Early the next morning, a crowd had gathered outside Rustboro City's Rustboro Gym.
Lin Mo arrived at the Gym with an inflatable fish tank containing Feebas strapped to his chest and Tyrantrum, full of energy, following at his feet. The moment he reached the entrance, people recognized him.
In recent days, "mysterious Trainer Lin Mo," "a gift from Champion Steven," and "the ultra-rare fossil Pokémon Tyrantrum" had long become hot topics among Trainers.
Lin Mo had announced on his account that he would be challenging the Rustboro Gym today. Many Trainers in Rustboro City wanted to see Tyrantrum, this rare fossil Pokémon, with their own eyes.
"It's Lin Mo! He really came to challenge the Gym!"
"So that's Tyrantrum? It looks so majestic! Even more impressive than in the videos!"
"And that Shiny Feebas too. He caught that Pokémon from the sea, right? His luck is ridiculously good!"
"I want to touch him. Maybe some of his luck will rub off on me—I want to find a Shiny Pokémon too!"
"..."
Lin Mo smiled and nodded to the people around him before activating his livestream equipment.
Almost instantly, the viewer count surpassed one hundred thousand. Comments flooded in like a tide—
"Finally, the stream is on! Go crush that Gym!"
"We finally get to see him battle. We've only watched the streamer train his Pokémon for so long—who knows how he actually fights? Don't tell me he's all talk!"
"Hahahaha, that was brutal. It'd be hilarious if the streamer couldn't beat the Gym."
"..."
Lin Mo swiped his finger across the screen, ignoring the teasing and jokes flooding the chat. He wiped the camera lens clean, making sure the image was clear and spotless.
Once the camera was pointed at him, a confident, excited smile spread across his face. His voice rang clearly through the microphone to every viewer:
"Sorry for the wait! I'm standing outside Rustboro City's Rustboro Gym right now.
"Today, I'm kicking off my first rookie Gym challenge here. My goal is to win the Stone Badge!"
Lin Mo's voice carried throughout the livestream, and the chat was immediately flooded with messages of "Good luck!" and "Can't wait!"
The livestream device beside Lin Mo slowly rose into the air. Its camera locked steadily onto the Rock type Gym before him, which resembled a towering hill, and began to circle around it—
The rough, earth-yellow stone walls were covered in naturally weathered patterns. The Gym's emblem could faintly be seen at the top, and its heavy, solid presence seemed to surge right through the screen.
Then the drone swooped down nimbly and landed precisely beside Lin Mo. Under the watchful eyes of the livestream viewers, Lin Mo pushed open the Gym's heavy wooden doors, carved with rock patterns.
The moment he stepped inside, the sight before him was far more stunning than Lin Mo had expected.
The battle arena at the center of the Gym was not a traditional battlefield, but one formed entirely from stone—
The ground was uneven and littered with rocks of varying sizes, while sharp stone spires jutted from the surrounding walls, making it feel as though he had entered a miniature stone forest.
The onlookers who had followed Lin Mo inside took their seats in an orderly manner in the stands on either side of the Gym. Their hushed discussions were full of anticipation.
Lin Mo raised his wrist and glanced at his watch. The hands had landed exactly on ten o'clock. Just as he had booked online the day before, the Rock type Gym challenge at Rustboro Gym was about to begin on schedule.
At that moment, someone emerged from the exit on the other side of the battlefield.
A young woman in a dark gray princess dress walked forward slowly. Her pink stockings outlined her slender, well-proportioned legs, creating a soft yet refined contrast with her dark gray dress.
A few soft strands of hair before her forehead fluttered lightly in the breeze, while the ends of her hair curled naturally. Her twin ponytails swayed gently with each step, and the pink bows tied at their tips looked playful and adorable.
She was none other than Rustboro Gym's Leader—Roxanne.
Lin Mo stared at Roxanne for a moment, slightly dazed.
When he had seen Roxanne in games and anime in his previous life, he had always thought the pink tights looked somewhat strange and abrupt. Yet seeing her in person now, that sense of mismatch had vanished completely, leaving only an indescribable liveliness and charm.
The hem of her dark gray skirt shifted gently with her breathing. Her tall, graceful figure stood beside the rocky battlefield, making her legs appear even more slender and well-proportioned. Her beauty left Lin Mo briefly spellbound.
At the same time, Lin Mo's livestream had already been flooded with comments, full of viewers' amazement and praise:
"Holy crap! Is that Gym Leader Roxanne? She's way prettier than in the Pokémon League's official Gym profile photos. She's gorgeous!"
"You can wear clothes like that? A gray skirt with pink stockings actually looks incredible! Her temperament is so gentle too!"
"It only works because Gym Leader Roxanne is pretty. Anyone else who tried that outfit would be doomed!"
"The twin ponytails and bows got me! Who could withstand that face?"
"No wonder so many people told the streamer to challenge the Rock type Gym first when he asked where he should go!"
"I want to become an apprentice at the Rock type Gym too. You're so beautiful, Sister Roxanne!"
"..."
Roxanne chuckled softly beneath Lin Mo's straightforward gaze. She walked over to him, crouched slightly, and studied Tyrantrum with great interest before patting its head.
"Welcome, Lin Mo. I heard a new fossil Pokémon had appeared some time ago, but I didn't expect to see it in person today.
"This is Tyrantrum, right? A Rock and Dragon type Pokémon. It really does look mighty!"
Tyrantrum seemed to understand the word "mighty." It proudly puffed out its little chest and gave Roxanne a bright "Awoo!" Its amber eyes were full of smug pride.
Gym Leader Roxanne stroked the small horn on Tyrantrum's head, making the little fellow unhappy. It shook its head and let out a quiet whine before Roxanne finally straightened up.
Her gaze first swept curiously over the floating livestream device beside Lin Mo. Then she tapped the black recorder hanging at her waist and spoke with a smile.
"I'm a teacher at the Pokémon Academy, so I'll be recording this match from start to finish. This battle footage will make a very useful 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 serve as material for a Gym Leader's lessons."
At that moment, a Gym staff member stepped forward briskly. Under the staff member's guidance, Lin Mo led Feebas and Tyrantrum to the left side of the battlefield.
Another staff member acting as the referee held a loudspeaker, his clear and forceful voice echoing through the arena:
"The challenger is in position. The match is about to begin. This Gym challenge will be a 2v2 battle. As the challenger, you may switch Pokémon at any time 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 settled on the spirited Tyrantrum by Lin Mo's feet, and an anticipatory smile flickered in her eyes as she spoke.
"Since your Tyrantrum is a fossil Pokémon, I won't use my usual team for battling ordinary Trainers against you."
As soon as she finished speaking, she removed a Poké Ball from her waist and gave it a light toss. A crisp sound rang out.
"Come out, Lileep! Lin Mo, let's have a battle meant exclusively for fossil Pokémon!"
At the same time, the livestream chat exploded across the screen. The dense wall of text nearly obscured the picture:
"Holy crap, holy crap! Fossil Pokémon versus fossil Pokémon? This is absolute peak!"
"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 seems to be a unique Grass and Rock type Pokémon too. Just like the streamer's Rock and Dragon type Pokémon—this matchup is going to be amazing!"
"Who gets it? I was just admiring Gym Leader Roxanne's beautiful face, and this made me sit straight up!"
"Fossil Pokémon versus fossil Pokémon! This is incredible! Win or lose, it's worth it. Start fighting already—I can't wait!"
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