Chapter 55 Celadon Gym

"Rest assured," Xia You said solemnly. "Once I finish my challenge at the Celadon Gym, I'll be leaving right away."

"I have faith in your strength, so let me wish you success in advance," Looker said, his tone shifting slightly. "However, regarding what we discussed earlier, I must share a bit more with you. Once our preparations are complete, when we launch our assault on the Team Rocket base, we intend to form a special operations unit as the vanguard. We might invite you to join us then."

"Oh? Me?" Xia You was momentarily stunned before quickly agreeing. "Of course, no problem. Since Team Rocket has already targeted me, there's no way I can just stand by and watch. But who else might be in this special operations unit?"

"Well..." Looker pondered. "Anyone entering the special operations unit will naturally possess formidable strength. We will do our utmost to invite members of the Elite Four, and we'll also contact exceptional Gym Leaders from the Pokémon League."

Xia You couldn't help but nod. With a lineup like that, they could truly walk unhindered through any Team Rocket base.

Ending the call, Xia You followed the main road straight to the Celadon Gym.

The exterior of the Celadon Gym resembled a typical school gymnasium, featuring a yellowish-brown roof and silver-gray walls, nestled within a vast garden right in the center of the city.

As the official Gym of Celadon City, Leader Erika's specialty lay in Grass-type Pokémon. Defeating her would earn challengers the Rainbow Badge.

Entering the building, Xia You first stepped into a spacious lobby where several young women in shorts were working. Seeing him, a blue-haired girl walked over.

"How may I help you?"

After Xia You stated his purpose, she led him deeper into the facility. Leaving the lobby behind, the first sight that met his eyes was a series of greenhouses enclosed within partitioned glass walls.

The greenhouses were lush and verdant, filled with leafy trees, shrubs, and blooming flowers. Rather than a battle gym, it felt much more like an indoor botanical garden.

Come to think of it, the perfume Xia You had purchased yesterday was produced right here. The staff members were exclusively young and pretty girls who not only maintained the Gym but also managed the business at the perfume shop.

Along the way, various Grass-type Pokémon ran back and forth. Under the care of the staff, they romped, played, and frolicked merrily.

Reaching the end of the corridor, they finally arrived at a serene, elegant room.

Through the windows, Erika could be seen seated gracefully on tatami mats in the position of honor. Holding a pair of scissors, she trimmed the flower branches in a vase while explaining something to several women seated before her.

Noticing Xia You staring intently, the blue-haired girl by his side whispered, "Miss Erika is not only our Gym Leader but also a renowned floral artist. Every week, many people come to her to learn the art of flower arrangement. Sir, do you enjoy flower arrangement as well?"

"Well, in a way, I do enjoy it," Xia You nodded. "Floral arrangement is pleasing to the eye and uplifts the spirit. It's a wonderful way to regulate one's emotions."

Before long, the lesson concluded. As Erika stepped out of the room and saw Xia You, she immediately recognized him.

"You're the person from the shop yesterday?"

Xia You replied, "Indeed, it's me. I didn't wish to be overly intrusive last time, but this time I've come specifically to challenge Miss Erika."

Taking a closer look at Erika now, Xia You found her appearance truly striking. She appeared to be around eighteen or nineteen years old, rather petite in stature. Her attire, whether for daily life or work, was a traditional kimono, marking her as a classic traditional woman whose every gesture exuded the grace of a quintessential Yamato Nadeshiko.

"I see. Please, follow me."

The three of them retraced their steps until they reached a fork in the path, where they turned toward the Gym's battle arena.

Catching sight of those Grass-type Pokémon once more, Xia You couldn't help remarking, "Oddish, Bellsprout, Exeggcute, Weepinbell, Victreebel, Vileplume... The variety of Grass-type Pokémon here is truly comprehensive."

Erika smiled. "I've loved nature and Grass-type Pokémon since I was a child, so I've raised quite a few. Besides, the perfume sold in our shop is crafted using extracts from the leaves of these very Pokémon."

Arriving at the battle arena, the two opponents took their positions on opposite sides.

Despite her mastery of Grass-type Pokémon, the battlefield lacked any terrain advantages tailored for her; instead, it was a completely open, standard arena.

The only notable feature was a skylight directly above the center of the arena. At this moment, the sun hung high, casting warm rays that enveloped the entire field in bright sunlight.

The blue-haired girl walked to the center to act as the referee.

Erika stated, "The rules for this Gym battle limit each side to three Pokémon. The match is won once all of my Pokémon have been defeated!"

With that, she deployed her very first Pokémon.

This was a creature entirely covered and entangled in vines. It had no visible arms, only a pair of feet appearing to wear red boots protruding from beneath the mass. Through the thick tangle of vines, only a pair of large eyes could be seen, revealing nothing else.

Pokédex Entry: "Tangela, a Vine Pokémon. Grass-type. The entire body is wrapped in wide, blue, constantly writhing vines, obscuring its true form. It walks with a wobbly gait and loves to use its vines to entangle anything that approaches. Even if the vines are damaged, they quickly grow back."

Xia You drew a Pokéball from his belt and tossed it to the ground.

To deal with a pure Grass-type Pokémon, utilizing type advantage was only natural.

"Go, Charmander!"

Seeing Charmander with flames burning brightly on the tip of its tail, Erika gently shook her head.

As a Gym Leader, due to her specialization, she had no other types of Pokémon to substitute against a Charmander. Therefore, unless there was a massive disparity in strength, the outcome of this battle could already be foreseen.

"Battle begin!"

At the blue-haired girl's command, both Pokémon launched their attacks almost simultaneously.

"Tangela, use Stun Spore!"

"Charmander, use Ember!"

Clusters of glittering powder drifted toward Charmander. The moment the fiery embers met the cloud of powder, the flames flared intensely, burning away the vast majority of the spores in an instant!

Had some sort of chemical reaction been triggered?

The flames continued sweeping toward Tangela. However, perhaps aided by the Chlorophyll Ability, Tangela's speed doubled under the abundant sunlight, allowing it to narrowly dodge the attack just before the flames reached it.

Still, Erika's strategy was sound; knowing she was at a disadvantage in type, she had hoped to paralyze Charmander first before plotting her next move.

Unfortunately, her plan fell through.