In the Hoenn Region, Ralts was as popular as pseudo-legendary Pokémon. Many people would rather have a gentle, considerate, loyal, and elegant Gardevoir than a steel-clad Metagross or a short-tempered, arrogant Salamence.
And Sato not only had a Ralts, it was even a "Shiny" one, black-colored at that.
This made Norman so envious his eyes turned red. Even though he publicly claimed to specialize in Normal-type Pokémon, it didn't stop him from loving the Ralts line.
Ralts had seen many humans give it that obsessed look before, so it simply ignored Norman altogether.
'Hmm… Sweet Milk was still the best.'
After finally getting Norman to look away from Ralts, Sato and Norman were able to start talking as friends.
"How's the construction of your Gym going?"
"Let me tell you! It's... almost done," Norman had intended to brag with exaggerated language, but caught sight of Ralts watching him without hiding its stare and instantly turned honest.
"If it's already done, that means you're about to open and start accepting challengers?"
Sato was intrigued. Getting some insight before opening his own gym couldn't hurt; after all, even if Norman was also a brand-new Gym Leader, it was still useful reference.
"Yeah, it officially opens in three days," Norman said, his eyes now burning with excitement, clearly eager for the day to come.
"Hey bro, if it's convenient, take us for a tour. None of us have seen what a brand-new gym looks like," Mark chimed in again, playing right into Norman's hands.
"Hehehe, sure, sure! We can even go right now!" Norman was thrilled. Just earlier, Ralts had made him envy Sato like crazy; now it was his turn to show off.
"Let's eat first," Joseph, who had barely spoken until now, was clearly the most reliable one. Everyone suddenly realized: it was already lunchtime.
After enjoying a lunch prepared by Joseph, Norman once again noticed a flaw in his own gym.
…He didn't have a single top-tier Pokémon Breeder who could cook like that!
"Ugh…"
"Hey bro, what's with the sigh? If you're having trouble, say so. We'll solve it together," Mark said casually as he lay on the couch digesting.
"My Gym lacks someone as talented as Joseph. Mark, got any suggestions?"
"...Ugh."
"…"
----
Lunch was over, digestion done, and Norman was finally ready to lead the trio to his Gym.
On a bustling street in Petalburg City, Norman raised his hand and motioned toward the main entrance of his gym.
Steps, wooden structure, tiled roof and walls… everything had an antique charm, exuding a sense of deep history and tradition.
"This isn't newly built, is it?" Joseph asked, instantly seeing through it, sounding certain.
"You've got a good eye, Joseph! I bought it using League funding in advance; got a great deal on it~ What drew me in was the cultural richness of the place," Norman laughed heartily.
"Come on, let's take a look inside." Norman took the lead, opening the gym doors, only to see two 10 year old kids standing guard behind them.
"Leader, you're back!" one of the kids ran up happily, clearly full of admiration for Norman.
"Norman, where'd you find these kids? Are they your relatives?" Sato asked casually.
"Them? Just new Trainers from Petalburg City. Their parents didn't want them traveling at such a young age, so they sent them to me," Norman replied casually too.
"There must be a lot of kids like that here in Petalburg City."
"Sato, I know what you're trying to ask. These two are new Trainers who still qualified to receive a starter Pokémon. There are many others who want to become Trainers, but due to poor family conditions, only get one or two Poké Balls to try their luck.
As Gym Leaders of each City's Gym, we actually have both the right and responsibility to provide whatever help we can to the new Trainers of our area."
"I understand. Thank you." Sato nodded. After hearing Norman's explanation, he had a clearer idea of how to structure the personnel within his future gym.
So they were short on Pokémon? Sato could absolutely rely on his own strength to build his team from the ground up.
Norman's point was obvious: Gym Trainers could be recruited directly from among new Trainers who didn't even have Pokémon. Helping them in times of need, training them.
And before that, he could apply to the League for some temporary personnel, giving these kids a chance to learn how to make a living.
As for whether they could actually teach anything, that wasn't something Sato had to worry about.
And Joseph, who couldn't return home for the time being, could also give Sato a lot of help; at least until Sato found someone trustworthy to rely on.
Afterward, Norman began guiding Sato and the others through a full tour of the Gym layout.
Since it was a traditional courtyard that had been renovated into a Gym, there were still quite a few inconvenient design features, but none that really mattered given the overall structural harmony.
The second thing that caught Sato's attention was the location for the Gym Challenge battles.
Petalburg Gym used a standard indoor battlefield, completely unoriginal, with nothing special about it.
Based on what Sato knew about Gym design, there was definitely room for innovation and modification in the battlefield.
But the more complex a battlefield was, the more expensive it became. Sato had a lot of ideas, but whether he could afford to implement them was another matter.
After all, what the League helped build was always the cheapest, standard battlefield.
"Sato, even though my gym hasn't officially opened yet, I can't wait any longer!" In the battlefield, Norman held a Poké Ball tightly and spoke to Sato with determination.
"A battle? I'd love that."
No referee, no match rules. Just like the battle style of Petalburg City.
When two trainers locked eyes…
The battle began!
Thud!
Thud!
Two flashes of red light burst forth.
Houndoom and Snorlax appeared on the battlefield at the same time.
"Sato, I'm not going easy on you! Snorlax, Body Slam!" Norman clenched his fist, issuing the command with excitement.
"Big talk. Houndoom, Fire Blast!" Sato grinned as he gave his own command.
Thud Thud Thud Thud...
Snorlax's massive frame made the ground shake with every step. As it lunged forward with its arms spread wide, its sheer momentum was enough to intimidate many opponents.
But how could Houndoom possibly be scared off by such a basic charge?
Bending its legs, lowering its body, pushing off the ground, it leapt up and fired a blazing Fire Blast!
The crimson flames slammed hard into Snorlax's back, instantly raising the temperature in the room by several degrees.