22 Doubt.
"Sorry but I cant accept you challenge for today." Joseph shook his head.
"Why? Are you busy?" Verity tilted her head.
"Mr. Johnson's pokemons are tougher than the 7 other gyms, this gym have a new rule that has been approved by the league and that rule is you need 7 major badges around the Kanto region to challenge this gym." Lorelei helped Joseph to answer the little girl.
"7? Are you telling me that big brother Jojo is the strongest gym leader today?" Verity's eyes were sparkling while waiting for Lorelei's response.
"Based on what he shown to us, yes, but I still don't know if the other gym leaders have their own hidden strong personal pokemons and if they improved their real battling skills." Lorelei smiled at the girl then she turned her head at Joseph. "You should put the sign that the agents delivered outside the gym."
"I should asked them to do that work before they left." Joseph sighed then he picked up the sign holder and sign that says "Challengers need to have 7 major gym badges before challenging this gym". Joseph went outside and placed the sign on the front of the door.
"Hey are you the new Gym Guide here? What's that sign?" A curious trainer asked Joseph. Joseph was too lazy to explain, he just showed the sign to the trainer.
"What?!" The trainer loudly said with bewildered expression on his face.
The attention of some passerby was caught because of the loud voice of the trainer, they also checked what's happening.
"Is this a joke?" The trainer seriously asked.
"No." Joseph said then he went back inside the gym.
Lorelei and Joseph chatted for a while before Lorelei left the two and gave Joseph the keys of the Gym. Joseph also requested a Gym Guide and some house keeping staffs for the Gym since Joseph guessed that those persons that went missing with Giovanni is part of Team Rocket.
"What?" Joseph glanced at Verity.
Verity was continuously taking a secret glance at Joseph finally realized that he caught her.
"I was just curious what kind of pokemon you are using in Gym battles." Verity squatted and caressed her blue penguin pokemon's head.
"Ground types, actually I'm not really fond of them because majority of them are lacking speed." Joseph stretched his arms and yawned.
"Why do you like fast pokemons?" Verity resumed her questions.
"Well, what would the slow pokemon would do if the enemy is untouchable in terms of dodging and hits hard without knowing where did the enemy came from?" Joseph knows that in real fight like boxing and other fighting sports, unlike in the games, speed is the most deadly asset of a fighter. Kendo with their ridiculous quick downward slash, Tae Kwon Do with lightning kicks , Pacman the legend of boxing that also known for his speed and lastly a bullet.
Also in this world, priority moves like Quick Attack doesn't always land first because it's still based on the user's actual speed.
"I see, the slower pokemon will become disadvantaged." Verity nodded.
"But remember, just focusing solely on speed isn't also good if your pokemon doesn't have the power. In the end of the day a balanced pokemon is better than a pokemon who focused on a single status." Joseph felt that all of the things he said is useless after contradicting himself. 'Whatever.' Joseph thought.
Verity took Joseph's advice to her heart and reminded herself to properly train Piplup.
Joseph suddenly received a call from Shining Clean Cleaning Service that they are the one that the League hired for the daily cleaning of the Gym.
"Verity, you should go and continue your journey. I'll be waiting you here in the future for a battle." Joseph smiled then he patted the head to Verity.
"Get ready to be beaten by me big brother Jojo." Verity smiled then she formed a fist and showed it to Joseph.
'So this is what feels like to have a little sister.' Joseph thought and suddenly remembered something. "There's one of my pokemons that really liked you. I'm thinking of handing her to you since I can see that you're a responsible trainer and that girl is too curious in outside world."
"Eh?! Really!" Verity was so excited she tried to remember the pokemon that she interacted the most, the two Eevee!
Joseph took a pokeball from his pocket and tossed it in the air.
"Vee!" The Eevee noticed that she was not in the shop's playground then she surveyed her surroundings and her eyes landed on Joseph and Verity. This Eevee is the one Joseph picked first and got harassed by Ronny.
Eevee happily went to Joseph and Verity. Joseph squatted and gave Eevee some pets.
"Buddy, Verity is here do you still want to go with her? I won't stop you since I know that Verity is a good trainer and will give you love and care." Joseph smiled. Eevee's ears slightly falls down and gazed Joseph with sad emotions.
"Don't worry, you can come in the shop whenever you like to play with others in the future." Joseph assured.
Eevee nodded and turned her head to Verity.
"Vee Eevee." Eevee smiled and went to Verity. Verity was so happy to have this Eevee, she immediately carried the Eevee and welcomed the Eevee to her party.
Joseph smiled to their interaction and passed the pokeball of Eevee to Verity.
"Take care of her." Joseph said like a father that marrying off his daughter.
"I will!" Verity was full of smiled while nodding.
Piplup's face is full of dissatisfaction, another pokemon is stealing his trainer's love for him.
"Piipplupp!!" Piplup tugged Verity to tell her that he also wants to be carried.
"Hehe someone is being jealous." Verity briefly hugged Eevee then she placed Eevee on her shoulder and carried Piplup on her arms.
Joseph went back to his shop after parting with Verity. He also waited for the league to send a new Gym Guide that will stay in the gym to guard and give tips to the challengers. Joseph doesn't want to stay in the gym all day since his shop is his priority.
'Being a shopkeeper of my little shop is more relaxed than being a gym leader that entertains all the challengers.' Joseph thought.
A few hours after Joseph accepted the position of being a Gym Leader of Viridian City, the PokéSNS community of Kanto region was stirred.
An unknown trainer suddenly became a Gym leader! The information that League released was just Joseph's picture and his name, his team was unknown.
Some young trainers thought that Joseph was just a random trainer that league picked in the streets but they cant believe when they read the last part of League's shared information.
The challenger can only challenge the gym after collecting 7 major badges.
Random internet experts in the SNS theorized that the 7 major badge rule is made to extend the search for the proper leader to take the gym leader position and Joseph was just a temporary cover.
So majority of Trainers didn't take Joseph seriously but there's some guys that remembered Joseph during his match with Dennis and told others that Joseph is a real deal but it was not enough to make others believe the truth.
"Tch! I finally found you a**hole." A young man said then he smiled. "Gym leader? Who would believe this thing?"
