Ash's Story (Part 5: Modern Sinnoh)

Chapter 22: Eterna Bloom

Eterna City felt different once we entered it for real.

After Eterna Forest, the stone streets and old buildings looked almost too clean. The wind carried the smell of flowers from somewhere deeper in the city, and Lillie kept glancing toward the Gym sign as if she could hear the battle waiting for her.

The city still carried old shadows too. We passed the road that would eventually lead toward the Old Chateau, and for a moment I remembered the strange feeling we had noticed from the forest edge. Nobody suggested going there today. Lillie's hands were already closed around her badge case, and the Gym ahead had claimed all of her focus.

Gardenia had already given me the Forest Badge after our field challenge in Eterna Forest, but Lillie still needed her own official battle. She did not complain about the delay. She only walked a little faster every time the Gym came into view.

Dawn noticed it and grinned. "Someone looks ready to take down a Gym Leader today."

Lillie blushed, but her voice stayed steady. "I want to earn it properly. Gardenia battled Ash in the forest, and now I want to meet her in her own Gym."

Pikachu cheered from my shoulder, and Buizel folded his arms beside Lillie. After yesterday's lesson with Lucian, he did not stand quite as far away from everyone.

The Eterna Gym looked more like a garden than a battlefield from outside. Vines climbed near the entrance, flowers lined the path, and the air smelled fresh enough that Tox stopped to study several leaves near the door.

"Grass types and medicine have more overlap than people think," Tox said thoughtfully.

Dawn nudged him forward. "You can study leaves after Lillie's battle."

Inside, the Gym guide waved before we even reached the counter. His smile was bright enough that I wondered if every Gym guide trained it like a battle technique.

"Hey, there! How's it going, Champ-to-be?" he called. "Actually, that's what I said to some boy who zipped in here earlier, too."

He pointed toward the deeper Gym path. "Gardenia uses Grass-type Pokémon. Grass Pokémon really hate Fire attacks, and Flying types can give them a lot of trouble too."

Then he lifted one finger like he had almost forgotten the most important part. "But first, you need to beat all the hidden Gym Trainers. You cannot challenge Gardenia until you find them all."

Lillie looked past him toward the maze of trees and platforms inside the Gym. "Hidden Trainers?"

The garden behind the guide shifted softly as if the whole Gym was alive. Wooden gates turned on hidden tracks, flower clocks clicked into new positions, and narrow paths appeared for a moment before closing again. It looked beautiful, but I could already tell it was built to punish challengers who charged forward without thinking.

The guide nodded proudly. "Think of it as good training. Find them, beat them, and the path to Gardenia opens."

"I wonder what that means," I said, looking at the thick greenery.

A familiar voice answered from ahead. "It means my Gym likes challengers who can search as well as battle."

Gardenia stepped out between two tall trees, smiling like she had been waiting for us the whole time.

"Gardenia," I said. "You still never told us in the forest that you were the Eterna Gym Leader."

Gardenia laughed and scratched her cheek. "I thought it was obvious after I turned your forest battle into an official challenge. Maybe I got too excited about your Grass Pokémon."