ATPnovel Chapter 80: Real-world Dojo Challenges!
Chapter 80: Real-world Dojo Challenges!
The fun of Pokémon is usually roughly summarized into three parts: collecting, trading, and raising.
The differences between the red and green versions of Pokémon and the design of the Pokédex are the main sources of fun in collecting them.
The concept of friendship only became more comprehensive in the second generation, after the introduction of the friendship system in Pokémon Gold and Silver.
Limited by the capacity of the storage medium, Lin Lixin simply couldn't produce the more refined versions like gold, silver, or even emerald from the outset.
Being able to fit a total of 151 Pokémon into such a small space while ensuring the normal operation of other systems is already the result of GAMENOVA's all-out efforts.
However, the battles themselves are part of the fun of character development.
To make your Pokémon grow into the strongest one, please, that's so cool!
Not to mention evolution, a concept that is fashionable in any era.
To further enhance the enjoyment of battles, gym challenges were naturally created.
In an open world, it is not easy to keep players with a clear sense of purpose and prevent them from feeling lost.
Unlike Zelda, Pokémon doesn't rely on "emergent design" to drive players to explore endlessly based solely on curiosity.
It needs a clear, linear, phased goal.
Defeating the seemingly invincible gym leader, as portrayed in the storyline, and collecting badges became the mission.
At the same time, the dojo is also a very cleverly disguised "beginner's tutorial".
……
John and Mike locked their bicycles and saw the spectacular sight before them.
The building is designed to resemble a volcano, and combined with New Mexico's already hot climate, it still evokes a sense of unease even as the year draws to a close.
A sign hangs high above the entrance; besides the GAMENOVA logo and an unfamiliar GameFreak logo, the center prominently displays the following words:
[Pokémon League - Fire-type Gym]
"My goodness, that's a huge sum..."
The two stared blankly at the scene before them, as if they had truly become Pokémon trainers and had personally arrived at the legendary Fire-type Gym.
Before you even get close, you can already see several long queues in front of the turnstiles at the entrance.
These are undoubtedly Pokémon players.
Some of them even came from other places specifically for this purpose.
The reason is simple: to challenge the guardian of this place and win the reward!
"Are you sure you can beat the gym leader?"
John stood on tiptoe and peered into the building.
A bald old man wearing a white lab coat and round-framed black sunglasses seemed to be talking to the person in front of him.
A tie with a flame pattern on the chest is particularly eye-catching.
John squinted, seemingly noticing that the other man's bald head was already covered in beads of sweat.
"Goodness, wearing a long coat in this weather, even if it's just to recreate the character's appearance in the game, is a bit too dedicated."
John turned his gaze away and looked at Mike, who was still fiddling with his NovaPocket.
This guy is absolutely obsessed; he's never seen Mike so engrossed in a game before.
Although John also liked the game, he still spent most of his free time playing Story of Seasons on his console.
"Hehe, once I get another diamond for Penny, she'll definitely fall in love with me..."
John couldn't help but smile at the thought.
Penny is such a good girl.
This is really a great game.
"It's just a Fire-type gym, watch me easily conquer it."
Mike didn't even look up, mechanically following John into the queue, and casually replied.
He needed to further train the Pokémon he was going to use in this battle before going in.
Make sure you are fully prepared!
"By the way, why don't you try playing a match too? I think your Pokémon level should be high enough."
"Me? Well, I guess so, since I'm already here..."
The long queue moved forward only one person at a time, and a long line had already formed behind them without them even noticing.
Fortunately, both of them brought NovaPockets, so the waiting time wasn't too boring.
……
"Yo! You're here! I'm... cough cough... excuse me, let me have some water first..."
The bald man, whose name tag read "Fire-type Gym Leader - Blaine" was hanging around his neck, spoke in a hoarse voice, clearly exhausted from today's booming business.
"I'm Blaine! I love hot and spicy things! Fire-type Pokémon, scorching hot dogs! ...And thrilling battles!"
"Do you want to be burned to ashes? Then bring it on!"
His voice was hearty and straightforward, and his entire persona perfectly embodied the passionate and eccentric scientist traits that the character was supposed to possess.
Especially since he was almost soaked in sweat, his dedication almost brought tears to Mike's eyes.
"I heard he's a promising newcomer that GAMENOVA found in Hollywood. He's really good."
"Alright, let's hurry up and start the challenge. Look how hot it is for them."
"How about you go first, John? Let me check if his setup is different from the one in the game."
John nodded, seemingly unconcerned, and pulled out his NovaPocket.
The venue is fully equipped, and both console and handheld versions can be used for smooth gameplay.
Blaine laughed loudly, then pulled out a NovaPocket, only his version had a unique flame pattern paint job, making it exceptionally cool.
"Ready? My Pokémon were forged in the heat of a volcano! Let the battle reach its climax!"
Mike stepped closer, intending to watch the battle closely.
As soon as I could see what was happening on the screen, everything went black.
"Wow, John, why did you bring a Charizard? And all of its moves are fire-type?"
"Huh? Is that not allowed?"
John scratched his head. He had always used Charizard as his first choice.
This Pokémon, which has been with him from the very beginning, has never left the team.
Raising it from a tiny little dragon to its current state, it's quite a capable assistant to John.
"Fire-type attacks are less effective against fire-type attacks; there's damage reduction!"
Mike sighed and rubbed his forehead in exasperation. It seemed John really didn't understand the game mechanics.
"Wait a minute, let me check your team composition... Good grief, couldn't you at least bring a Gyarados?"
……
John, whose moves were a mess and who paid no attention to type advantages, was unsurprisingly defeated and could only kill some time in the gym's gift shop while waiting for Mike.
This gift shop was essentially similar to the Pokémon Center he was familiar with, filled with various Pokémon-themed products.
After thinking it over, John decided to just buy a little dragon plush toy.
When he squeezed through the throng of people back to the main hall, the confrontation between the two seemed to have come to an end.
Mike's strategic team composition defeated the Gym Leader's ace, Magikarp, with almost no pressure.
"Ugh!"
Blair let out a low growl.
"Too...too powerful! You've completely burned me to ashes! This crimson badge is yours!"
After saying that, he took out a flame-shaped badge from his jacket pocket. It was made of metal and was surprisingly heavy.
"Remember to bring your badge to the front desk to collect your [Move Learning Device 38 - Big Flame Burst]!"
"Have you heard of the Pokémon League? It's a place only the strongest, those who have collected all eight badges, can challenge. Your path lies there!"