The next morning, David woke early at the hotel and began his preparations.
He put on the baseball cap he'd customized—styled after Ash's XY design—and checked his Mega Glove. The Key Stone he'd obtained at the very beginning of his journey was already set into its exterior.
"What a shame. If only I had a suitable Mega Stone to go with it," David sighed.
Among his Pokémon, both Kirlia and Riolu possessed Mega Evolution forms after their final evolutions. Throughout the entire semester, he'd searched for any leads on Mega Stones, but unfortunately, he didn't know if they simply hadn't been discovered in this world yet or if information about them was too closely guarded. Either way, his search had turned up empty.
"I guess I'll have to ask my parents about it. I was hoping to find a Mega Stone on my own first, then surprise them with a Mega Gardevoir or Mega Lucario. That would've been quite the shock."
After washing up, David had a simple local breakfast at the hotel before heading out to his destination.
The spicy tofu pudding had been surprisingly delicious, though eating something so bold first thing in the morning felt a bit heavy. To cleanse his palate, David ordered a cup of sweet soy milk afterward.
Upon leaving the hotel, David stuck to his usual preference and hailed a Corviknight Taxi.
Speaking of Corviknight Taxis, aside from being slightly more expensive, they had virtually no downsides—stable flight and impressive speed made them ideal for travel. The only reason this mode of transportation hadn't become more widespread was the limited number of Corviknight available. Otherwise, David suspected everyone would be taking flying taxis by now.
Before long, a striking crimson building came into view, and David knew he'd reached his destination for the day.
He used his phone to pay the fare and tipped the Corviknight generously. After the Flying-type departed, David turned to study the building before him.
The entirely flame-red exterior walls gave off the feeling of standing in the heat of midsummer, and the massive structure seemed to silently announce that this Gym was no ordinary establishment.
This was David's destination—Treasure City's First-level Gym of the Cloudspire Alliance, the Blazing Gym.
Cloudspire Alliance's official Gyms could be established as long as the Gym Leader's strength met the required standard and they passed a simple review process. The requirements were fairly straightforward.
However, official accreditation involved an exceptionally complex and rigorous review system.
Of course, with greater risk came greater reward.
Once a Gym achieved official status, the Gym Leader assumed the obligation of protecting their city's safety. In return, the Alliance provided financial subsidies based on the city's tax revenue and headquarters allocations.
Official Gyms were divided into four tiers, from highest to lowest: Special, First-level, Second-level, and Third-level.
Among these, Special Gyms held a unique position. The entire Alliance maintained only eight fixed Special Gym slots, representing the Cloudspire Alliance's prominence on the world stage.
Selection for Special Gym status wasn't permanent but was chosen from among the various First-level Gyms. The method was straightforward: the strong rise, the weak fall.
Therefore, achieving Special Gym status required exceptionally high standards—both in terms of the Gym Leader's personal strength and the Gym's overall capabilities.
Every three years, during the Cloudspire Alliance Gym Ranking Tournament, numerous First-level Gyms fought desperately for the chance to ascend. The competition was extraordinarily fierce.
In other words, these eight Special Gyms represented the eight strongest Gyms in the entire Cloudspire Alliance.
Incidentally, David's family Gym—the Ascending Dragon Gym—was one of these Special Gyms. Since the establishment of the eight Special Gym system, it had never fallen from the Special tier.
Beyond the Special Gyms, the number of First, Second, and Third-level Gyms wasn't restricted. The differences between them came down to the Gym Leader's strength and the overall scale of the facility.
For example, David's opponent during the Novice Cup—Layla, if he remembered correctly—her Noven family controlled the Snow Peak Gym in Ice City, which was also a First-level Gym.
While First, Second, and Third-level Gyms didn't face the intense competition that Special Gyms endured, the Alliance still conducted regular assessments. Gyms that failed to meet standards faced penalties ranging from demotion to complete revocation of their official status.
"Hello, my name is David. I made a reservation for a Gym challenge yesterday. My challenge number is 0046," David said as he approached the front desk.
He'd already booked his appointment through the Blazing Gym's official website the previous day, so there was no need to queue for a number.
"Hello, let me verify that for you... Yes, I have it here. You're Trainer David, correct?"
"That's right."
"Your appointment information has been confirmed. Please proceed to Battle Arena 6 in Building 1. Your battle is scheduled to begin in approximately fifteen minutes."
"Thank you."
With that, David headed directly toward Arena Six.
Along the way, David noticed that the top of Building 1 within the Gym complex was designed to resemble a hot pot, and a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead.
"Well... it's certainly distinctive," he muttered.
He recalled seeing a news article on a forum before coming to Sol Province—apparently, the province's largest hot pot chain brand was actually an enterprise operated by the Blazing Gym. In that context, the architectural choice made perfect sense.
Gyms running businesses was quite normal, actually. The Alliance offered various subsidies and tax exemptions for enterprises operated by Gym Leaders. For many Third-level Gyms in smaller cities where tax subsidies were insufficient, business ventures often became the primary source of operating funds.
David's own family operated numerous enterprises affiliated with their Gym as well.
In the White Eagle Alliance, powerful Trainers simply formed large corporations and financial conglomerates as their power base. In the Europa Alliance, many smaller member regions bestowed noble titles upon powerful Trainers, granting them privileges corresponding to their rank.
Each region had its own approach to these matters.
Soon enough, David arrived at Battle Arena Six.
Though it wasn't the central main arena, the space was still substantial. The surrounding stands could easily accommodate several thousand spectators.
At this hour, a considerable crowd had already gathered in the stands around the battle arena.
This wasn't surprising—David had booked an Intermediate Challenge, which consisted of a Professional-level 3v3 battle. In terms of quality, it far exceeded the standard fare at Battle Centers or typical small-scale competitions, so naturally it attracted an audience.
Gym challenge battles were open to the public except under special circumstances, and ticket revenue from spectators represented an important funding source for Gyms.
"He's so young?"
"What's going on here...?"
"Seriously? Is this another prodigy from somewhere?"
Seeing David's youthful appearance, murmurs rippled through the audience in the stands. Clearly, his age had raised doubts among the spectators.
An Intermediate Challenge at a First-level Gym meant facing a Professional-level Trainer in battle. Could someone so young really handle that level of competition?
However, the whispers around him didn't faze David in the slightest. He stood quietly at his position on the edge of the arena, waiting for the battle to commence.
A moment later, a figure entered from the opposite side of the battle arena.
She appeared to be around twenty years old, with long hair dyed and permed into cascading wine-red waves that fell loosely behind her shoulders. A deep crimson Gym uniform accentuated her already slender figure, making her appear even taller and more elegant.
This was David's opponent for today's challenge.