Chapter 5: Pewter Gym

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"Wow~oh! Is this the gym you mentioned, Akane?!"

"It's… so big!!!"

Arriving in Pewter City, Akane and Luffy felt like tourists with empty wallets, awed by the unique architecture as they made their way to the most prominent building in town besides the Pokémon Center—the Pewter Gym.

Just as Viridian Forest had transformed into a real, expansive woodland, the Pewter Gym was now vastly different from the small stone room in the game. Even from a distance, the massive Onix sculptures flanking the gym's entrance exuded an air of grandeur, making the gym look both majestic and imposing. Standing at the door, you could almost taste the earthy scent of stone in the air.

As they approached the gym, faint sounds of activity could be heard from within, a testament to the gym's bustling energy.

"Let's go!" Akane took a step forward, pushing open the seemingly heavy rock doors, which, thanks to electric tracks, slid open effortlessly.

Inside, the gym's decor perfectly matched its rock-type theme. The floor and walls were composed entirely of deep, earth-brown rocks, giving the space a rugged, solemn atmosphere. The central training area was filled with odd-shaped rocks and tall piles of boulders. Trainers in green uniforms were busy honing their rock-type Pokémon near these rock formations.

It wasn't hard to guess…

These trainers were likely the "experience boosters" from the game, offering extra battles before the main gym leader challenge.

On either side of the gym, large spectator stands hosted a small but engaged audience, their attention fixed on the ongoing training below.

"Why are there so many spectators just for some trainers working with their Pokémon?" Luffy wondered aloud, clearly puzzled.

Akane evaluated the scene with a critical eye. "The game isn't too strict about these details~"

Luffy, still amazed by the crowd, added, "Wow~ There are so many people here!"

It was clear that the machine had put extra effort into optimizing the gym, making it feel more like a real Pokémon gym than just another game location.

Akane smirked, turning his gaze to the trainers. "Yes, there are indeed quite a few people."

The experience points and rewards provided by gym trainers in the game were higher than those from wild encounters. Akane couldn't help but think that the gains from this gym battle might exceed his expectations.

With a plan forming, he suddenly called out to the eager Luffy beside him:

"Luffy!"

"See those trainers up ahead? The ones dressed like leeks?"

"Let's go over there and harvest them!"

"Are we going to fight again?! Leave it all to me!" Luffy grinned, rolling his shoulders as he stepped forward, excitement radiating from him. Even though the opponents so far had been weak, he was thrilled at the prospect of continuing to fight these fascinating creatures.

Entering the gym, Akane and Luffy walked along the rocky path, heading straight for a girl who was training her Geodude. As they approached, the girl's expression hardened as she noticed them, and she spoke first:

"Who are you!?"

"This is the Pewter Gym! Not a place to fool around!"

"What? You think you're ready to challenge Gym Leader Brock? You're a million light years too early!"

"Let me test your strength!"

"Go, Geodude!"

Without giving them a chance to respond, she answered her own questions and tossed out a Poké Ball. A battlefield suddenly formed around them, trapping Akane and Luffy inside.

"Sure enough! The people in this world are so weird!" Luffy still couldn't understand the logic behind these NPCs and stared at the girl in confusion.

But Akane was unfazed, his lips curling into a knowing smile. Matching the girl's dramatic words, he replied playfully:

"Ha! This is just Pewter Gym and you're already talking big!"

He stepped back, leaving Luffy to face the challenge.

"Go on, Luffy! Show her what you've got!"

"oh--!" Luffy, well-versed in battle, leaped forward, positioning himself against the Geodude. A status bar appeared above Geodude's head: [LV: 7, HP: 28/28].

The gym fell silent. All the NPCs seemed to have received some signal and turned their attention to Luffy and Geodude. A deep, resonant BGM began playing overhead, each drumbeat stirring the atmosphere. The spectators, though few, suddenly started cheering, as if they were watching a thrilling Pokémon battle.

"Hey, hey~ He's just a gym trainer, no need to get so serious," Akane thought, realizing the purpose behind the audience. Still, there was something exhilarating about being the center of attention, even if the onlookers were just mindless NPCs.

Feeling the excitement, Akane decided to play along. He suddenly barked an order like a true trainer:

"Luffy, use Shave! Get behind Geodude!"

"ah?"

Luffy, who usually fought on instinct, hesitated for a moment. But realizing it was Akane's command, he quickly followed through. He stepped on the ground and used one of the Six Styles: Shave.

In a blink, Luffy vanished and reappeared behind Geodude. Being a slow Pokémon to begin with, and at only level 7, Geodude couldn't keep up with Luffy's speed. The gym trainer was equally stunned by Luffy's sudden move.

Akane's voice rang out again, cutting through the tension.

"Now! Attack from behind!"

Luffy's arms stretched as he prepared his signature move: "Gumu Gumu No... Pistol!!!" 

"Oh no! Dodge it, Geodude!"

The trainer's command came too late. Luffy's fist shot forward like a bullet, slamming into Geodude's hard body. Despite its toughness, Geodude let out a pained cry.

"Hacha~…"

The HP bar above Geodude's head performed a rapid disappearing act, plummeting to zero in an instant.

One punch was all it took. The battle field dissipated.

As the fight ended, Akane noticed something unusual. Just below the usual experience gain notification, another prompt appeared:

[Completed command, evaluation: average.]

[Extra reward: Experience +8]

"What's this? An extra bonus!?"

Akane paused the notification, rereading it carefully. Suddenly, it hit him.

"Come to think of it, this is the first time I've actually commanded Luffy in battle."

"Could it be that... depending on how well I command, there are extra experience points to be earned after defeating an opponent?"

"I didn't expect the machine to have this feature. Not bad, not bad. This definitely boosts my sense of involvement!"

Akane's eyes gleamed with excitement. He quickly shifted his gaze to the next trainer standing across the rock piles.

"Let's put this theory to the test!"

…

…

[Monkey D. Luffy defeated the gym trainer's Geodude and received: Experience +38.]

[Completed command, evaluation: useless.]

[No additional rewards.]

…

…

[Monkey D. Luffy defeated the gym trainer's Geodude and received: Experience +38.]

[Completed command, evaluation: average.]

[Extra reward: Experience +8]

…

For the next two gym trainers, Akane tested different approaches. For one, he made Luffy perform a series of bizarre moves, taking unnecessary hits before defeating Geodude. The other followed the same pattern as before—Shave + normal attack, instant victory.

The results were clear: "useless" and "average," confirming Akane's theory.

"Looks like I was right. My role isn't just to guide Luffy through the game! As a trainer, I've got to command my Pokémon effectively!"

"There's no reward for useless commands, but a decent command grants an additional fifth of the original experience."

"Now, the question is… can I earn even more with better commands?"

Akane paused, pondering his next move.

Although he also...