Most Pokémon Gyms are located in the very center of their cities, and Mauville Gym is no exception.
This Gym specializes in Electric-type Pokémon.
From the Gym Leader to the apprentices, every trainer here focuses on Electric types.
From afar, the Mauville Gym looks less like a traditional arena and more like a massive power plant.
The entire building is painted in a brilliant golden color.
On the roof stand three enormous antenna towers, shaped like bolts of lightning, resembling the attack Thunderbolt itself.
The design makes the Gym look extremely magnificent.
.....
Mauville's Central District
A small plaza lies in front of the Gym.
This isn't because the Gym itself demands such prestige.
Rather, most of the city's major government facilities are built nearby.
For example, Hoenn's only television station, Mauville TV Station stands right next to the Gym.
Many office workers in suits carrying briefcases pass by every day.
Most of them are employees of the TV station. Others wear clothing decorated with lightning patterns.
Those are usually Gym staff or apprentices.
....
Entering the Gym
"Beep~ Welcome to Mauville Gym!"
As soon as Silas approached the automatic door, a mechanical greeting sounded.
A young receptionist immediately jogged over with a sweet smile.
"How may I help you?"
"I'm here to register for a Gym Challenge."
Silas handed over his League Trainer ID card for registration.
The receptionist's attitude became noticeably more respectful after seeing it.
"Of course, Trainer. Please take a seat. I'll arrange your battle shortly."
Although she likely got this front desk job through connections, she certainly didn't want to offend a registered trainer.
....
Casual Conversation
Silas leaned against the counter and chatted casually.
"You seemed surprised when I said I came to challenge the Gym."
The receptionist smiled politely while working at the computer.
"I thought you were here to tour the Gym or apply as an apprentice."
Silas nodded thoughtfully while observing the interior decoration.
Many historic Gyms become tourist attractions.Some even offer paid tours.
Selling tickets and souvenirs alone can generate large profits. Most Gyms avoid doing this to maintain their reputation.
Yet Mauville Gym openly allowed visitors.
Strangely, judging from the luxurious interior design, the Gym didn't look short on money.
Silas thought to himself.
Could it be because of the Gym Leader…?
Wattson
Even if Wattson needed funding, opening the Gym for tourism still felt odd.
After all, Gym Leaders hold absolute authority over their Gyms. Some Gyms are controlled by powerful families that maintain leadership for generations.
Even though the Pokémon League oversees all Gyms, their authority is mostly limited to:
evaluation
supervision
suggestions
The choice of the next Gym Leader ultimately belongs to the current one.
Sometimes Gyms are passed down directly within families.
For example:
Fuchsia Gym, once run by Koga
Lavaridge Gym, which Silas had challenged before
...
Gym Challenge Registration
Soon the receptionist spoke again.
"Your Gym Challenge has been registered."
"The battle will begin in about two hours."
"Which battle mode would you like to choose?"
Every Gym had its own challenge system.
For example, at Lavaridge Gym, challengers who paid the minimum fee had to defeat three apprentices before facing the Gym Leader.
Silas walked over and examined the screen.
More than a dozen battle modes were listed.
There were:
official battles
practice battles
entertainment matches
The options were surprisingly diverse.
Of course, the fees were not cheap.
Even the most basic 1-on-1 apprentice battle required a 1,000 PokéDollar registration fee. Winning such a match would only earn a souvenir, not a badge.
To challenge for a Gym Badge, the battle had to be at least 3-on-3.
.....
Recommended Challenge Modes
The receptionist smiled.
"We recommend Hard Mode or Elite Mode."
She explained the rules.
Hard Mode
Fee: 200,000 PokéDollars
Opponent: Senior Gym apprentice
Reward if victorious:
Dynamo Badge
standard TM
Elite Mode
Fee: 500,000 PokéDollars
Opponent: Wattson's personal disciple
Small chance that Wattson himself appears
Rewards:
Dynamo Badge
rare TM
The receptionist looked expectantly at Silas.
She earned a 1% commission for every Gym challenge she arranged.
With multiple challengers every day, the commission income could easily exceed her salary.
.....
Silas's Choice
Silas frowned.
Is Mauville Gym really that desperate for money?
He asked about the difference between the TMs.
Standard TM examples
Electro Ball
Thunder Shock
Spark
Nuzzle
Rare TM examples
Thunder Punch
Thunder Fang
Volt Switch
occasionally Thunderbolt
After thinking for a moment, Silas chose:
Hard Mode.
Not because he couldn't afford Elite Mode.He still had over 2 million PokéDollars saved. The problem was cost efficiency.
Paying 500,000 PokéDollars just for a chance to battle a disciple was risky.
Even if he won and got Thunderbolt, the TM was only worth about 300,000–400,000 PokéDollars on the black market.
As for the chance to battle Wattson personally ,According to online information, no challenger had seen Wattson appear in a Gym battle for over a year.
.....
Waiting Time
All battle arenas were currently occupied.
The queue was nearly two hours long.
Silas decided not to waste time waiting.Instead, he explored the Gym. He visited several scenic spots and even bought some small souvenirs But the place that truly caught his attention was the breeding center.
He hadn't expected the Gym to operate one.
On the display screen were Electric-type Pokémon eggs and hatchlings for sale.
Silas muttered to himself.
"Why does Mauville Gym look so desperate for money?"
"Could it be because the New Mauville Power Plant project started again?"
He couldn't figure it out. Still, one Pokémon caught his eye.
An Elekid.
Its final evolution, Electivire, had one of the highest known base stat totals among Electric types.
540 base stats.
Even higher than most starter Pokémon.
The only drawback was that its second evolution required a special item:
Electirizer.
(Note: Mega Evolutions, Legendary Pokémon, and Mythical Pokémon excluded.)
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(End of chapter)