"Wings well developed, leg muscles slightly underdeveloped, claws well developed, but the left claw has an internal injury, fangs are short and haven't been cared for, tail is well developed. Overall, the breeding is average, and you probably haven't been to a Pokémon Center in a long time, have you?"
Joseph didn't hold back at all, clearly laying out Gligar's condition in full.
Sina's face darkened a little. Gligar was the Pokémon he took pride in, the reason of his survival, yet in someone else's eyes, it only received an "average breeding" evaluation.
Judging from Joseph's handling, he was definitely a skilled Breeder, and his bond with Pokémon was clearly strong. Gligar wouldn't usually show affection to anyone but Sina.
"Hmm? Visitors?" A sudden sound came from outside the door, and a short-haired girl slowly walked in.
"Sia!" Mark called out in surprise.
"You're… my brother Mark!?" the short-haired girl said hesitantly, though she eventually recognized him.
"Call me Mark…"
Everyone else quietly turned their eyes to Sina… then just as quietly looked away again. 'You hopeless siscon!'
"Long time no see. Are you guys talking about something important? Then I won't disturb you." As she spoke, Sia turned to leave.
"Don't go, don't go, this has something to do with you too. Help us talk some sense into your brother!" Mark quickly called out to Sia, pulling her back into her seat despite the knife-like glare Sina shot his way.
"The thing is…" Mark was about to explain, but Joseph cut him off.
"I'll explain. Sia, we're from Shadownight Gym…" Joseph was worried Mark might say something that would upset the little girl.
He also wanted to help Mark out; this guy never thinks before he speaks. Just earlier he'd bluntly blurted out that someone begged him for a backdoor favor.
"This is a great opportunity, but you definitely didn't accept it, right, brother?" Sia said firmly after hearing the explanation.
"I…" Sina faltered, suddenly unsure how to explain.
"Gym Leader Sato, if I joined, what could I do?" Sia ignored her brother and turned directly to Sato.
"Depends on what you're good at, and what you want to do."
"I'm not very good at battling, but I really enjoy taking care of Pokémon and watching them grow up healthy. Could I work in support and logistics?" Sia asked seriously, nothing like a typical nine-year-old girl.
"Sia, what are you saying?" Sina frowned. His little sister had already agreed, and even figured out what role she wanted?
"Brother, you don't want to trouble others, but I'm your biggest burden. Now that someone's offering me a chance to be independent, I'm definitely going to take it." Maybe it was because of the serious illness in her childhood, but although Sia seemed fragile, her will was strong, no less than her brother's.
"Leader Sato, please, I'll work very hard." Sia bowed deeply to Sato after finishing.
"Joseph, you handle the decision on anything related to breeding," Sato said neutrally, leaving the decision to Joseph.
"Sure thing. Welcome to Shadownight Gym," Joseph said with a smile, just like that finalizing the first member.
"Then I'll join too!" Sina gritted his teeth and said with a frown to Sato.
"I said you're only basically qualified. Whether or not you make it depends on your performance going forward."
"Then how do I prove myself?" Sina had just finished asking when his sister quickly grabbed his arm.
"Thank you, Leader, just tell us what to do. My brother often explores the Forest of Shadows, he's pretty good at survival in the wild."
"Have a 1v1 battle with Mark. Don't even think about holding back, you're representing the Gym now," Sato said as he glanced at Mark, issuing an early warning.
"Oh~"
Three minutes later, the battle was over. Gligar was unsurprisingly defeated by Lapras, and the speed of it left Sina and his sister Sia so stunned they couldn't say a word.
After all, Mark and Sina were almost the same age, and Gligar was a partner Sina had been raising since childhood, yet the gap between them was like a chasm.
"Gligar's base is solid, but it probably hasn't undergone proper training in nearly a year. Just maintaining its strength is already impressive," Sato gave his honest assessment, and Sina had no rebuttal.
"But it's not bad. Your adaptability is decent. You just haven't caught up in strength. With training, you should be able to make a big leap," Sato continued, but Sina only nodded silently, prompting Sia to quickly pull her brother toward Sato.
"Leader, you mean you agree to let my brother join the Gym, right? You can't go back on it, got it, bro!"
"H-Huh? Uh, thank you, Gym Leader! I'll train hard, I promise," Sina finally snapped out of it and responded seriously.
"Then go pack your things and head to the Pokémon Center. Amber will help get you set up," Sato said directly, without hesitation.
"Today?" Sina was stunned, he hadn't expected it to happen so quickly.
"The Gym won't open right away, of course, but you still have a lot to learn. Better not delay," Joseph smiled. Sato played the tough guy, so he naturally played the nice one.
Leaving the abandoned factory, Mark followed at the rear, sulking, until Sato called his name and snapped him out of it.
"Boss…"
"It's normal for people to ask you to pull strings. Being a registered Trainer at a Gym is considered a golden ticket by most people. But as long as the person is the right fit, whether or not they used connections doesn't matter. After all, you're not the one making the decision."
"…Boss, that hurts," Mark clutched his chest like he'd just taken an arrow to the heart.
"Then hurry up and take us to the next one."
"…Okay, this way then," Mark muttered and began to lead the way.
"Leader, I'll go ahead and start preparing things," Amber quickly offered.
"Thanks, Amber. Make a few extra sets, and be thorough. Everyone will be living together from now on."
"Got it," Amber headed back to the Pokémon Center.
Soon after, the group of four arrived at what looked like a wealthier household. At Mark's call, a chubby little kid came bouncing out happily.
"Mark! You came to see me!" The chubby kid was indeed round, but pretty cute, and had a small Phanpy trotting beside him.
"Didn't I ask you earlier if you wanted to be a Trainer at the Gym? Our Gym Leader is here now. You'll have to pass a test first though," Mark grinned as he pinched the boy's cheek.
"G-Gym Leader, hello! I'm Kinoshita Akira, but you can call me Akira. I… I really like Pokémon… and I want to become a great Trainer… I… I…" Akira got so nervous that he froze mid-sentence, breaking out in sweat.
"Am I that scary?" Sato suddenly squatted down and asked softly.
"Uh… ah! N-no, I'm just nervous…" Akira was about to cry. He thought he wasn't cut out to be a Trainer, his performance was terrible.
Sato grinned and looked over at Mark. "What's your reason for recommending him?"
"Akira's a tech whiz. He built his own data analysis program that can monitor a Pokémon's six-dimensional stat changes in real time. He's self-taught a ton of Pokémon knowledge, he's basically a little genius."
Mark had clearly done his homework, rattling off the info fluently.
"If he's got a Pokémon, then let's have him battle too."
"Alright!"