When one question spreads, everyone wants an answer.
[Does anyone get this?! I just got my starter, challenged a Gym, and got completely wrecked by Sabrina using a whole squad of Tyrogue!]
[My childhood is over… Sabrina switched to Fighting-types?!]
[Ryan Drake is live! We want answers!]
The comments were flooding in—demanding an explanation.
Ryan Drake put away his phone and pushed the door open.
"Leader! You're finally back!"
With teary eyes, Mia Bennett rushed forward and practically threw herself at him. She pointed accusingly at the woman sitting on the sofa.
"That woman showed up early this morning and said she's the Gym Leader today! Made me assist her and said if I had a problem, I should ask you! Leader, you have to explain this!"
"Ahem… let's not focus on that for now."
Ryan Drake scratched his cheek, gently freeing himself before walking over.
"Miss Sabrina, about how many challengers did you face this morning?"
"…."
Sabrina said nothing.
She raised a single finger.
Ryan Drake raised a brow. "Ten?"
"…Constantly."
"…What?!"
He sucked in a sharp breath.
Out of the corner of his eye—
He saw them.
Several Pokémon collapsed nearby.
"Abi…"
A Hitmonchan leaned against the wall, breathing heavily.
Beside it sat Hitmonlee and Hitmontop—both equally exhausted.
"You really pushed them to their limits."
Ryan Drake crouched down.
But when he saw the satisfaction in their eyes—
He relaxed.
They had chosen this.
"They're all excellent prospects," Sabrina said as she floated closer, her tone calm. "With proper training, in two or three months, they'll reach standard Gym-level strength."
Ryan Drake shook his head slightly.
"I think one month is enough."
"…."
Sabrina didn't argue.
She simply looked at him—long and deep.
"Now that you're back, I'll leave the challengers to you."
With that, she vanished.
Teleport.
"Phew…"
Mia Bennett let out a long breath, then grabbed Ryan Drake by the collar again, teeth clenched.
"You've only been a Gym Leader for a few days and you're already letting another woman act as deputy?! Give it a month and what—she takes over completely?!"
"That's not fair," Ryan Drake laughed awkwardly. "It was a special situation."
He pointed toward the kitchen.
"This morning I realized someone broke in, so I went out to catch the thief."
"…Oh?"
Her grip loosened slightly.
"So what happened to the thief?"
Ryan Drake smirked.
Without a word—
Three Poké Balls popped open.
Red.
Green.
Blue.
Three different Pokémon appeared.
At first glance, they almost looked like a starter trio.
"Heh. Caught them all and brought them back."
He lifted his chin proudly.
"Wait—Torchic, Shroomish, and Riolu?!"
Mia Bennett was stunned.
One trip outside—
And he came back with three high-potential Pokémon.
All of them had Fighting-type evolution paths.
All of them—
Perfect for the dojo.
Compared to that…
Most Fighting-types in Kanto felt like they existed just to fill a Pokédex.
"Alright, enough excitement," Ryan Drake stretched and yawned. "We've got a stream this afternoon."
He headed toward the rest area.
—
"Sabrina? Why are you here? Your room is next door."
The moment he walked in, he saw her—just removing her shoes.
She turned, long hair resting over one shoulder.
"So. Have you decided about Saturday?"
"Of course I'm going," Ryan Drake replied immediately. "I need the S.S. Anne to get to Galar anyway. Plus, it's reimbursed. Might as well earn some merit."
He looked like he was about to pull out a full budget breakdown.
"Today is Wednesday," Sabrina said calmly. "Excluding the day itself, you have two and a half days."
She looked at him directly.
"Do you think you can improve enough to survive against a Team Rocket executive?"
"…Yeah. I think I can."
Ryan Drake glanced at his system interface.
[Beginner Gym Leader Phase — Rapid Growth Active]
He answered without hesitation.
"…."
For the first time—
Sabrina's expression shifted slightly.
A trace of doubt.
She studied him carefully.
Then—
She handed him a doll.
"…Use this as rent for the next few days."
"A doll?"
Ryan Drake examined it.
It looked like a normal toy—shaped like a little girl.
Nothing unusual…
Except—
The eyes.
Something about them felt… off.
A chill ran down his spine.
But when he looked up and met Sabrina's calm gaze—
He forced a smile and hugged it lightly.
"…It's cute. Haha."
"I'm going back to my room."
She vanished again.
Inside her room—
Sabrina touched her cheek.
At some point, a faint blush had appeared.
—
2 PM.
After lunch.
Ryan Drake adjusted the stream setup and went live.
Title:
[New Gym Leader — Day 2 Battles]
Tags:
[Amateur][No Script]
Classic attention-grabbing tags.
The moment the stream started—
Viewers flooded in.
[Random viewer: What's your relationship with Sabrina?]
"Me and Sabrina? Just landlord and tenant," Ryan Drake replied casually.
[Member: Any recommended Fighting-type Pokémon for beginners?]
"Ah, thanks to 'New Trainer' for the membership."
"If you're just starting out, I personally recommend Torchic as a starter. Trainers raising one—keep an eye on this stream."
"Of course, many regional starters have Fighting-type potential. They're all strong if trained well."
Balanced.
No bias.
Because—
Any Pokémon could become strong.
"Ralts."
(But choosing Ralts is a great option too!)
Ralts suddenly popped into frame, waving.
Instant attention.
[Wait… is this a Hoenn Gym Leader or something? Why does he have a Psychic/Fairy-type Ralts?!]
"Picked it up from a friend," Ryan Drake said, casually rubbing its head. "Just luck."
Then—
Another message appeared.
[Hello streamer, I'm from Alola. How can I build a good relationship with my Pokémon?]
Ryan Drake paused.
Then smiled slightly.
"That's actually simple."
Want to read ahead?
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