"Vigoroth has lost the ability to battle. Crawdaunt is victorious. Challenger Sieg wins!"
The referee raised the red flag, announcing the result.
Sieg looked at Crawdaunt with relief and said, "You worked hard, Crawdaunt. Come back and get some good rest."
He pulled out his Pokédex from his pocket.
"Beep beep beep~~~"
"Crawdaunt, the Rogue Pokémon. Water/Dark type. The evolved form of Corphish. It has a violent temperament and will provoke battles without hesitation. Ponds inhabited by Crawdaunt are often devoid of other life, becoming desolate places."
"Ability: Adaptability. Gender: Male. Height: 1.3 meters. Weight: 40 kg. All stats far exceed the average. Outstanding development."
"Currently known moves: Swift, Vice Grip, Leer, Bubble Beam, Harden, Bubble, Protect, Double Hit, Knock Off, Sucker Punch, Razor Shell, Aqua Jet, Dragon Dance."
Looking at the data shown on the screen, Sieg said, "We've known each other for a year now, and you've finally evolved. That star-shaped horn of yours doesn't look bad on you, heh heh."
Others might see Crawdaunt's appearance as fierce, but in Sieg's eyes, this was the most handsome of them all!
Norman approached slowly and said, "Congratulations, Sieg. This is proof that you've defeated me, the Balance Badge."
Sieg took the badge, which resembled a scale or a dumbbell, and couldn't help but feel a touch of joy.
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, and he murmured, "This is my first badge."
Norman looked at the outstanding young man before him and liked him even more. He felt compelled to offer some guidance.
"As a Gym Leader, the message I want to pass on to challengers is: balanced development."
"Although most people will tell you to cater to each Pokémon's individual strengths and avoid their weaknesses, I personally prefer a balanced approach to training."
"If you can refine a Pokémon's weak points until they're as strong as its strengths, you'll have no weaknesses, and you'll be unbeatable."
Norman's words deeply moved Sieg.
"Sieg, Sieg! You won! You actually beat Dad! That's amazing!"
May came running from afar on her short legs, her big, sparkly eyes blinking as she looked at Sieg with admiration.
Sieg smiled wryly and thought to himself, "This little girl probably thinks I truly defeated Mr. Norman. But this was just a gym challenge, more like a guided battle."
If he had gone all out, Norman's strength would likely require an Elite Four member to even have a chance of winning.
Norman stood off to the side, a little embarrassed as he watched his daughter celebrate with Sieg while ignoring him. Though he maintained his usual calm smile, inside, his heart was bleeding.
"Sieg, dedicating yourself to the path of Pokémon training is a challenging road. I hope to see you in the League Tournament someday." Norman said solemnly.
Sieg bowed and replied, "Mr. Norman, thank you for your guidance."
"No need to thank me. Just remember to register at the gym's front desk later," Norman said before giving May a few instructions and turning to leave.
With the gym being newly established, there were tons of complicated matters to deal with, a real headache for someone who only cared about battles.
"Congratulations, Trainer Sieg. Your battle record and footage have been uploaded to the League database. You can view them via your Trainer ID or Pokédex."
The receptionist confirmed the details and respectfully informed him.
Sieg held the badge up over his head. Under the light, the Balance Badge gleamed brilliantly.
"My first badge... let this be the starting point of my journey to conquer the League," Sieg thought with excitement.
To challenge the League, you must collect eight badges. Of course, the Hoenn League has more than just eight gyms. In fact, there might be over twenty officially recognized ones.
And those are just the official ones. There are also many unofficial, community-run gyms.
After leaving the gym, Sieg rushed to the Pokémon Center. Luckily, the two buildings weren't far apart; both were located in the city center.
"Nurse Joy, please take care of them," Sieg requested.
Carvanha had taken a hard hit from Vigoroth earlier and was still unconscious inside its Poké Ball. Crawdaunt also suffered minor injuries and needed time to adjust to its evolved body, so Sieg handed both over to Nurse Joy for treatment.
"Don't worry, Sieg. Leave your Pokémon to me," Joy Lin replied gently, with the ever-smiling Chansey clapping its short hands beside her.
"Chaaan-sey~~"
Sieg took a seat in the lobby and began reflecting on the battle. Reviewing one's shortcomings is essential to becoming a stronger trainer.
"Balanced development… so that's Mr. Norman's philosophy as a trainer," Sieg thought to himself.
Before long, Nurse Joy came back out. This was one of the perks of being a League-certified trainer; even treatment services were prioritized.
You could see the many injured Pokémon of ordinary trainers waiting on the side with hopeful eyes. Even though they saw someone skip the line, none dared to speak up.
No one would dare defy the rules set by the League.
"Crawdaunt evolved so quickly? Judging by the toughness of its shell and size, it developed really well… Looks like Sieg really is a genius."
"I'll upload his data to the family database for now. Whether he's worth recruiting will be up to the family to decide."
Joy Lin watched Sieg walk away and quietly remembered his name, sending the information to the Joy family.
If the Joy family later decided he was worth pulling in, they might consider arranging a marriage between Sieg and a member of their branch family.
Of course, to put it bluntly, he'd be marrying into the family, used as a means to win over a talented trainer.
Still, for countless male trainers, this was a dream come true.
…
"Sieg, Dad's so useless. He lost to you that easily."
While walking through the backyard of the Petalburg Gym, May held Sieg's index finger as they strolled through a bamboo grove.
Sieg quickly looked back at the gym, a bit embarrassed. "May, you shouldn't say bad things about your dad. That's not what good kids do."
"Oh... then I won't say it anymore."
May pouted angrily. She was upset, her parents were always busy. Since moving to Hoenn, it had been Sieg who spent time with her.
"Sieg, when I go on my journey someday, I want to become as strong as you. Then let's travel together, okay?"
Her eyes sparkled with hope, making it impossible to turn her down.
Sieg gently patted her head and said warmly, "Sure. I just wonder what starter Pokémon you'll choose?"
May was stumped by the question and started counting on her short fingers.
"Hmm... Torchic is nice, Mudkip is cute too, and Treecko is a little cool, but I'm not really into it."
Sieg listened, the corner of his mouth twitching. He thought silently, "As expected of a Gym Leader's daughter, only considering the three starters and nothing else? That's a bold pick."
He offered some advice, "Treecko may not match the typical girl's aesthetic, but its Unburden ability is really good. Mudkip has great type advantages and only a 4x weakness to Grass after evolving into Swampert. As for Torchic, if it has Speed Boost, it's basically perfect."
May listened in awe. She'd never thought there was so much to consider when picking a Pokémon. She just thought Torchic looked the cutest.
Her admiration for Sieg grew even more.
Sieg really is amazing!
"A Torchic with Speed Boost…"
May mumbled to herself, as a seed of ambition quietly took root in her heart.