"Oh, Trainers from the Kanto region—hello. I'm Norman, Max's father."
"And I'm Caroline, his mother."
"And me! I'm his sister, May."
As they introduced themselves, Max's eyes lit up when he heard Ash and the others talking about the Battle Tower.
"The Battle Tower?! Dad, are there a lot of strong Trainers there? I want to go too!"
Originally, visiting the Battle Tower wasn't part of Norman's plan. But seeing his son so excited, he couldn't bring himself to refuse.
"…Alright. Let's go take a look with Ash and the others."
"That's great, Dad!!!"
---
Battle Tower – Advanced Area
After entering the Battle Tower, Sam quickly noticed something strange.
There were far fewer Trainers in the beginner area than usual. Only a handful of battles were taking place.
He frowned slightly, but didn't dwell on it.
Passing through the lower area, he headed straight for the advanced battle zone.
After achieving 35 consecutive wins, he was now qualified to challenge stronger opponents.
As the elevator doors opened, Sam felt a flicker of excitement.
Since Charizard had broken through to the Elite level, their bond had grown noticeably stronger.
He could feel it—
They were only one step away from Mega Evolution.
"This is the advanced battle area…"
A faint smile appeared on his face.
But before he could enter—
Cheers erupted from inside.
Curious, Sam followed the noise.
Just like the beginner area, there weren't many Trainers actively battling. Instead, a crowd had gathered around a single arena.
That alone told him something important—
The Trainers fighting inside weren't ordinary.
Sam stepped closer.
Then froze.
"…Ash?!"
"And… Norman?!"
For a moment, even Sam was stunned.
Seeing Ash wasn't that surprising.
But something else had been bothering him lately—a constant, uneasy feeling.
A thought crossed his mind.
Could Rayquaza be coming?
He rubbed his temples, forcing himself to calm down.
That was just speculation.
The Deoxys core in his bag hadn't reacted at all. If Rayquaza were approaching, Deoxys wouldn't stay silent.
Suppressing his thoughts, Sam focused on the battle.
---
Ash vs Norman
Despite the crowd, the Pokémon on the field weren't overwhelmingly powerful.
This kind of match wasn't rare in the advanced area.
Most likely—
Everyone was here because of Norman's reputation.
Ash's Pokémon was Pikachu.
After his training in the Orange Islands, Pikachu had improved significantly, now reaching mid Gym-level strength.
Norman's choice was Vigoroth—perfectly matched in level.
Pokémon: Vigoroth
Type: Normal
Strength: Mid Gym-level
Potential: Elite
Vigoroth was a peculiar Pokémon.
Unlike its pre-evolution or its evolved form, Slaking, Vigoroth was constantly active—restless, energetic, and impossible to calm down.
---
The battle was already nearing its end.
Although Pikachu had grown stronger, it struggled against Vigoroth.
Normally, Pikachu's speed was its greatest advantage.
But here—
That advantage was almost meaningless.
Vigoroth was just as fast.
Ash's strategy of winning through speed quickly fell apart.
"Vigoroth—finish it with Fury Swipes," Norman said calmly.
Pikachu was already exhausted.
Attacks it could have dodged earlier were now unavoidable.
Slash after slash landed.
Pikachu collapsed.
It had lost the ability to battle.
---
Sam Steps In
Watching the match, Sam's fighting spirit ignited.
He pushed through the crowd and stepped onto the arena.
"Mr. Norman—would you battle me as well?"
Norman paused, slightly surprised.
Sam continued calmly,
"I'm the Gym Leader of the Viridian Gym—Sam."
To secure the match, he didn't bother hiding his identity.
Before Norman could respond—
"Aren't you—Sam?!"
Ash, Misty, and Brock all spoke at once, shocked.
Sam smiled.
"I should be asking you that."
After a brief exchange, everyone understood the situation.
Norman looked at Sam thoughtfully.
"If I remember correctly… the Viridian Gym Leader should be Giovanni."
He spoke with clear respect.
Sam shrugged lightly.
"Maybe he realized he wasn't good enough—and stepped aside for someone more capable."
He didn't bother sugarcoating it.
Norman caught the tension between them but didn't press further.
Instead, he smiled.
"…Very well. I accept your challenge."
As the Gym Leader of Petalburg City, Norman understood the League's rules.
If Sam had taken over Viridian Gym—
Then his strength was beyond question.
---
Audience Reactions
Off to the side, Max whispered excitedly,
"That big brother is a Gym Leader too! But Dad will definitely win! The Petalburg Gym is the strongest Gym in Hoenn!"
His words weren't unreasonable.
Many Trainers nearby nodded.
Even without official rankings—
Norman's reputation spoke for itself.
He was often regarded as someone on par with the Elite Four.
---
And now—
Two powerful Gym Leaders stood facing each other.
The atmosphere tightened.
A true battle… was about to begin.
---------------Author---------------
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