Pokémon Red (Book 3)

Like No One Ever Was

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Chapter - 6
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"Welcome to my Pokémon Gym." Norman welcomed Leaf as she stepped inside the Petalburg Gym. The Gym was the first building when she entered the city.

Unfortunately, Brendan and May had left for Rustboro City and now she didn't even have a travel buddy. Now that she didn't even want one.

The only thing she wanted was to get this gym battle over as soon as possible, only because it was the last thing she wanted to do at the moment. Leaf was so tired, she could totally sleep two days without stopping.

"I am Norman, the Gym Leader. What's your name? Where are you from?"

Leaf took a few seconds to realise that Norman was talking to her. She was lost in her own thoughts, so deeply that she didn't even pay attention.

"My name is Leaf, and I'm from Ka- uh, Sinnoh." Leaf replied. She fixed her hair, hoping she still had her hat in her bag. She wore a black sleeveless shirt with cyan shorts. She preferred this outfit more than the one she wore in Kanto. The cyan sleeveless shirt with red miniskirt.

"Ah, Sinnoh. Close to where I come from."

"Where you from?"

Norman closed his eyes, thinking about his days in the Unova Region. It was too much work for him, he was glad that he was now a Gym Leader, Pokémon battles were something he only dreamt of doing as an adult. His days as a trainer were back, after 28 years.

"I'm from Unova." Said Norman. "Feels like I'm a Pokemon Trainer again. Relaxing."

"Not relaxing for everyone." Leaf focused on her previous thought of quitting Pokémon Training.

"Only because you don't have a travel buddy? Or the fact that you think it's wrong?" Asked Norman. "Using Pokémon for battles."

Leaf was shocked, the Gym Leader was right. She was alone, and it was her first time she was travelling alone, that too in an unknown region. Her concern wasn't that she was using Pokémon in battles, but that she was tired of this.

"A bit of both, we have to use new Pokémon every region. Which makes us a bit worried about the Pokémon we were with previously." Said Leaf, picking up a valid point. She didn't want new Pokémon, she just wanted to be with her old Pokémon.

"I understand completely." Said Norman. "Okay then, coming back to business, here are my gym rules. I'll be using 3 Pokemon, battle items are not allowed, you can switch your Pokemon anytime."

Leaf was ready to send her Dragonite.

"Since you have travelled 2 regions already, I'll be using stronger Pokémon. I don't know about other gym leaders, so quickly catch new Pokémon."

"I know. I will." Leaf felt bad about her Pokemon, they'll have to go to Oak's, which she believed was a boring place to send anyone but a mad scientist.

Leaf clipped off Dragonite's Pokeball and tossed it on the battle ground. "Dragonite, come on out."

"Well, that's gonna be harder than I thought." Norman sent out his first Pokemon. "Go Vigoroth."

Leaf pulled out her Pokedex, looking at the details of the Pokemon.

"Vigoroth, a Wild Monkey Pokémon. It can't keep still because its blood boils with energy. It runs through the fields and mountains all day to calm itself. If it doesn't, it can't sleep at night."