Signups for the Gym Challenge

With nearly every pokemon in my box knocked out or at critical health, I dragged myself through the gates to Monsoon City. Not since Pokemon Red version and my trek through Mount Moon have I been in such a desperate need of healing my pokemon. Back then, my excuse was Raticate (shudders): this time, I have no excuse.

After taking a stop at the Pokemon Center, I decided to put my Gym Challenge Signup off whilst I went shopping. I got a new haircut, some new digs, and customized my Gym Challenge Card with a cool Ultramar pose. This game allows you to be extra. Game freak must have been reading my live journal.

The portrayal of the Gym Challenge in this title is a lot like a sporting event.  The gyms are akin to soccer stadiums and the challengers all wear numbered Jerseys (oh, I was even able to choose my Challenge Number for my jersey). There are endorsements as well as sponsorships.  One NPC even seemed to imply that the Champion's cape is a rental spot for ad-space.  TOO. REAL.

The overall effect of all of this though?  A world that seems real and lived-in.
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The gym challenge signup location was filled with other challengers.  Hop and I were signed-up on Leon's endorsement, but we were far from the only ones in the lobby.  One NPC mentioned that everyone in the lobby was part of the group of challengers, so I went around to scope out the competition. There was the regular crown of unnamed NPCs, but there were two specifically unnamed NPSc each identified as "???".

One of these two was a cool looking goth chick with a black hamster pokemon.  The other was a curly-haired asshole.  He claimed that he was endorsed by the chairperson from the game's introduction and he told me to bother someone else.  It will be nice to beat him later on in the game.

Gym Types? Psychic, Fairy, Dragon, Grass

And apparently we are FULL STEAM AHEAD WITH THE PLOT because as soon as I made it to the next area, I was set upon by the Professor's assistant, Sonya.  She was there to tease the game's plot a bit.  Apparently, in "the olden days" there was this knight who saved the Galar region from a troupe of giant pokemon.  She said specifically that he used a sword and a shield and that apparently nobody knows what type of sword or shield he used.

Gym Types? Fire, Water, Ghost, Ice

Yeah, I'm calling this one right now.  There is no way that that would be an important detail unless it was to be a deliberate misdirection.  His sword and his shield were pokemon, weren't they?

Pokédex:22/33

Current Squad:

Grookey/Cheeto/lvl 15

Nickit/Kat-Kit/lvl 14

Chewtle/Snorkle/lvl 14

Rookidee/Chirpy/lvl 14

Dottler/Bleppo/lvl 14

Stufful/Stuffy/lvl 14

















On Rotation: Zigzagoon, Stunky, Tyrogue