A month had passed since Zen had officially become a Basic Rank Pokémon Ranger. His routine of patrolling, training, and completing missions continued, and with each passing day, both Ledyba and Kakuna grew stronger but still no sign to evolve.
Now, in Viridian Park, Zen found himself facing off against Rock, one of his few friends in the city. The two stood opposite each other on the grassy battlefield, their Pokémon already engaged in battle.
Ledyba fluttered in the air, dodging small chunks of rock as Diglett spat them out from beneath the ground.
"Keep moving, Ledyba! Don't let it hit you!" Zen called.
Ledyba skillfully fly through the projectiles, using its natural agility to stay out of harm's way. Meanwhile, Kakuna was off to the side, continuing its Harden training.
Rock smirked. "You're just running away, Zen. Diglett, aim to where Ledyba's going to go!"
Diglett let out a cry and fired a spray of pebbles in anticipation of where Ledyba would fly.
Zen's eyes narrowed. "Dodge and counter with tackle!"
Ledyba twisted mid-air, narrowly avoiding the rocks before rushing downward in a blur. Its fists glowed as it slammed into Diglett's head multiple times, making the ground-type Pokémon squeak in surprise.
Rock gritted his teeth. "Diglett, use Sand Attack!"
Diglett burrowed slightly, kicking up a cloud of dust toward Ledyba.
Zen reacted instantly. "Fly higher!"
Ledyba soared above the dust cloud, untouched. Diglett, on the other hand, was panting heavily from the repeated attacks.
Rock clenched his fists. "Tch… Diglett, use Mud-Slap!"
Diglett launched a clump of wet mud upward, but its exhaustion slowed it down.
Zen saw his opening. "End it with Tackle!"
Ledyba dived at full speed, slamming Diglett into the ground. The little ground Pokémon groaned and stopped moving.
Rock sighed. "Alright, you win this round." He returned Diglett to its Poké Ball.
Zen grinned. "Good battle. You almost had me."
Rock crossed his arms, smirking. "Almost isn't good enough."
Ledyba fluttered in excitement while flying around zen, asking for a treat.
Zen give him some snack from his pocket.
As the two boys sat down on the grass, drinking water and cooling off from their battle, Rock suddenly brought up a surprising topic.
"My dad's planning to challenge Giovanni."
Zen blinked. "Viridian Gym's leader? Why?"
Rock leaned back on his arms. "He says Giovanni is never in the city, so why should he even be our Gym Leader?"
Zen frowned. "Are you sure about this? Giovanni isn't just any Gym Leader… he's the strongest one in Kanto."
Rock smirked confidently. "I'm sure my dad will win. You saw him last year, right? He even beat Professor Oak in a battle."
Zen hesitated. "That was years ago… and Professor Oak isn't a Champion anymore. He retired from battles a long time ago."
Rock waved his hand dismissively. "Doesn't matter. My dad is strong. And if Giovanni really is the best, then why is he never here, he must be scared right? That why he hiding from trsiner that came to challange him"
Zen stayed quiet for a moment. There were a lot of rumors about Giovanni, but he had never seen him in person. The Gym Leader's absence was something everyone in Viridian City had gotten used to.
Zen finally sighed. "I still think challenging Giovanni is risky. Your dad must be really confident."
Rock grinned. "Of course he is. When he wins, he'll prove that Giovanni doesn't deserve to be a Gym Leader anymore and my dad will be the enw gym leader."
Zen wasn't so sure. Something about Giovanni's made him uneasy. But for now, he decided to drop the topic.
"Alright, let's just see what happens," Zen said with a shrug.
Rock smirked. "Don't worry, you'll see. My dad will win."
As the sun set over Viridian Park, the two boys sat in silence, resting, thinking about their future.
_______
So who gonna win?
Rock dad
Or
Giovanni