Pokemon: Cerulean Gym

I've finally decided which Pokémon to catch. It might draw more attention from Team Rocket, but it's not like they have spies in the gym. By the time they notice, I'll already be stronger than their typical grunts. They don't send their top agents just to steal a Pokémon that's not even at Elite Four level. I'm not planning on going around challenging strong trainers. So, they won't know my true strength. The growth of the gym will attract their attention for sure.

I will have to do something for the security of the gym. I have thought of many countermeasures and was going to apply them after the gym starts to develop but I may have to start early.

"Amrit, when I will get my Pokemon?" Misty asked.

"What?" I may have been lost in thoughts again. I didn't even realise Misty sitting beside me.

"When will I get my Pokemon? Daisy, Lily and Violet have Pokemon and now even you have one but I don't have any?" She said looking sad.

"You can also have your own Pokemon. I will catch one for you." I could give her Pokemon like Poliwag, Horsea, Shellder and even Psyduck. They are friendly and are easy to take care of.

"Can I? But, Daisy said that you have to be ten to have your own Pokemon." She replied. My eye twitched hearing her reply. My sisters had Pokemon of their own before they were ten. They have kept them as pets but this doesn't change the fact.

"Of course not, don't I have a Pokémon of my own? You can also have your own Pokemon but you can't use them in official Pokemon battles. You can keep them as pets." She got excited when I said she could have one then deflated when she heard she couldn't use it in battle.

"Daisy said you can have Pokémon and battle with them because you're going to be the future Gym Leader, but I can't because I'm just a little kid! I don't want them as pets. I want Pokémon so I can become a strong Water-type trainer!" Misty said angrily. My older sisters have a knack for making her angry. Sometimes, I truly pity her.

"She was just teasing you. They might be lazy and not give you a Pokémon, but I will. You can have one and use it in unofficial battles. Even I can't participate in official Pokémon matches unless it's a Junior Pokémon competition or if I'm enrolled in a Pokémon school. All of my battles are unofficial too. If anyone asks, just tell them the Pokémon belongs to the gym."

"Really? Which Pokemon will you catch for me?" She asked excitedly.

"It's going to be a surprise, but it'll become really strong when it evolves." I plan to catch a Pokémon for her when I go to catch a new one for myself. Now that I think about it, why does its final evolution seem like such a perfect match for Misty?

"Haha, I'm getting a Pokémon too! I'm going to tell Daisy! She said I couldn't have one. They're going to be so jealous!" She ran off excitedly to tell her older sisters. But, they'll likely brush it off, knowing I'll give her an unevolved, weak Pokémon.

"Staryu, Starmie Stop for now and take a rest. You should take rest when you get tired." I said to Stary and Starmie. I left them in the pool to rest and searched for Daisy.

She was in the gym battling a trainer. The trainer should be a new one so he was losing to Daisy. The Indigo Plateau Conference will start in a week. So, why was he here? It was odd. He may also be someone who wants a gym battle to test themselves. I watched them battle as I waited for it to end. It indeed ended early. His oddish fainted after getting attacked by Horn attack of Goldeen.

"Oddish, come back." The trainer left with his Oddish.

"Daisy" I called her.

"Gym battle is so tiring. When will you become the gym leader? Then, I can focus on becoming a model." Daisy said while weakly slumping on the chair.

"I think we should hire a proper Pokémon breeder for the gym. The current caretakers can't handle the Pokémon properly. I want to catch new ones for myself, and Misty will get hers too. I can't trust leaving my Pokémon in their hands." Though they're called Pokémon caretakers, they're just self-taught individuals looking after the gym's Pokémon. They don't have the proper knowledge of Pokémon diets, habitats, or grooming.

They feed the same water-type food to all Pokémon. They don't even know the basic medical knowledge that Pokémon breeders are expected to have. As a result, they have to rush to the Pokémon Center every time a Pokémon faints. It's a tiring job for them and detrimental to the gym Pokémon. How can they reach their full potential if they aren't given proper care?

Ash's Pokémon didn't become strong just by eating berries or following a basic diet. He always had a friend travelling with him who understood Pokémon care and nutrition. Most trainers rely on breeder-recommended diets for their Pokémon or have breeders care for them at regular intervals. They also stay in frequent contact with the place where they earned their trainer license, as it serves as their support and background throughout their journey.

Daisy has a thoughtful look on her face. I know what she must be thinking. There used to be a Pokemon Breeder in our gym but she left after Daisy took over the gym. She didn't like how Daisy handled the gym so she left. I remember Daisy quarrelling with her when I was young. She did try to hire another Pokemon breeder but after learning about the previous breeder they also left. So, she hasn't hired another Pokemon breeder since then.

Not all Pokémon Gyms have Pokémon Breeders, but they do have other personnel with similar responsibilities. Gym leaders themselves may know about Pokémon diets and care, or their family members may take care of the Pokémon. However, we don't have anyone specifically trained to care for Pokémon. That's why we need a Pokémon Breeder. It would be even better if he/she specializes in water-type Pokémon.

"I know that we need Pokemon Breeders in our gym but I am not comfortable with them. They think that they know everything and are very bossy. You may not remember but we used to have a Pokemon Breeder in our gym. When our mother was here she behaved quite well but after I took over the gym she always wanted me to do things according to her. I even tried to follow her wish but she always had something to say about everything I do. We started to quarrel and then one day she left the gym. I tried hiring others but they also behaved the same or didn't want the job later. She must have said something to them." Daisy replied with a quiet tone, unlike her bubbly personality.

I knew this was going to be a heavy topic for her. That's why I refrained from mentioning it till now but I was going to train my Pokemon and Misty was going to get her Pokemon. They need proper nutrition and care. I don't know about Pokemon diet and nutrition. It is as vast as the study of medicine on earth. It would take many years to learn. If the gym becomes big in the future, I will have to spend all my time managing it. So, even if I study it I will not be able to take care of all the Pokemon in the gym.

"I know you are feeling uncomfortable but we must hire a Pokemon Breeder. You don't have to worry. Leave them to me. I will not let them disturb you. If you don't like then you can always fire them after all you are the gym leader." I know why she is resistant to hiring Pokemon Breeders. I think they remind her of the period of life she wants to forget the most.

Our mother died, leaving Violet, Lily, Misty, and me under her care. She was only 12 years old at the time, the eldest, and had to take care of all of us. There may have been other caretakers helping her, but she must have felt alone. On top of that, she also had to manage the gym. At that time, there were likely many of our mother's Pokémon, and I can only imagine how they behaved after learning of her death. Some gym-sponsored trainers also needed help or support from the gym.

Our father also disappeared around that time. No one knows where he is, and he may even be dead. We had never seen our mother or father, so sisters talking about their deaths felt like hearing a very sad story. Yet, she had to endure the loss of our mother and the disappearance of our father. Everyone must have had high expectations of her, but she couldn't meet them.

"Please Daisy, If you don't like the new Pokemon Breeder you can fire him/her. I want to become a proper gym leader for that I need to have strong Pokemon and Pokemon Breeders to supplement their diet and take care of them."

"I will also help you manage the gym. You don't have to battle every trainer. I will battle them and only those who defeat me have to battle you."

"I was going to agree, but since you've offered to help, you can't back out now," she said, her bubbly personality returning. I sighed in relief, knowing she had agreed.

"Do you think it's possible to hire a Pokémon Breeder within a week? We could give candidates five days to submit their documents, and then select one afterwards," I suggested. She nodded, indicating her approval.

"I'm not against hiring a Pokémon Breeder, but they must respect you and not try to boss you around just because you're young. If they do, I'll fire them. I won't let anyone bully my one and only little brother," she said, pulling me onto her lap.

"Put me down! Put me down, or I won't talk to you!" I immediately protested, knowing this was embarrassing for a boy who had once been a grown man. But I had to act like a child so she wouldn't get the chance to treat me like one.

"I don't know why you don't like sitting on my lap anymore. You used to follow me everywhere like my little shadow when you were younger." Of course, any child would follow their family around when they're young. She was the oldest and took most care of me so I used to follow her everywhere, and I hadn't yet remembered my past life back then. My memories have slowly returned over the years, though some parts are still missing.

"Because I'm older now. Do you know someone is going to become part of the Elite Four at the age of nine? If I want to beat that record, I'll need to be Elite Four level by the time I'm eight. So I have to work hard." I started my usual nonsense.

"I know, I know, you've said that a thousand times already," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"And it's going to happen. Haven't you already verified that there are regions like Hoenn, Sinnoh, Kalos, and Alola?" She nodded.

"See, I am telling the truth."

"You may have learned about other regions from travelling Pokemon Trainer. Cerulean city is famous. It isn't unusual to see people of other regions." She replied.

"Believe what you want. I don't care." I replied. She just shook her head and smiled. I'm going to be the strongest in the future, but reaching Elite Four level at the age of eight without using Mega Evolution is nearly impossible. I was just acting like a child.

Still, a question remained in my mind, How did she do it?