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"Community College?"
Jack was slightly taken aback. In his opinion, a trainer who could casually take out a Leaf Stone and a 3-star Teddiursa for a trade, and still be so young, was likely a top student from a prestigious university. A capable individual, he thought.
Unexpectedly, this Chris turned out to be a grassroots Trainer, but Jack didn't look down on him at all. After all, among the Elite Four, the member proficient in Grass-type Pokémon had already achieved extraordinary success.
It was proof enough of what heights a grassroots Trainer could reach.
After exchanging contact information, a few conversations, and their earlier business interaction, the two started to develop a better rapport.
"By the way, brother, have you challenged the Pokémon Gym in North?" Jack suddenly asked.
Chris was a little surprised. "Pokémon Gym? Is there a Pokémon Gym in North?"
"Of course there is. The only Pokémon Gym in North, Mountain Gym, is located in the Fox District. Brother, are you a local?"
Chris felt a bit embarrassed. For three years before becoming a Trainer, he had worked hard every day. In his spare time, he focused on planning his Trainer path and following national Pokémon news. He didn't know much about local happenings.
Pokémon Gyms are organizations authorized by the country to select excellent Trainers to participate in the National Pokémon Contest. Unlike the Pokémon Alliance, which is a global organization, each country's Pokémon Gyms are part of its national strength.
The National Pokémon Contest is held every four years.
The only requirement for entry is to collect eight different Gym Badges. Anyone under 30 can sign up for the competition.
The competition location is announced a year in advance, making it a highly prestigious event. The next contest is three years away.
The top three winners receive generous prizes.
The third runner-up of the last National Pokémon Contest was from Heavenly Province, a Trainer from Heavenly University.
The prize for third place was a 5-star Murkrow, along with a Dusk Stone for evolution.
It was said that the third-place Trainer had commanded a powerful Honchkrow three years ago during the Tentacruel attack in the coastal region, earning recognition for their efforts.
Additionally, with the National Pokémon Contest's popularity, Trainers who perform well often become targets for sponsorships and recruitment by major organizations.
For Trainers aiming for greater heights, the Global Pokémon Contest is a crucial step. And to get there, passing through the Pokémon Gyms scattered across the country is essential.
In Chris's country, the Pokémon Gym system allows only one Gym per district. The application is simple: a Trainer needs a Pokémon at Gym level—level 60 or higher.
If a Gym already exists in a district, establishing a new one requires a Gym Battle. A 6v6 all-out Pokémon battle is held under the supervision of a notary.
The winner claims the title, and the loser must concede.
For example, to set up a Gym in Fox District, where the Mountain Gym is already established, the challenger must defeat the current Gym Leader.
If the challenger wins, the Mountain Gym would shut down, making way for the new Gym.
If the Mountain Gym prevails, the challenger must pay a hefty challenge fee.
This system ensures that only serious contenders challenge Gym Leaders, as the challenge fee is often an important revenue source for the Gyms.
For the sake of earning a Badge, Normal challenges in Gyms are offered for free. Each Gym's annual number of challengers and its success rate are crucial efficiency metrics. Naturally, the more challengers, the better, and the lower the success rate, the more prestigious the Gym appears.
While owning a Gym-level Pokémon qualifies a Trainer to apply for a Gym, most Gym challengers are young Trainers under 30. As such, Gyms cannot always send their main Pokémon to battle these challengers. Clear rules regulate which Pokémon participate in battles.
First: Challengers must possess at least three Pokémon, and the battle rules are determined by the Gym. The Pokémon they use must be at least level 20.
Second: The Pokémon selected by the Gym cannot be more than three levels lower or five levels higher than the challenger's Pokémon.
For example, if the challenger uses a level 25 Pokémon, the Gym must use Pokémon between levels 22 and 30. If the challenger's Pokémon are just at the minimum level of 20, the Gym may send Pokémon above that level but not below it.
However, since the level range of challengers' Pokémon can vary widely, it is difficult for most Gyms to maintain enough Pokémon at every appropriate level. Only the top-tier Gyms in the country can sustain such resources.
To address this, standard Gyms use Pokémon transmission devices to borrow Pokémon from the Pokémon Alliance for battles. These borrowed Pokémon are not part of the Gym's roster but will obey the Gym's commands during challenges.
Even so, challengers rarely have an advantage against experienced Gym Trainers, and most battles remain a tough test. Furthermore, Gyms avoid going easy on challengers. A Gym Badge that is too easily won reflects poorly on the Gym's reputation.
Jack originally planned to rest in North for a while, go on a journey to capture more Pokémon, and then travel to a city with Gyms to start his challenges.
There are dozens, perhaps hundreds, of Gyms across the country, but only eight Badges are required to enter the national competition. This makes it unnecessary to visit distant Gyms for challenges.
Now that he learned there was a Pokémon Gym in North, his plans had to be adjusted.
"Mountain Gym?" Jack confirmed with Chris.
"Yeah, it's right by the Boundless River. They specialize in Water- and Ground-type Pokémon," Chris replied.