Team Rocket's Second-in-Command!

Celadon Gym

Among the Gyms of Kanto, if you had to list the wealthiest one, Celadon Gym would surely take the top spot.

Celadon Gym was home to a globally-renowned perfume brand, with products so popular they were even sold in regions as far as Galar and Unova.

Thanks to these luxury-level perfumes, Celadon Gym had secured its place as Kanto's richest Gym.

"All the Gym Leaders in Kanto may not run their Gyms well, but when it comes to side businesses, each of them is unmatched!"

Across Kanto, the Gyms run by Giovanni, Koga, Sabrina, and Surge were all under Team Rocket's influence.

The rest? The Cerulean Sisters were well-known water ballet performers but often got overwhelmed in battles.

Erika had her perfume shop and had turned the Gym into a botanical garden. In the original story, she even went as far as breaking League rules to refuse Ash's challenge simply because he insulted her perfumes, caring little about potential complaints.

As for Blaine, he'd practically abandoned his Gym to run a hot springs resort, spending his days hosting riddle games.

None of them focused on their Gyms.

Only Brock had ever seriously taken on the role of a Gym Leader.

Then again, even he got roped into traveling with Ash, leaving his Gym to the father who'd once abandoned him and his siblings.

Thinking about it this way, Luo Yuan felt he could somewhat understand Lance's frustration.

As the head of the Elite Four, seeing the state of Kanto's Gyms must have been maddening for him.

"With this lineup of Gym Leaders, I'd be pulling my hair out too," he thought, pushing open the doors to Celadon Gym.

The moment he entered, the fresh scent of plants greeted him.

"Hello, and you are...?" A staff member looked at Luo Yuan, puzzled.

"I'm here as a challenger."

"A Trainer..." The mention of him being a Trainer caused the staff member's enthusiasm to diminish, though she maintained basic politeness.

"Please wait while I inform Miss Erika. Feel free to watch our latest perfume ad in the meantime."

"..."

As the staff member left, Luo Yuan found himself looking up at the perfume ad playing on a nearby screen.

He'd bought perfumes here before for Sabrina as gifts, but this was his first visit to the Gym itself.

He couldn't help but wonder if every new Trainer challenging the Gym went through this same introduction.

Could this be an early attempt at brand loyalty training? After all, Trainers traveling to challenge Gyms often had considerable spending power.

Whoever had come up with this was a commercial genius. A talent like this should definitely be recruited into Team Rocket and sent to the Hoenn region to help set up a new branch.

Luo Yuan's thoughts were wandering when Erika finally made her appearance.

Dressed in a kimono and sandals, with a faint fragrance surrounding her, Erika looked as serene as ever.

"Long time no see. It's almost hard to get ahold of you these days, Erika!" Luo Yuan greeted her with a smile.

"Luo Yuan...? Is that really you?"

Erika looked at him, surprised.

She'd never forgotten his strikingly handsome face. He used to visit the shop regularly to buy perfumes for his girlfriend, always with a generous hand, which had earned him VIP status. Through these interactions, they'd become familiar with each other.

But after Luo Yuan left for the Hoenn region, he hadn't been around, and their contact had dwindled. She hadn't expected to run into him here today.

"Are you here to pick out perfume for your girlfriend again? ...Wait, didn't Kiku say we had a challenger?" Erika's brows furrowed in confusion.

"You're not wrong; I'm the challenger."

"You?" Erika looked skeptical.

"My current role is that of a freshly-departed rookie Trainer."

"I see." Erika nodded in realization. "I never expected you to take the Trainer path."

She'd always assumed Luo Yuan, being from a wealthy family, would inherit the family business someday.

Luo Yuan didn't bother to correct her assumption. Back when he'd lived in Kanto, the "rich kid" image had served as a good cover for his role as a Rocket executive.

And in a way, it still held some truth—he'd just gone from being a fake rich kid to owning real shares in Silph Co.

"Well, since it's you, I can skip the formalities." Erika's face lit up in a friendly smile. "Come with me to the battlefield!"

---

The battle arena of Celadon Gym lay at the very center of the botanical garden.

Sunlight streamed through the glass ceiling, creating a warm glow. Surrounded by lush plants, the area provided a unique battle experience.

Luo Yuan and Erika took their positions at opposite ends of the field.

A small crowd of Gym staff gathered to watch.

The staff member, "Kiku," stepped into the referee's spot.

"The rules for the Celadon Gym battle are 3v3! Each side may use three Pokémon, and the Gym Leader may not switch Pokémon mid-battle."

The familiar rules were recited, ones that Luo Yuan could probably repeat by heart at this point.

With a smile, Erika called out from across the field, "Luo Yuan, I won't be holding back."

Of course, she meant that relative to a typical rookie Trainer.

"And I'll give it my best, too," Luo Yuan replied.

Though he was confident that even using just his Charmeleon would be more than enough to beat Erika, they were friends, and he didn't want to ruin that. It was only polite to show some restraint.

With these unspoken thoughts between them...

"Let the battle begin!" Kiku swung her flag.

Luo Yuan and Erika released their Poké Balls almost simultaneously.

"Go, Tangela / Dragonair!"

Luo Yuan chose not to use Charmeleon, given that Charmeleon still wasn't fully in control of its attack power, and one stray blast of flames could set the entire garden ablaze—a mess he did not want to deal with.

The sight of Dragonair's appearance drew gasps from the surrounding onlookers, including Erika.

"Dragonair??"

"It's really a Dragonair!"

"So beautiful!"

The moment Dragonair took the field, the Gym staff, and Erika herself, were all momentarily stunned.

Weren't rookie Trainers supposed to start with a starter Pokémon or a regional bird?

How was he opening with a Dragonair?

Erika, though, had seen much in her day. She only let her gaze linger for a moment on Dragonair's elegant, sleek form before smiling.

"It seems I underestimated you!"

Against a Dragonair of this caliber, her Tangela was at a disadvantage. But the battle had to proceed.

If she kept her previous mindset, she'd lose miserably.

Erika resolved to bring her true skill to the field.

"Tangela! Time to get serious! Use Vine Whip!"

Tangela nodded in response, its blue, vine-covered body launching forward with two thick vines outstretched.

Swish!

Two blue vines cracked through the air, reaching straight for the coiled Dragonair.

---

Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!

Posture and water check! Remember this is a fan translation!

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