The boy's firm, resonant voice pleased Erika greatly. In particular, his steady bearing truly held the resilience and stillness of an unyielding rock.
Just as I thought, a similar presence...
Erika smiled faintly and said softly,
"Welcome to the Celadon Gym! I'm the Gym Leader, Erika..."
Glancing at the rather excited girl, Erika asked,
"So, are both of you here to challenge me?"
"No! No!"
Miyuki hurriedly waved her hands and called out excitedly,
"Erika, Qingcao is the one challenging the Gym! But I'm a fan of yours, so please let me stay~!"
"A fan?"
Erika shook her head.
"I can sense nature's warmth in you. You must be a girl dearly loved by flowers..."
Looking at the smile on Miyuki's face, Erika nodded with a smile.
"As a Gym Trainer, I certainly have no reason to refuse. Please stand beside the field and lend your enthusiasm to the Pokémon battle!"
"Yes~!!!"
Miyuki answered loudly and pumped her fist at Qingcao before heading to the sidelines with a delighted expression, casually slipping into the group of Gym Apprentices as though she already knew them.
"So full of energy..."
At the sight, Erika sighed softly in admiration, then turned a serious gaze on Qingcao.
"You, too, have a bearing that feels familiar. Now, this will be a two-Pokémon match. Any objections?"
Qingcao nodded, took out a Pokémon Ball, and said earnestly,
"No objections, Erika! I'm ready!"
"Are you really?"
Clap, clap!
She clapped her hands lightly, and the otherwise ordinary field suddenly began to hum.
Hiss!
With a slight tremor, the surface of the field began to sink, then rose again. Before Qingcao's somewhat stunned gaze and Miyuki's startled eyes, the standard battlefield underwent a tremendous change!
A vast field resembling a meadow appeared, lush and covered in short grass. The