At 2:30 in the afternoon, Naoki rode Koraidon back to the Levincia Gym to resume his temporary Gym Leader duties.
Meanwhile, Iono stayed at Tree House Ranch, tending to a flowerbed Naoki hadn't finished trimming the week before, despite the concerned protests of Indeedee.
"Ai-yai!" cried sister Indeedee, flapping her hands in distress as she tried to stop Iono from working.
Iono chuckled. "It's fine! This kind of light work isn't tiring. I even read online that proper exercise is good for the baby's development."
"Ai?" The Indeedee looked unsure, clearly planning to go tell her brother.
Not far away, Ogerpon waddled over excitedly and grabbed Iono's hand, leading her toward the garden.
While she was distracted, the elder Indeedee quietly took over Iono's chores.
Calyrex and Gholdengo were also present, basking beneath the warm midday sun. Light glistened on dew-kissed petals, and a soft floral scent filled the air.
Iono glanced at the Indeedee siblings and then down at the eager Ogerpon tugging her forward.
"You planned this together, didn't you?"
"Poni~!"
Ogerpon barked cheerfully, circling her before dragging over a chair so she could rest and soak up the sunshine.
"Thank you," Iono said warmly, settling down with a smile.
Calyrex turned his gaze toward her stomach, where a new life was quietly growing. The child of one of his closest believers.
Calyrex's eyes shone with quiet joy and reverence.
Iono caught the look and instinctively placed a gentle hand over her belly.
'So many were already waiting for you, little one. Grow up strong, okay?'
...
Back at Levincia's Central Plaza, the battlefield, left in ruins by the morning's intense battles, had been fully repaired thanks to a team of experienced construction workers.
Now, per Geeta's instructions, Naoki was back to receiving challengers, evaluating their talent for the sake of the Paldea League.
Following the viral livestream earlier that day, Levincia Gym had become the hottest topic across multiple trainer forums.
Hashtags like #ZapdosUnleashed and #NoBadgeYet were trending in the region's top searches.
More and more curious viewers were tuning into Naoki's stream to see the Gym for themselves.
By 3 p.m., the moment Naoki resumed his broadcast, the comment feed exploded:
[Heard the hype! Where's the legendary Zapdos?!]
[Wait… this guy's the Gym Leader? Why does he look like a rancher?!]
Naoki didn't pay much attention to the barrage. He simply started the livestream and began accepting new challengers.
The first was a young girl named Miji, who had only one badge to her name.
Naoki sent out Jolteon, while Miji sent out a Sunflora.
At the start of the match, Naoki called out, "Jolteon, use Thunder Shock!"
But the clever girl was ready. "Sunflora, use Ingrain!"
Sunflora's roots burrowed deep into the soil, and it used its natural connection to the ground, to ground the electricity coursing toward it.
The lightning crackled, but the attack was effectively nullified.
Then Miji baited Jolteon in close with an intentional misstep. Jolteon rushed forward with Quick Attack—only to be tagged by Leech Seed, which clung to its body and began to sap its energy.
When Jolteon tried to retreat, Miji quickly ordered, "Sunflora, Morning Sun!"
Sunlight glowed down from above, and Sunflora began to recover the energy it had just spent.
Naoki's eyes sparkled.
Ingrain + Leech Seed + Morning Sun recovery cycle?
He immediately saw through her strategy and smiled.
Today, this was the first challenger to show true tactical thought.
And she was only ten years old.
He glanced at the number of Poké Balls on her belt. Just two. She had clearly only recently begun her journey.
Such strategic potential and early dedication definitely met Geeta's criteria for a "promising trainer."
Naoki had quickly recognized the strategy. Countless ways to counter it flashed through his mind, but with Jolteon's current move pool being so limited, it was like trying to cook a gourmet meal without any ingredients.
In the end, Jolteon succumbed to the persistent drain of Leech Seed and fainted on the battlefield.
Even so, Naoki smiled and stepped forward to present the girl with a Gym Badge, the very first badge he had awarded during his tenure as acting Gym Leader.
"Keep going. Your journey is just beginning. I look forward to seeing you compete in the Paldea League someday," Naoki said warmly.
The girl, whose name was Miji, clutched the badge with both hands, her face glowing with joy. "Thank you so much, Mr. Naoki! I will—I promise!"
Naoki watched with a soft smile as she left the field, her Sunflora by her side.
But over in the livestream chat, a different kind of reaction was taking shape.
[???]
[Really? A Jolteon lost to a Sunflora? Isn't this supposed to be the top Electric Gym in Paldea?]
[LOL this guy's all hype. My Machamp could solo this Gym blindfolded.]
[Lame. Overrated.]
But soon, veteran viewers pushed back:
[Y'all must be new. That Jolteon isn't even his strongest Pokémon.]
[You didn't see the morning stream. Wait 'til you meet Zapdos.]
[This Gym Leader's holding back for rookies. Watch the next battle.]
And just as curiosity peaked, the next challenger stepped onto the field.
This one was a boy with three Gym Badges already, a lively, energetic type who lit up at the thought of a Pokémon battle. His enthusiasm was infectious, reminding some viewers of a certain famous trainer from Kanto.
The match was set as a 1v1.
Since Jolteon had just finished battling, Naoki decided to give it a break. This time, he sent out Pikachu.
The challenger grinned and tossed his Poké Ball. With a flash of light, a Donphan charged onto the field, its armored form kicking up dust as it slammed to a stop.
"Go, Pikachu! Iron Tail!" Naoki commanded without hesitation.
Pikachu dashed forward, tail glowing bright silver with energy as it prepared to strike.
But the boy countered quickly. "Donphan, use Bulldoze!"
The ground trembled as Donphan slammed its feet down. Cracks spiderwebbed across the battlefield as shockwaves surged toward Pikachu.
Caught mid-step, Pikachu stumbled, losing balance and crashing to the ground with a startled cry.
"Now, Donphan- Rollout!"
Donphan tucked itself into a ball and began to spin rapidly, rolling straight toward Pikachu with increasing speed and force.
Its large, armored body spinning like a grey tire as it barreled toward Pikachu.
Pikachu frantically dodged using Agility, zigzagging to evade the attack, but Donphan was relentless, rolling hard and fast with practiced precision.
Naoki ordered a counter. "Pikachu, use Iron Tail, disrupt the terrain!"
Pikachu's tail glowed silver as it struck the ground, trying to create rough patches to throw off Donphan's rolling momentum. But the move came a second too late, Donphan slammed into Pikachu mid-swing, sending the Electric-type tumbling across the field.
Even so, Pikachu didn't faint immediately. It staggered back to its feet, only for Donphan to loop around and come charging again.
After several brutal exchanges, Pikachu finally collapsed, unable to battle.
Naoki walked up, calm as ever, and asked, "That Donphan of yours, has it gone through specialized Rollout training?"
The boy beamed. "Yeah! We've been working on it for weeks."
Naoki nodded in approval. "You've done well. You understand type matchups, and you've trained your partner's strengths. That makes you a fine trainer."
With a proud smile, Naoki held out a badge. "Congratulations on passing the Gym challenge. This Thunder Badge is yours."
The boy accepted it with joy, holding it up like a treasure.
Meanwhile, the livestream chat exploded again, this time in confusion.
[Wait, seriously? A Pikachu lost to a Donphan? THAT'S the so-called top Gym in Paldea?]
[This guy's not that strong. I could solo this with my Machamp.]
[You sure this isn't just marketing hype?]
But longtime viewers responded:
[LMAO y'all don't get it. He's scaling based on trainer experience. He's not gonna send out Zapdos against someone with three badges.]
[He's supposed to go easy on new trainers. That's how real Gyms work, newbies.]
[If you're doubting Naoki, then you clearly missed the morning stream. Dude 3v1'd with Zapdos.]
[Keep talking. You'll wet yourself when Zapdos shows up.]
…
Meanwhile, far away in the Unova region, inside a luxurious estate nestled in the hills, a young man stared at the stream in fury.
Dressed in expensive clothes, fists clenched at his sides, he glared at the barrage of messages mocking him.
His name was Wright, a prodigy from a powerful family in Unova.
Trained since the age of four, Wright began raising Pokémon long before most children could spell "Poké Ball." At ten, he breezed through the Gym Challenge, collected all eight badges.
And now, strangers online dared to laugh at him?
He slammed his fist down, shattering the keyboard in front of him.
Unforgivable!
He had defeated veterans and risen to the top. Who were these nobodies to mock him?
Wright's rage boiled over. He stormed out of the room, grabbing his six Poké Balls from the polished shelf by the door.
"I'll prove it to them," he growled. "I'll fly to Paldea myself and crush this so-called 'strongest Gym Leader'!"
He paused only to type one last message in the livestream chat:
[Just wait. I'm flying to Paldea right now. I'll challenge that Gym myself and end this delusion. Get ready.]
Then he logged out.
As he headed out, his movements were sharp and deliberate. His expression radiated fury and determination.
The estate's old butler, hearing the commotion, intercepted him in the foyer. "Young Master Wright, what's wrong?"
"Uncle Arlen, prepare the helicopter immediately. I'm going to Paldea. Don't ask questions. I have a score to settle."
The butler blinked in surprise. The young master rarely traveled, seeing most places as beneath his refined standards. For him to suddenly request a trip…
Still, the butler understood. The young master was no longer a child. He had to make his own decisions.
Within minutes, a sleek black helicopter descended into the estate courtyard.
Wright boarded without hesitation, barking instructions to the pilot.
"Set course for the Paldea region. I'm going to shut that Gym Leader down myself."
The blades spun faster, lifting the craft into the sky.
...
Bonus @500