The internal structure of the Lavaridge Gym was far more complex than Ariel had imagined.
As soon as he stepped inside, a blast of scorching steam hit him in the face, instantly shrouding everything in sight in a thick white mist.
Visibility was less than half a meter, and the "hissing" sound of gushing steam filled his ears, making him feel as if he were in a giant sauna.
"Sorry, sorry! This is to simulate a volcanic environment for the convenience of training Fire-type pokémon."
Flannery's crisp voice rang out through the mist, tinged with a hint of embarrassment.
She walked skillfully toward the wall and groped for a switch.
"Click."
Accompanied by the soft sound of mechanical operation, the surrounding steam vents shut off instantly. A powerful ventilation system kicked in, quickly sucking away the thick steam and finally revealing the interior of the Gym clearly to Ariel.
The entire Gym was constructed from massive blocks of black volcanic rock, looking rugged and sturdy.
The floor was polished smooth, but at the edges, one could still see the unrefined, jagged corners of the rocks.
Several magma-colored patterns crisscrossed the floor, radiating a faint heat that kept the temperature inside significantly higher than outside.
"This way."
Flannery led the way with light steps.
Ariel followed behind, his eyes scanning the surroundings.
He noticed that the walls of the Gym were not bare; one wall had been specifically set aside as a wall of honor.
The wall was made of smooth mahogany panels, polished to a high shine.
It was covered with various trophies, medals, and slightly yellowed old photographs. A sense of history washed over him, silently narrating the glorious past of this Gym.
Ariel's pace slowed down involuntarily as his gaze was drawn to a group photo in the very center.
The photo featured two high-spirited middle-aged men.
The man on the left was burly with a hearty smile. Standing beside him was a massive Typhlosion; even in the black-and-white photo, the flames burning around its neck looked incredibly oppressive.
The man on the right appeared more steady and reserved. Beside him was a majestic Salamence!
Those ferocious blood-red wings and the smooth, powerful lines of its body all displayed its strength as a Pseudo-legendary Pokémon!
Ariel's pupils constricted slightly.
Salamence—that was the Pseudo-legendary Pokémon of the Hoenn region, a symbol of power and status. To have a Salamence as a main partner, this man's identity was definitely not simple.
"This photo is quite eye-catching, isn't it?"
Flannery noticed Ariel's gaze and introduced with a smile,
"The one on the left is my grandfather, Moore. The one on the right is our Hoenn region's current Dragon-type Elite, Mr. Drake."
Drake!
A wave of shock surged through Ariel's heart.
He naturally knew who Drake was—one of the Hoenn Elite Four, a top-tier powerhouse specializing in Dragon-types!
To be an old acquaintance of Elite Drake, and looking at their close posture in the photo, their relationship was clearly extraordinary.
Ariel had originally thought Moore was just an expert living in seclusion in a small town. Now it seemed the old man's background was likely much greater than he had imagined!
"My grandfather's name is Moore. He was also one of the Elite Four before, you know—the previous Fire-type Elite."
Flannery seemed to enjoy seeing the shocked expressions of others, so she dropped another bombshell.
Boom!
Ariel's head buzzed as if he had been struck by a bolt of lightning.
Former... Fire-type Elite?!
He snapped his head around to re-examine the old man walking at the very back with his hands behind his back, looking completely relaxed.
The Elite Four!
Those were beings standing at the peak of a region's Trainer pyramid, the core of power second only to the League Champion!
This old man, who looked incredibly stern and had been doubting him the whole way, was actually a former Fire-type Elite?
Ariel's mouth hung open slightly; for a moment, he didn't know what expression to make. This was too much information to process; he needed to digest it.
Noticing Ariel's expression, which looked like he was choking on something, a perfectly timed glint of pride flashed in Moore's cloudy eyes. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly and he lifted his chin, looking as if to say, 'Kid, now you know how powerful I am.'
Ariel's lips twitched, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
To him, this was both good news and bad news.
The good news was that he had somehow made the acquaintance of a veteran Elite. This kind of connection and resource couldn't be bought with any amount of money.
The bad news was, how sharp must the eyes of a former Elite be?
This veteran Elite was still suspicious of his identity.
The weight of a former Elite's suspicion was far heavier than that of an ordinary Gym Leader.
"This one, this one is from when I was young."
Moore seemed to be enjoying Ariel's shock. He stepped forward and pointed at another photo, introducing it himself.
The background of this photo was a lush forest, and it was also a photo of two men.
Moore in the photo was much younger, with short hair, high spirits, and a sharp edge.
The person beside him was wearing a martial arts outfit and smiling gently and elegantly.
Ariel looked at the familiar face and asked tentatively, "Is this... Professor Oak?"
"Oh? You recognize him?"
Moore was a bit surprised, then nodded.
"That's right, it's that Samuel Oak who's on TV every day doing pokémon lectures. I met him when I was traveling in the Kanto region back then. In those days, he wasn't some professor, but an outrageously strong Trainer."
Ariel marveled in his heart once again.
Good grief, this network of connections reached directly across regions to Kanto.
This old gentleman was quite the legendary figure in his youth.
Moreover, a section of this wall of honor was deliberately left empty.
According to Flannery, that was reserved for her in the future.
After touring the wall of honor, Flannery took Ariel to the guest room prepared for him.
"You rest here for a bit. I'll come call you at dinner time," Flannery said, then turned and left.
Only Ariel and Moore remained in the room.
The atmosphere became somewhat stagnant for a moment.
Ariel didn't take the initiative to speak; he knew the real show was about to begin.
Moore paced to the window, looking out at the mist swirling around Mt. Chimney. His aged voice slowly rose, breaking the silence.
"That Weavile of yours is very well-trained."
"Defeating my Houndoom despite the type disadvantage, even with a level advantage, is enough to prove you're an excellent Trainer."
Ariel still didn't respond, just standing quietly in place, his gaze calmly fixed on the old man's back.
He knew this was all just a prelude.
The old man didn't seem to mind his silence. He turned around on his own, his cloudy eyes becoming incredibly clear at some point.
"But, young man, this world is far more dangerous than you imagine."
As soon as he finished speaking, the temperature in the room seemed to drop a few degrees.
"I wasn't joking with you about Team Rockets."
Moore's gaze suddenly became sharp. It was the sharp edge of someone who had long held a high position and possessed insight into the world. There was no longer any trace of cloudiness or laziness, as if he could completely Detect a person's soul.