Gym Leader Chen Huan

Chu Xin looked at the entrance to Jindu Gym. It really was different from the other Gyms. How should he put it? It felt a little run-down.

"Don't you ever clean this place? I can see a bird's nest up on the Gym."

The old man: "..."

Chu Xin looked at the old man in confusion.

"Didn't you say it was a cultural relic? Shouldn't it be well maintained, then?"

"Where did this little brat come from? This isn't a place for you. Go on, get out!"

Suddenly embarrassed and angry, the old man pushed Chu Xin toward the exit with his fan in hand.

What was wrong with Jindu Gym? Why were they chasing him out as soon as he arrived?

Chu Xin stared at the old man, utterly bewildered. But he was only a child now, and the old man was surprisingly strong. He couldn't resist at all. In the end, Aier stepped in and stopped the old man.

"Hello. This is the young master of Infinite Energy Pokéblock Co., Ltd. We just wanted to have a look around."

Infinite Energy Pokéblock Company seemed to be the company owned by the father he'd acquired. Apparently, it was pretty impressive, too.

The old man stared at Aier with wide eyes.

"Infinite Company! The one that makes Pokéblocks?"

Aier nodded, and the old man's attitude changed in an instant.

"Why didn't you say so sooner? As the oldest Gym in the country, we naturally welcome anyone who wants to visit. Your name is Chu Xin, right? Come, come, come. Have a look inside."

His earlier attitude vanished. Wearing a "kindly" smile, the old man pulled Chu Xin into the Gym, all his previous bluster gone.

Once they were inside, the old man let go of Chu Xin's hand and smiled at the two of them.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Chen Huan, the Gym Leader of Jindu Gym. You can call me Leader Chen. Here's a map of Jindu Gym. You're free to look around wherever you like. Just call me if you have any questions, and I'll be there whenever you need me."

Then he smiled and waved at Chu Xin before returning to the rocking chair by the entrance.

Th-this was a Gym Leader? He didn't seem to have any of a Gym Leader's authority at all!

Chu Xin rubbed his head helplessly. Never mind. He was only here to find ways to raise Pokémon. Those should be somewhere inside the Gym.

Just as Chu Xin headed farther into the Gym with Aier, Chen Huan, who was sitting in his rocking chair by the entrance, suddenly opened one of his Poké Balls. A Vespiquen appeared inside the Gym.

"Get all your underlings out here and keep a close eye on that little brat!"

"Bzz?"

"What are you buzzing about? That kid isn't just anybody. He's the young master of Infinite Energy Pokéblock Company. If we can seize this opportunity, we'll have Pokéblocks to eat from now on. Then we won't have to trade honey for Berries anymore."

Vespiquen's gaze instantly sharpened at Chen Huan's words.

For Pokéblocks, I'll give it everything!

Meanwhile, Aier, who was accompanying Chu Xin, sensed movement nearby and noticed Combee watching them from the shadows.

These must have been Gym Leader Chen Huan's Monsters. If he could raise and deploy so many Combee, it seemed he had an exceptionally powerful Vespiquen.

Chu Xin, on the other hand, was nowhere near as vigilant as Aier and hadn't noticed any of the Combee surrounding them. Still, he had other thoughts about Jindu Gym.

As he pushed open a door, the rush of fresh air sent thick dust billowing up, making him sneeze over and over as he entered.

"What the heck? How is this place anything like a Gym? Nobody's even cleaned up all this dust."

Chu Xin looked helplessly at the dilapidated interior. If someone wanted to shoot a horror movie here, they wouldn't have to change a thing. Its naturally decrepit atmosphere was already perfect.

This wasn't the first room Chu Xin had complained about. He had already opened six other rooms, and every one of them had been like this. He really couldn't tell that this place was a Gym.

Chu Xin turned to Aier with a helpless look.

"Aier, is this really a Gym? Why can't I tell at all?"

"Although it does look as though the place hasn't been renovated in a very long time, Chen Huan is still a very powerful Gym Leader. I'm no match for him."

Aier's words surprised Chu Xin. He knew how strong Garchomp was. As a pseudo-legendary, Garchomp was beyond anything an ordinary Pokémon could handle. He hadn't expected Aier to say that Garchomp couldn't beat that old geezer Chen Huan!

He had been biased. Anyone who could become a Gym Leader naturally possessed tremendous strength. After all, they were an obstacle on the path to becoming an Elite Four member.

Chu Xin looked helplessly at the dilapidated rooms behind him. Continuing to search on his own wouldn't get him anywhere. He might as well go straight to the old man.

Just as Chu Xin was about to look for Chen Huan, the man himself suddenly appeared before him.

"What can I do for you, Young Master Chu?"

"H-how did you get here?"

"Hahaha! I am a Gym Leader, after all. I'm quite practiced at these little tricks. Everything here is a cultural relic, so if a thief gets in, I have to appear promptly to deal with them."

Chu Xin was utterly speechless. Thieves? In this Gym? Anyone who came here would probably take pity on you and leave some money behind.

"Grandpa Chen, I actually came specifically to visit Jindu Gym this time. I was hoping to learn some techniques for raising Pokémon here."

"Pokémon? What are those?"

Aier, standing beside them, reluctantly spoke up to explain to Chen Huan.

"Oh, so you mean Monsters. Pokémon? What a strange name. Well, since Young Master Chu Xin wants to learn some techniques for raising Monsters here, this old man does have a few methods."

Although Aier had told Chu Xin that this Gym Leader was very powerful, the man's self-praise still made him somewhat doubtful.

Was this old man really reliable?

At his age, Chen Huan naturally saw through Chu Xin's doubts at a glance. He offered no explanation. Talking about strength was ultimately useless. Letting someone experience it firsthand was the most convincing proof.

Chen Huan waved his hand, and a dark silhouette appeared behind him in a gust of wind.

Th-that was Vespiquen!

Before Chu Xin could recover from his shock, Combee suddenly appeared all around the room, forming ring after ring around Vespiquen.

A vast number of Combee surrounded Vespiquen in rings so dense they could practically trigger trypophobia. Standing at the center of the swarm, Chen Huan calmly waved his fan. Amid the tightly packed insects, he looked like a king commanding the entire swarm.

Chen Huan looked at Chu Xin with a "kindly" smile.

"Do you think I'm qualified now?"