Iono frowned. "It's not that serious! I feel fine. Gym battles don't require physical labor. I just have to issue commands, right?"
Naoki: "…"
He started wondering if maybe he really was overreacting.
Geeta listened to their back-and-forth with a smirk. Then she casually said, "Of course, if you can find a qualified trainer to help temporarily lead the Levincia Gym, I believe Iono could take a proper rest."
"Huh?" Naoki and Iono were both surprised.
"In Paldea, that's allowed," Geeta clarified. "Levincia Gym is an Electric-type Gym. If you find someone with six Electric-type Pokémon and strength equivalent to a Gym Leader, they can step in as acting Gym Leader during the leave."
"Is that even possible?" Naoki asked, surprised.
Where in the world could he find a qualified trainer to temporarily take over as Gym Leader of the Levincia Gym?
But then—wait!
Naoki paused, a realization striking him.
He might not be an official Gym Leader or a full-time professional trainer, but over the years, he'd gathered several Electric-type Pokémon, and many of them were strong, strong enough to rival a Gym Leader's team.
Could… could he qualify?
Thinking on it for a moment, Naoki looked up. "Could I do it?"
Iono blinked, clearly caught off guard by the question. She turned to look at him in disbelief.
On the other end of the call, Geeta chuckled. "Of course you can. Naoki, we all know how strong you are. As long as you have six Electric-type Pokémon, you're more than eligible to substitute in for Iono."
Electric-types…
Let's see… Pawmot counts as one. Jolteon, two. Zapdos was currently staying at the World Tree but could come help if needed, so that made three.
There was also that Pikachu Mewtwo had brought back recently—four.
But that still wasn't enough. There were no other Electric-types on the ranch, at least not right now.
As if reading his thoughts, Geeta continued, "And remember, you're not limited to pure Electric-types. If any of your Pokémon have Electric as their Tera Type, they're eligible for Gym Battles too."
That changed everything.
Naoki brightened. With all the Pokémon living at Tree House Ranch and the World Tree, there were bound to be a few with Electric Tera Types. He just needed to use his Tera orb and check each one.
"I'll do it," he said confidently. "I'll take over the Gym while Iono rests."
"Then it's settled," Geeta said warmly. "I'll get your temporary Gym Leader registration processed. The Levincia Gym will go on a three-day break while you train under Iono. After that, you'll start receiving challengers as the acting Gym Leader."
Naoki nodded. "Understood."
As soon as the call ended, Geeta leaned back in her chair, a smug smile spreading across her face.
"See? I knew I was a genius."
Rika, seated nearby, raised an eyebrow silently.
...
Back at the ranch, Naoki wasted no time. He immediately began using his Tera orb to examine the Tera Types of Pokémon around the ranch.
From Gogoat to Garganacl, from the braided Wooloo to the Indeedee siblings… one by one he checked.
But despite his efforts, none of the Pokémon showed an Electric Tera Type.
Naoki frowned in disappointment.
Iono, walking beside him, said cheerfully, "If worst comes to worst, you can always use my Bellibolt. I'll let you borrow it for the Gym!"
Naoki chuckled. "Let's not give up yet. I'll head to the World Tree and see what I can find there."
With that, he opened the gateway through the Reverse World and made his way toward the base of the World Tree, where many of the strongest Pokémon, both Legendary and not, had gathered over time.
Milotic's Tera Type turned out to be Ice. Arboliva's was Grass, and Charizard, unsurprisingly, had Flying.
Just then, Jirachi zipped over curiously, drawn by all the excitement.
Naoki helped it check its Tera Type. A warm flash of light shimmered, and above Jirachi's head appeared a large, glowing yellow light bulb with a lightning-shaped rune carved into it.
"Huh?" Jirachi blinked, staring up at the glowing symbol in mild confusion.
Naoki, however, let out a deep sigh of relief.
The fifth Electric-type Pokémon had finally been found.
"Jirachi, would you be willing to help me out?" Naoki asked gently.
"Of course! Jirachi wants to help!" it chirped brightly, thrilled to return the favor. Naoki had helped Jirachi once before, so it was excited to lend a hand this time.
Naoki smiled, heart eased.
Pawmot, Jolteon, Zapdos, Pikachu, and now Jirachi.
Five powerful Electric Pokémon.
"…"
The only issue? These Pokémon were way too strong.
Using them in gym battles might prove overwhelming for most challengers, but the gym only permitted Electric-types, so Naoki had no other option.
"Well," he muttered, "they'll just have to deal with it… maybe I'll go easy on them later."
Five down, one to go. He only needed one more Electric-type to complete the required team.
But fate, it seemed, had a playful sense of humor. After searching all afternoon, Naoki couldn't find a single other Electric Pokémon on the World Tree.
Pawmot's parents, both Electric-types as well, were now elderly and enjoying a well-earned retirement. Battling wasn't suitable for them anymore.
Reluctantly, Naoki said his goodbyes and returned to the ranch.
"Any luck?" Iono asked, approaching him.
Naoki shook his head. "Still one short."
"Then I'll lend you my Bellibolt," she offered quickly. "I already asked him earlier, he's more than happy to help!"
Naoki was just about to accept when his Rotom Phone buzzed with a message.
[Ho-Oh: Naoki, are you looking for an Electric-type Pokémon?]
Naoki blinked in surprise.
[Ho-Oh: Jirachi told me. It said it was happy to help you.]
[Naoki: Yeah, I'm still missing one.]
[Ho-Oh: Then perhaps I can assist you.]
Ho-Oh… was referring to one of the Thunder Beasts, right?
It made sense, Raikou, the embodiment of thunder and lightning, was directly tied to Ho-Oh's legacy.
Naoki's heart skipped a beat.
[Naoki: What do you mean?]
[Ho-Oh: You'll see soon.]
Naoki stared at the message.
"See soon…?"
Could it be? Was Ho-Oh sending Raikou to the ranch?
If so, what kind of help was it offering? Would Raikou be willing to assist in a Gym battle?
Naoki's thoughts raced, but he forced himself to stay calm. Better to wait and see.
And in the meantime… there was another important mission: naming the baby.
Late that night, Naoki sat at his desk browsing name lists.
Iono walked in and sighed. "Isn't it a bit early for that?"
"Too early?" Naoki asked, puzzled. "If we pick a name now, we won't need to scramble later."
Iono thought for a moment, then nodded. That made sense. With that, she joined him.
Together, they brainstormed names deep into the night.
Elowen. Sylas. Liora. Sorin. Elara.
The names began to blur as their list kept growing, each one carrying a gentle, thoughtful tone.
Eventually, Iono suggested, "What if it's Elara for a girl… and Sorin for a boy?"
But a few seconds later, she changed her mind again. "Wait, Liora is so pretty too!"
Naoki gave her a look of silent resignation.
He sighed and shook his head with a helpless smile. After thinking for a moment, Naoki caught sight of Koraidon lounging nearby out of the corner of his eye.
Turning toward it, Naoki held up the list of baby names.
"Agah?" Koraidon tilted its head, curious.
Naoki chuckled. "We're trying to pick a name for the baby, but we can't decide. Want to help us choose?"
He read the names aloud as he pointed to each one on the paper.
"Liora, Elara, Sylas…"
Koraidon blinked thoughtfully. It stared down at the sheet, and in its mind, the image of the "little master," the child to come, flickered into view.
Then, without hesitation, it gently tapped a paw on one of the names.
"Elara?" Iono raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Elara… it is really cute."
Koraidon gave a firm, approving nod. "Agah!"
Naoki smiled, watching them both. "Alright then, if it's a girl, we'll name her Elara. And if it's a boy… Sylas."
...
Late at night, Naoki lay in bed, listening to Iono as she shared tips about Gym Leader duties.
"Standing in the Gym, accepting challengers, awarding badges—that's the daily life of a Gym Leader," she explained.
"But in the Paldea League, there's no fixed order in which Gyms must be challenged. That means some days, you'll face rookie Trainers with no badges at all, and other days, Trainers might show up already holding seven."
"When that happens, you adjust the Pokémon you use based on how many badges the challenger has collected."
She smiled, then added, "Of course, not every battle has to be a full 6-on-6. You're free to set the rules yourself—3v3, 2v2, 1v1—it's totally up to you."
Naoki let out a sigh of relief.
That was good. If he had to do a 6v6 with the team he had in mind, most Trainers wouldn't stand a chance.
This way, he could ease things up. For beginner Trainers, he could send out Jolteon, energetic, but not overtrained.
If a more seasoned Trainer showed up, he could use Pikachu. The Pikachu brought by Mewtwo was an exact clone of Ash's Pikachu, same personality same electrifying power.
And if a real powerhouse came to challenge… someone who had been to the League, then Pawmot, Zapdos, and Jirachi would be ready.
...
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