" and "We're waiting!!"
The floating drone beside him slowly rose into the air. Its camera locked onto the Gym ahead, towering like a small mountain, sweeping around in a slow arc—
The coarse, earth-yellow stone walls were covered with marks of natural weathering, and at the top, the Gym's emblem could faintly be seen. Even through a screen, the heavy, rugged atmosphere pressed outward.
Then, with a smooth descending motion, the drone returned to Theo's side. Under the gaze of the livestream audience, Theo pushed open the heavy wooden door engraved with rocky patterns.
The moment he stepped inside, the sight before him was far more awe-inspiring than he expected.
The battlefield at the Gym's center was not a typical arena at all—
It was a terrain made entirely of rock.
The ground was uneven, scattered with rocks of various sizes, and the surrounding walls were embedded with sharp stone spires, making it resemble a miniature stone forest.
People who had followed Theo inside quickly took their seats on the viewing stands on both sides of the arena. The soft murmur of whispered conversations was filled with excitement and anticipation.
Theo checked his watch. The hands were pointing exactly at ten o'clock—
Just as he had reserved online yesterday. The Rustboro City Rock-type Gym battle was about to start right on time.
At that moment, from the opposite entrance of the battlefield—
A girl in a dark-gray princess-style dress walked in gracefully.
Her pink stockings outlined long, slender, well-proportioned legs, the combination of pink and gray creating a soft yet elegant contrast.
A few wisps of her soft bangs lifted gently with her steps. The ends of her hair curled naturally, and her twin ponytails swayed lightly as she moved. The pink ribbons at the tips of her hair added a playful cuteness.
She was none other than Roxanne, the Rock Gym Leader.
Theo stared at her for a moment, slightly dazed.
In his previous life, when he had seen her in games and anime, he always thought the pink stockings looked odd and didn't match well. But seeing her in real life now, all sense of awkwardness disappeared—
She was simply captivating.
The dark-gray hem of her dress swayed with her breaths, and her tall, slender figure standing beside the rugged rock battlefield made her legs look even more elegant and shapely. Her beauty stunned Theo for a brief moment.
Meanwhile, the livestream chat was already exploding with comments, filled with gasps and admiration:
"Holy—this is Roxanne?? She's way more beautiful than the official Gym photos! She's gorgeous!"
"I didn't know clothes could be matched like this! Gray dress with pink stockings?? And it actually looks amazing!"
"It only works because it's Roxanne. Anyone else wearing that would be doomed!"
"The twin ponytails with ribbons!! I can't handle this level of cuteness!"
"No wonder so many people told the streamer to challenge this Gym first!"
"I want to be a Gym apprentice here too—Roxanne-san is too pretty!"
Roxanne noticed Theo staring so openly and let out a soft laugh. She walked up to him, lowered herself slightly, and inspected Tyrunt with genuine interest before gently patting its head.
"Welcome, Theo. I heard some time ago that a new fossil Pokémon was discovered, but I didn't expect to see it in person today.
This is Tyrunt, right? Rock and Dragon typing—such a fierce little thing!"
Tyrunt, hearing the word "fierce," immediately puffed out its small chest proudly.
It gave a sharp "Tyrrr!" as its amber eyes shone with arrogance.
Roxanne's hand rubbed the tiny horn on Tyrunt's head, which made the little guy uncomfortable. It shook its head with a soft whimper, and only then did she stand back up.
Her gaze drifted curiously to Theo's floating camera drone, then she tapped the black recording device hanging on her waist and smiled:
"I'm also a teacher at the Pokémon Academy. I'll be recording this entire battle—these battle clips will be very useful teaching material for my students. You don't mind, do you?"
Theo immediately shook his head. His tone was sincere:
"Of course not. It's an honor for me and my Pokémon to be used as Gym Leader teaching material."
At that moment, the Gym staff stepped forward efficiently. Under their guidance, Theo led Feebas and Tyrunt to the left side of the battlefield.
Another staff member, acting as the referee, raised a megaphone. His voice echoed clearly across the rocky arena:
"Challenger in position. The match is about to begin. Today's Gym challenge will be conducted in a 2-on-2 format. As the challenger, you may switch Pokémon at any time until one side's Pokémon are all unable to battle."
Across the field, Roxanne gave Theo a small nod. Her gaze lingered with interest on the lively Tyrunt at his feet before she spoke, her tone filled with warmth and anticipation:
"Since your Tyrunt is a fossil Pokémon, I won't be using my standard team for ordinary challengers."
As soon as she finished speaking, she took a Poké Ball from her waist and tossed it lightly.
A crisp sound rang out—
"Come out, Lileep!
Theo, let's have a battle that belongs exclusively to fossil Pokémon!"
The moment the light faded and Lileep appeared, the livestream chat exploded endlessly:
"OH MY GOD—Fossil vs fossil?? The Gym Leader actually brought out a fossil team??!"
"Holy crap! I thought this was going to be a normal Gym challenge, but we get a fossil Pokémon showdown?? This is amazing!"
"Lileep is also a unique Grass-and-Rock fossil Pokémon—just like the streamer's Rock-and-Dragon Tyrunt! This matchup is incredible!"
"I WAS admiring Roxanne's beauty, but this made me sit up straight!!"
"FOSSIL BATTLE LET'S GOOOO!!! No matter who wins, this is worth it! Start the fight already!!"
(End of Chapter)