Viridian Gym.
The Viridian Gym was located near the city center. Although Viridian City wasn't a sprawling metropolis filled with modern skyscrapers, its downtown area was still bustling with people. Crowds surged through department stores, and on the sidewalks, couples could often be seen enjoying delicious food together. Amidst all this lively urban scenery stood a conspicuously abandoned building — right in the heart of the city.
The Viridian Gym resembled a half-finished, abandoned construction project. Its weathered walls were overgrown with vines. Standing in front of its rusted iron gates, Ryuuske had no intention of going in.
"Hey, young man. You're a Pokémon Trainer, aren't you?"
As Ryuuske stood before the gym deep in thought, an elderly woman's voice called out beside him. He turned and saw a kindly old lady smiling warmly at him.
"Yeah, I am a Trainer," Ryuuske replied with a slight nod.
"That makes sense. But if you're here to challenge the gym, I'm afraid you've come to the wrong place. This Viridian Gym hasn't had a Gym Leader in five years."
The old woman spoke slowly. Ryuuske, who had always respected the elderly and cared for the young, simply smiled and listened quietly.
"Five years without a leader? Didn't the League send someone new?" he asked curiously.
"They did," the old woman said, "but the citizens of Viridian wouldn't accept them. Every Trainer who came here hoping to become the new Gym Leader eventually left. The previous Gym Leader here was named Sakaki. He was an exceptional Trainer and served as Gym Leader for many years. Because of him, the people here refuse to accept anyone else."
"Oh? Why's that?"
"Sakaki was an incredibly warm-hearted person. Every holiday, he'd hand out candy and treats to the kids. He donated large sums to charity every year, and many of the roads in Viridian were repaired with his money. He was born and raised here in Viridian and made countless contributions to the city.
Everyone respected him greatly… He was even called 'the strongest Gym Leader.' After he disappeared five years ago, no one believed something bad had happened to him. So, the gym has remained vacant. Everyone's still waiting for him to return. Look over there…"
With a wistful tone, the old woman raised her hand and pointed toward a huge building in the distance, about the size of a football stadium.
"…Back when gym battles were held, that place would be packed full. The people of Viridian would cheer for Sakaki as he fought challenger after challenger — he never lost. But ever since his disappearance, the city hasn't seen such excitement again. Sigh, but that's all in the past now."
She shook her head and let out a sigh before slowly walking away. Perhaps, upon seeing a young person, her loneliness had prompted her to chat for a bit.
"I didn't expect Sakaki to have such prestige in Viridian City… But thinking about it, it makes sense. For a man who could become the hidden boss behind Team Rocket — if you ignore the things he's done — he must've been quite the charismatic guy."
Ryuuske watched the old woman walk away, then took one last look at the abandoned Viridian Gym before heading to the train station.
——
The maglev train could reach speeds of up to 500 km/h. As a clean and pollution-free product of advanced technology, it served as the primary mode of intercity transportation across Kanto and other regions. At the Viridian City station, Ryuuske bought a non-reserved seat ticket and boarded the train heading for Pewter City.
Pewter City was located north of Viridian, connected by a railway that cut through the man-made Viridian Forest. The two cities weren't especially far apart; it only took about 30 minutes by maglev train for Ryuuske to arrive.
He made his way from the bustling train station to the taxi area and hopped into a car headed straight for the city's Pokémon Center. All the vehicles here were electric, with fossil fuels completely phased out.
Pewter City was built in rugged mountainous terrain and could be described as a mountain city. Surrounded by Viridian Forest and Mt. Moon, the city didn't boast the same prosperity as plains cities like Goldenrod or Celadon. Its architecture leaned toward a bold and rugged style with sharp, angular features. Known for its rich mineral resources, Pewter was famous as a source of raw ore materials.
Thanks to the mysterious existence of Pokémon, even the formation rate of minerals far exceeded natural expectations. As a result, most of the city's residents made their living in the mining industry.
The taxi sped through the city streets while the driver cheerfully chatted away. The people of Pewter and the surrounding areas, much like their city's style, were hearty and hospitable. Ryuuske didn't say much, simply listening to the driver's enthusiastic introductions to various Pewter landmarks.
But what the driver talked about the most was Pewter's Gym Leader — Brock. His tone was filled with pride, which even an outsider like Ryuuske could easily pick up on.
In this world, there were all sorts of professions — singers, actors, models, and more — but Gym Leaders were often considered a city's icon and pride, symbols of the highest local authority. You could even call them national idols. In this Pokémon-loving world, every powerful Trainer was a celebrity in the hearts of the people.
After enduring the driver's rambling for a while, Ryuuske finally arrived at the Pokémon Center. There, he found a "Pokémon Transfer System" — a technology derived from an ancient civilization and improved by a Pokémon researcher named Bill. He used it to send all the extra, useless Pokémon he had caught to Professor Oak.
The system was indeed convenient, but what annoyed Ryuuske was — it actually charged money to use!
As standard in every city, the Pokémon Center here wasn't some tiny facility. On the contrary, they were usually towering buildings akin to luxury hotels. The first floor was where the main healing equipment was located, and the large lobby was filled with medical staff and Trainers waiting for their Pokémon to be treated.
The upper floors housed intensive care units for seriously ill people or aging Pokémon. Above those were hotel rooms — and if you were a Trainer, you'd even get a hefty discount on lodging.
"So, because I'm not officially a Trainer, I don't get the discount? Then what exactly does make someone an official Trainer?"
At the front desk, Ryuuske argued with the smiling receptionist, occasionally tapping the counter in front of him.
Did being a Trainer require certification? Why had he never heard of this before? Was it like getting a driver's license — did he have to pass an exam or something?
Still wearing her professional smile, the receptionist didn't seem irritated. She could tell Ryuuske was likely a rookie Trainer, so she patiently explained, "To be recognized as an official Trainer, all you need is a single Gym Badge."
Upon hearing that, Ryuuske rolled his eyes. Looked like he'd come to the right place after all.
Oh well. He decided to just find a hotel near the gym and rest for the night. First thing tomorrow, he would challenge the gym. After all, in this world, being a Trainer was a kind of privileged status. Holding that title would make many things easier. And like all Trainers, Ryuuske had to participate in the League Tournament someday — challenging gyms was something he had to do.
To be continued…