The Beautiful Rock Gym Leader—Roxanne

Early the next morning, a crowd had gathered outside Rustboro City's Rock Gym.

Lin Mo had an inflatable fish tank containing Feebas strapped to his chest, while Tyrantrum followed energetically at his feet. The moment he arrived at the Gym entrance, people recognized him.

Over the past few days, "the mysterious Trainer Lin Mo," "Steven's Champion gift," and "the ultra-rare fossil Pokémon Tyrantrum" had already become hot topics among Trainers.

Lin Mo had announced on his account that he would be challenging the Rock Gym today. Quite a few Trainers in Rustboro City had come specifically to see Tyrantrum, this rare fossil Pokémon, in person.

"It's Lin Mo! He really came to challenge the Gym!"

"So this is Tyrantrum? It looks so mighty! Even more impressive than in the videos!"

"And that Shiny Feebas! Is that the Pokémon he caught from the sea? His luck is insane!"

"I want to touch it. Maybe some of that luck will rub off, and I'll find a Shiny Pokémon too!"

"..."

Lin Mo smiled and nodded at the people around him as he activated his livestreaming equipment.

Almost instantly, the viewer count surpassed one hundred thousand, and comments flooded in like a tidal wave—

"Finally, the stream is here! Go crush that Gym!"

"We finally get to see a battle! We've only watched the streamer train Pokémon for so long. Wonder how he actually fights—don't just be all talk!"

"Hahahaha, that's brutal. It'll be hilarious if the streamer loses to the Gym."

"..."

Lin Mo swiped across the screen, ignoring the teasing comments racing through the chat. He wiped the camera lens clean with his fingers, making sure the image was clear and spotless.

When the camera turned toward him, a confident and excited smile rose to his face. His voice carried clearly through the microphone to every viewer:

"Sorry to keep everyone waiting! I'm now standing outside Rustboro City's Rock Gym.

"Today, I'll be starting my rookie Gym challenge here. My goal is to win the Stone Badge!"

Lin Mo's voice rang throughout the livestream, and the comments were instantly flooded with "Good luck!" and "Can't wait!"

The livestreaming device beside Lin Mo slowly rose into the air. Its camera steadily focused on the Rock Gym before him, which resembled a towering little mountain, then circled around it—

The rough, earthy-yellow stone walls were covered in naturally weathered markings. The Gym emblem could faintly be seen at the top, and its heavy, solid presence seemed to pour right through the screen.

The drone then swooped down nimbly and landed precisely beside Lin Mo. Under the watchful eyes of the livestream viewers, Lin Mo pushed open the heavy wooden doors of the Rock Gym, carved with stone patterns.

The instant he stepped inside the Gym, the sight before him was even more breathtaking than Lin Mo had imagined.

The battle arena at the center of the Gym was not a conventional battlefield, but one formed entirely from rock—

The ground was uneven and littered with rocks of various sizes. Sharp stone spires jutted from the surrounding walls, making it feel as though they had entered a miniature stone forest.

The spectators who had followed Lin Mo inside took their seats in an orderly fashion in the stands on both sides of the Gym. Their hushed discussions were full of anticipation.

Lin Mo raised his wrist to check his watch. The hands had landed exactly on ten o'clock—just as he had booked online the day before, Rustboro Gym's Rock-type Gym challenge was about to begin on schedule.

At that moment, a girl slowly emerged from the exit on the other side of the battlefield.

She wore a dark-gray princess dress, while pink stockings outlined the slender, well-proportioned lines of her legs. Against the dark-gray dress, they created a gentle yet refined contrast.

A few soft strands of hair across her forehead fluttered lightly in the breeze, and the ends of her hair curled naturally. Her twin ponytails swayed gently with each step, while the pink bows tied at their ends looked playful and cute.

She was none other than Rustboro Gym's Leader—Roxanne.

Lin Mo stared at Roxanne before him and was briefly stunned.

When he had seen Roxanne in games and anime in his previous life, he had always thought the pink stockings looked strange and abrupt with that outfit. Yet now that he saw her in person, that sense of mismatch had vanished completely, leaving only an indescribable liveliness and charm.

The dark-gray hem of her dress swayed softly with her breathing. Her tall, graceful figure stood beside the rocky battlefield, making her legs appear all the more slender and well-proportioned. Lin Mo found himself momentarily entranced by her beauty.

Meanwhile, Lin Mo's livestream had already been overwhelmed by comments, all filled with viewers' amazement and praise:

"Holy crap! Is that Gym Leader Roxanne? She's way prettier than in the Pokémon League's official Gym profile pictures!"

"You can wear clothes like that? A gray dress with pink stockings looks this incredible? Her aura is so gentle too!"

"It only works because she's Gym Leader Roxanne. Anyone else wearing that would be finished!"

"The twin ponytails and bows got me! Who could handle that face?"

"No wonder so many people told the streamer to challenge the Rock Gym first when he asked where he should go!"

"I want to become an apprentice at the Rock Gym too. She's so beautiful, Sister Roxanne!"

"..."

Roxanne chuckled when she noticed Lin Mo's undisguised gaze. She walked over to him, crouched slightly, and studied Tyrantrum with interest before patting its head.

"Welcome, Lin Mo. I heard a new fossil Pokémon had appeared some time ago, but I never expected to see it in person today.

"This is Tyrantrum, right? A Rock- and Dragon-type Pokémon. It certainly looks mighty!"

Tyrantrum seemed to understand the word "mighty." It proudly puffed out its little chest and gave Roxanne a clear, ringing "Awoo!" Its amber eyes were full of smug pride.

Gym Leader Roxanne stroked the little horn on Tyrantrum's head. The little fellow did not seem pleased, shaking its head and letting out a quiet whine before Roxanne finally straightened up.

Her gaze first swept curiously over the livestreaming device floating beside Lin Mo. Then she pointed to the black recorder hanging at her waist and said with a smile:

"I teach at the Pokémon Academy, so I'll be recording this match from start to finish. This battle footage will be a very practical teaching example for my students. You don't mind, do you?"

Lin Mo immediately shook his head, his tone sincere. "Of course not. It would be an honor for my Pokémon and me to become material for a Gym Leader's lessons."

At that moment, a Gym staff member briskly stepped forward. Under the staff member's guidance, Lin Mo brought Feebas and Tyrantrum to the left side of the battlefield.

Another staff member acting as the referee held a loudspeaker, his clear and powerful voice echoing throughout the arena:

"The challenger is in position. The match will now begin. This Gym challenge will be conducted in a two-versus-two format. As the challenger, you may switch Pokémon at any time, and the match will continue until all Pokémon on one side have lost their ability to battle."

Roxanne gave Lin Mo a slight nod from across the field. Her gaze fell on the spirited Tyrantrum at Lin Mo's feet, and a smile of anticipation rippled through her eyes as she spoke.

"Since your Tyrantrum is a fossil Pokémon, I won't use the usual team I'd bring against ordinary Trainers."

As soon as she finished speaking, she took a Poké Ball from her waist and flicked it lightly into the air. A crisp sound rang out.

"Come out, Lileep! Lin Mo, let's have a showdown meant exclusively for fossil Pokémon!"

At the same time, the livestream comments exploded across the screen, the dense wall of text nearly obscuring the footage.

"Holy crap, holy crap! Fossil Pokémon versus fossil Pokémon? This is maximum hype!"

"Oh my god! I thought this would just be a normal Gym challenge, but we get to see fossil Pokémon battle? That's so cool!"

"Lileep is also a unique Grass- and Rock-type Pokémon, just like the streamer's Rock- and Dragon-type Pokémon! This matchup is going to be amazing!"

"Who understands? I was just admiring Gym Leader Roxanne's beautiful face, and this made me sit right up!"

"Fossil Pokémon versus fossil Pokémon! This is incredible! Win or lose, it's worth watching. Start already—I can't wait!"