Lavaridge Gym

Seeing his three partners so fired up and full of confidence, Xinhai smiled with satisfaction. He crouched down and lightly tapped Eevee's damp little nose.

"Eevee," Xinhai said, his Qi gentle yet serious, "you'll probably be leading again this time. Make good use of your speed and agility. Don't clash head-on with the opponent, understand?"

"Vee!" (Leave it to me!) Eevee puffed out its little chest, its eyes blazing with fighting spirit.

"Good." Xinhai rubbed Eevee's little head, then stood and looked over at Blaziken and Sandile. "Blaziken, Sandile, your order will depend on the opponents you face. In any case, be ready."

"Blaze!" (Understood!)

"Grr!" (No problem!)

Xinhai then looked toward the rest of his partners—Gardevoir, Zigzagoon, Mightyena, and Feebas in the water tank. "You all need to cheer for Blaziken, Eevee, and Sandile too! Your support and encouragement are their strongest backing!"

"Gardevoir~" (Good luck, everyone.)

"Zig!" "Wooo!" "Bloop!"

The partners nodded and called out their encouragement, making the Qi in the room warmer.

After enjoying a carefully prepared lunch and taking a short, calming rest, Xinhai recalled his partners into their Poké Balls shortly after one in the afternoon, leaving only Eevee perched on his shoulder.

He gave the medicine and necessities in his backpack one final check, took a deep breath of Qi, pushed open the door, and headed toward Lavaridge Gym.

Lavaridge Gym stood on the southwestern side of the town. Its architectural style was rough and imposing, built largely from locally produced reddish-brown volcanic rock. From a distance, it looked like a small fortress.

Above the entrance to the Gym, a huge flame-shaped badge emblem glittered brightly in the sunlight.

After presenting his Pokédex at the front desk to verify his reservation, Xinhai was led into a spacious waiting room by a sharp-looking staff