Chapter Forty-Four: Showdown at the Hotel

After effortlessly defeating the young trainer, Zhao Fang offered some words of comfort, seeing how much the opponent cared for his Pokémon.

He soon set out once more on his journey. The battle had given Zhao Fang a clearer sense of his own strength. In his estimation, facing trainers who had just started out like himself, as long as their Pokémon weren’t well raised or particularly strong, he could handle them with ease. But against powerful trainers, he still had a long road ahead.

“Magikarp, would you like to go down and take a look?” As Zhao Fang passed by a lakeside, the idea suddenly struck him. He released Magikarp and posed the question.

It was rumored that a red Gyarados had been sighted in this lake. Although it wasn’t the famed Lake of Rage, if a Gyarados were truly here, letting Magikarp experience it might prompt its evolution. If Magikarp evolved, Zhao Fang would have much more confidence in challenging the Rock-type gym.

Magikarp flicked its tail twice. After spending time with it, Zhao Fang had come to understand his Pokémon a bit. Magikarp might be simple-minded, but it could express its feelings. The gesture seemed to indicate a desire to go down and explore.

“Alright, go ahead, but if anything happens, come right back up.” Zhao Fang wasn’t worried about Magikarp running into a Gyarados, but rather feared it might be attacked by other wild Pokémon. Some carnivorous Pokémon preyed on Magikarp—though only if nothing else was available.

After all, nobody really wanted to eat a Magikarp with more bones than flesh.

Zhao Fang waited on the bridge for a while until Magikarp popped back up. He promptly returned it to its Pokéball. Judging by Magikarp’s demeanor, it hadn’t gained anything from this dip. The red Gyarados had not appeared despite the crowds searching for it, so it was likely just a legend. Zhao Fang even suspected someone had once seen a Gyarados with a red plastic bag stuck to its head, mistaking it for the fabled creature.

Seeing that Magikarp had found nothing, Zhao Fang lost interest in lingering and strode quickly towards Kanaz City. Fortunately, the vast waters were traversable thanks to the bridge, though the crowds were thick. By the time Zhao Fang pushed through the throng and arrived in Kanaz City, the sky was already darkening.

“Hah... The Rock-type gym, huh?” Zhao Fang gazed at the brightly lit Rock-type gym in the distance, exhaling deeply.

From the start of his journey with Magikarp, capturing Dragomecia, outwitting Roger, and confronting the criminal elements of the gamble, Zhao Fang had finally reached his first small goal: the Rock-type gym.

The gym was led by Camellia, a fact Zhao Fang had confirmed. However, he understood well that with no badges to his name, his challenge would likely be against ordinary gym apprentices. Camellia only faced trainers of notable strength or those who had already collected other badges.

Not every young trainer began their journey in White Town and first challenged the Rock-type gym. Zhao Fang knew that trainers from Greenridge City typically went for the Psychic-type gym first, though they too only faced apprentices. This was the flexibility policy set by the League.

The Normal-type gym was the exception. The Gym Leader, Norman, seemed oblivious to the concept of flexibility, routinely defeating underprepared trainers to the point of existential doubt. For this, Zhao Fang’s father had often remarked about Norman’s house being frequented by League inspectors.

Never underestimate Slaking. Despite its lazy nature, its base stats reached an impressive 670, making it formidable. In pure numbers, even pseudo-legendaries had to step aside.

Zhao Fang had no particular opinion on Norman. Because Norman refused to ease up, the League advised trainers to only challenge him once they had four or more badges. Even the League was helpless when it came to Norman.

Upon entering Kanaz City, Zhao Fang noticed something: it was even larger than Orange Blossom City. After all, it was home to the biggest company in the Hoenn region, Devon Corporation—a high-tech enterprise.

The son of Devon’s president was none other than the current champion of Hoenn, Steven.

Steven had not yet stepped down to pass the title to his friend, Wallace. When Zhao Fang set out from White Town, he had once encountered Mr. Steven. The calm Metagross by his side had exerted tremendous pressure on Zhao Fang.

But all that was far from Zhao Fang’s current reality. After arriving in Kanaz City, he first went to the Pokémon Center to heal Magikarp and Dragomecia. Nurse Joy was surprised to see Dragomecia but completed the treatment without comment.

Next, Zhao Fang intended to find a hotel. But he soon discovered a problem: perhaps due to rumors of the red Gyarados, the hotels were packed. Even offering double rates, he couldn't find a vacancy.

“I’m starting to suspect the hotel owners spread this rumor themselves,” Zhao Fang thought, rolling his eyes inwardly. With no other options, he bought Pokémon food and prepared to camp outdoors.

Just as Zhao Fang was about to head out to camp, he spotted a very upscale hotel with a sign at the entrance.

“A battle hotel? You earn rooms by winning Pokémon battles?” Zhao Fang glanced at the sign, which was detailed. If you were strong enough, you could even stay in the luxurious Champion Suite.

He pondered for a moment, then entered the battle hotel, wanting to see what kinds of rooms—and what sort of trainers—were inside.

The lobby was filled with trainers, each gathered around various machines. Zhao Fang found a spot with fewer people and queued up. After a short wait, it was his turn.

The machine resembled an ATM from his previous life, but it displayed room numbers and information about the trainers currently staying. Challengers could pick a green room to challenge; red rooms were off-limits.

Zhao Fang saw that the Champion Suite was occupied by a trainer with seven badges, whose main Pokémon was Swampert, along with a Sceptile—the rest were hidden. There was a challenger, but that wasn’t Zhao Fang’s aim. He was looking for trainers with no badges.

Those trainers stayed in very ordinary single rooms. Zhao Fang selected one whose main Pokémon was Onix.

He wanted to get an early feel for the defensive power of Rock-type Pokémon.