The sun had barely risen when Skylar adjusted the straps of his bag and stepped back onto the road.
Misty watched him from across the small clearing, her arms folded, a knowing look in her eyes.
"You're in a hurry," she said.
Skylar nodded. "We've rested long enough."
They had barely left Lavender Town behind. Kalei was now guiding the children in aura training, and the quiet that had followed their harrowing battle against the Hive had been welcome. But peace was temporary.
The world wouldn't wait.
"I need to earn the rest of my badges," Skylar said. "The faster I get through the Gyms, the sooner I can focus on real training. Training for what's coming."
Misty placed a hand on his shoulder.
"We'll go at your pace," she said softly. "Just don't forget to breathe."
Saffron City rose from the horizon like a steel-wrapped mirage. Wide roads, monorails gliding above polished rooftops, and the long shadow of the once-feared Sabrina's Gym cast over its center.
But something felt… different.
There were no reporters. No elite trainers. No psychic pressure crawling under his skin.
When Skylar arrived at the Gym gates, he saw a modest wooden placard hanging where the league's insignia should have been.
"Sabrina has retired. Gym duties transferred to her final apprentice, Ren."
He stared at it for a moment.
Then stepped inside.
The battle chamber remained immaculate—glowing tiles, floating panels, and faint traces of psychic energy still embedded in the floor.
But it lacked presence.
It lacked pressure.
At the far end, a tall, silver-haired teen bowed respectfully. He wore a deep violet uniform, clearly modeled after Sabrina's—but it didn't quite fit him yet. Not his posture, not his energy.
"I am Ren," he said. "I was Lady Sabrina's final pupil. I now serve as Gym Leader of Saffron, by League appointment."
Skylar nodded, stepping forward.
"I'm Skylar. Here for my fourth badge."
Ren hesitated only a moment.
Then activated the battlefield.
Ren opened with Claydol—levitating, silent, a steady psychic presence.
Skylar stared at the ancient Pokémon without expression.
Then reached to his belt.
And released a shadowed pulse.
Darkrai emerged in total silence.
Floating.
Watching.
Ren froze.
"That's—" His voice caught. "That's a Darkrai."
Skylar didn't move. "Begin."
The moment Claydol launched its first Psychic, Darkrai drifted through it like mist.
No impact.
No contact.
Then came the response.
Dark Pulse.
A spiral of concentrated shadow crashed into Claydol's form, sending it tumbling through the air, spinning out before slamming into the far wall.
Fainted.
Ren's next Pokémon was Mr. Mime—light on its feet, creating barriers the moment it touched the ground.
Skylar didn't issue a word.
Darkrai raised one arm.
The room dimmed.
A pulse of darkness swept outward, and the Light Screen shattered.
Mr. Mime panicked.
Too late.
Dream Eater.
In an instant, its body stiffened—paralyzed not by paralysis, but by fear.
Darkrai drifted forward like a ghost, then struck once—cleanly.
Mr. Mime fell.
Ren stood frozen across the field, his hands clenched.
"I… I concede."
Skylar said nothing.
He simply approached, calm and controlled.
Ren held out the badge with both hands, bowing deeply.
The Mind Badge was smaller than Skylar had imagined.
Or maybe it just felt that way because it hadn't been a true challenge.
"You're… on a different level," Ren said quietly. "Thank you for not… toying with me."
Skylar accepted the badge and offered only a nod.
"Train harder," he said, voice even. "One day, you might be the challenge I expected."
Outside the Gym, Misty leaned against the wall with her arms crossed as he emerged.
"That was fast."
Skylar clipped the badge into his case.
"It wasn't a test."
"You used Darkrai," she said, a little amused, a little surprised.
Skylar looked up at the sky. "I'm done pretending I can afford to go easy. The next threat won't."
Misty fell into step beside him.
"Where to next?"
"Celadon," he said. "Then Fuchsia. Then Cinnabar."
"And after that?"
Skylar looked toward the horizon.
His hand drifted toward the Poké Ball holding Darkrai, resting silently on his belt.
"After that... we start getting serious."