"No problem at all." Erika shook her head, while Jasmine, standing beside her, let out a sigh of relief.
"That's good! Erika, you looked so serious just now—you really scared me!"
Erika turned back and smiled at Maki once again.
"It's not just that there's no problem—Maki, your Cottonee is in excellent condition! I can tell just by looking at its size and the color of its cotton."
Because of her deep love for Grass-type Pokémon, Erika's impression of Maki had improved once again. A Trainer who takes such good care of their Pokémon couldn't possibly be a bad person.
"And judging by the color of its leaves and cotton, your Cottonee likely doesn't have the Chlorophyll Ability, correct?"
"Yes, that's right. But Erika, the fact that you can determine its Ability just from these details is really impressive!" Maki nodded in response.
If Erika's earlier evaluation had been within normal expectations, then the way she could determine Cottonee's Ability just by looking at the color of its leaves was truly surprising.
As expected of a future Grass-type master! When it comes to understanding Grass-type Pokémon, Maki knew he was no match for Erika. After all, his training style was more spread out, whereas Erika had invested all her skills and knowledge into this specific type.
"Different Abilities result in noticeable differences in leaf coloration. For example, Grass-types with Chlorophyll tend to have much greener, vibrant leaves. It's actually quite easy to distinguish."
"Easy... to distinguish?"
Jasmine looked a little deflated. After holding Cottonee for so long, she still hadn't figured that out, yet Erika could tell in just one glance.
"Jasmine, you're not a Grass-type specialist, so it's perfectly normal that you wouldn't know this."
Seeing her friend's reaction, Erika quickly reassured her.
"So, Maki, are you planning to challenge the Gym now? My mother should still be at the Celadon Gym at this time. At other times, I can't say for sure."
"Yes, I'll go now."
Since Maki had chosen this restaurant based on its proximity to the Pokémon Center, the Celadon Gym was also quite close.
The group walked toward the Gym—it was such a short distance that taking a ride wasn't necessary.
"Is this Charmeleon your starter Pokémon, Maki?"
Walking beside him, Erika glanced at the Charmeleon following Maki. Although her expertise was in Grass-types, she could still gauge the quality of a Fire-type's training, and this Charmeleon was clearly well raised—perhaps even more so than his Cottonee.
After all, Cottonee still looked quite young, as if it hadn't been long since it hatched. Raising it to its current level was already impressive.
"Yes, he's my starter Pokémon. He only evolved recently."
"So, Maki, are you planning to use Charmeleon for the Gym battle? You'd have a type advantage that way, right?"
Jasmine, finally finding an opportunity to chime in, eagerly asked Maki.
"No, I plan to send Cottonee out first." Maki shook his head.
"Huh? But why not use Charmeleon? Cottonee doesn't have any type advantage at all!"
Jasmine was stunned, unable to understand Maki's reasoning.
"This little one hasn't had many battle experiences yet, so I want to take this opportunity to let her gain some." Then, turning to Erika, he asked, "The Celadon Gym allows two-on-two battles, right?"
Erika nodded.
"That's right, but Maki, how many Gym Badges do you have?"
She asked because Gym Leaders typically adjust their Pokémon's strength based on the number of Badges a challenger possesses. Her mother—the current Celadon Gym Leader—was no exception.
If Maki had collected several Badges, the Pokémon sent out to face him would be much stronger, and in that case, Cottonee might not stand much of a chance.
"None."
Maki shook his head.
"None!?"
Both Erika and Jasmine exclaimed in shock. Judging by Charmeleon's strength, they had assumed he must have earned at least a few Badges by now.
"So, have you not attempted any Gym challenges before?"
"Ah, no, I did challenge one." Maki hesitated for a moment before adding, "Saffron Gym."
At that, Erika and Jasmine exchanged knowing looks—ones that even carried a hint of sympathy.
Celadon City was right next to Saffron City, so Sabrina's reputation was well known to them.
"Don't worry, our Celadon Gym is much more... normal."
Erika reassured Maki, seemingly worried that his experience at Saffron Gym had left him with a bad impression of Gym challenges.
"I... I understand."
Maki's mouth twitched slightly. Had Sabrina's reputation really spread to this extent? To the point where Erika and Jasmine immediately understood the situation just by hearing her name?
"Your Charmeleon is very strong. If you use him, you'll likely pass the Gym challenge without much difficulty. But if you're relying on Cottonee, it's hard to say."
Erika tried to phrase her words tactfully. However, since Maki could use two Pokémon, even if Cottonee lost, Charmeleon could step in to secure the victory. Earning the Badge shouldn't be a problem.
What Erika didn't expect, though, was that Maki's goal was for Cottonee to win the challenge—Charmeleon was only a backup in case of emergencies.
If Erika knew what Maki was thinking, she would probably give him a strange look and ask, What on earth are you thinking?
After all, most of the moves Cottonee could learn early on were Grass-type, making them ineffective against a Grass-type Gym. Status moves like Stun Spore and Cotton Spore wouldn't even work against Celadon's Pokémon, leaving Whimsicott at a severe disadvantage.
Not to mention, Cottonee still seemed relatively inexperienced in battle. Against Gym-trained Pokémon, even if Erika's mother went easy on him, Cottonee would likely struggle to win against a single opponent, let alone two.
Soon, Erika led Maki and Jasmine into the Celadon Gym. Compared to other Gyms, Maki found himself preferring the nature-inspired design of this one.
As for Saffron Gym... well, let's just say its atmosphere was a little too eerie. But that wasn't Sabrina's fault—the Gym's design was her father's doing.
Then again, maybe it was true—there really weren't many normal Psychic-types out there.
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