Pokémon: This Is Definitely Pokémon!

As Gabriel gazed at the Dragonite Scale in his hand, he couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion. Only now did he truly appreciate that Everette was indeed a Gym Leader, someone who had access to rare and valuable items.

Even just holding the scale, Gabriel could sense its immense power. It was as if an enraged dragon was roaring right next to his ear—a clear sign that this was no ordinary artifact.

Although this scale wasn't an in-game item, Gabriel could tell at a glance how perfectly it matched Dratini's attributes.

"Old man Eve, what other treasures are you hiding on you?"

Gabriel, lost in thought while staring at the scale, accidentally blurted out his inner monologue. Hearing this, Everette's mustache twitched as he shot a glare at Gabriel.

"What did you just call me? No manners at all!"

Leader Eve wanted to retort, but just as he opened his mouth, he thought better of it and shut it again.

This kid's one of my best customers. If I scare him off, what then? Go back to scraping by like before?

Fine. I'll just pretend I didn't hear that.

Gabriel snapped out of his thoughts, his eyes gleaming as he looked at Leader Eve. The Gym Leader was like a walking treasure trove—just casually handing over an artifact like this was enough to last him for a while. Who knew what else he might have?

"Gym Leader Eve, do you have any other treasures that might suit Dratini? I'm willing to trade Pokéblocks for them."

 Gym Leader Eve glared at Gabriel in frustration. "What kind of fool do you take me for? Trading treasures like these for Pokéblocks? Am I crazy?"

Gabriel scratched the back of his head awkwardly. Gym Leader Eve's reaction didn't surprise him; this scale was clearly a rare item. Getting even one was already more than enough.

"Thank you, Gym Leader Eve. I'll make good use of this treasure."

"Hey, hold on. Don't thank me just yet. This thing is only on loan to you. You'll have to return it later."

Gabriel nodded. Though he was a little disappointed that the Dragonite Scale wasn't truly his, he was determined to make the most of it. Dratini had to quickly grasp the Dragon-type energy imbued within while they still had access to it.

Gym Leader Eve then pulled a notebook from his pocket and handed it to Gabriel.

"This is a training journal I kept. It's full of my notes on energy control and training methods. It should help you a lot, especially when it comes to teaching Monster new moves. After all, moves are just applications of energy. Take a good look—it'll be beneficial."

Gabriel accepted the notebook with great care. A Gym Leader's training notes were invaluable, even making the usually calm Elle beside him look surprised.

"Thank you, Gym Leader Eve. This book is very important to me."

Gabriel signaled Elle to bring over a large box, which he handed to Gym Leader Eve.

"This contains my father's monthly allocation of 300 Pokéblocks for me. Starting next month, I'll have him send 350 Pokéblocks as tuition for your guidance."

After handing over the box, Gabriel, holding the notebook tightly, left with Dratini and Elle, eager to dive into the Gym Leader's training secrets.

Gym Leader Eve stood there, stunned, staring at the box left behind. His expression froze, and he could only mutter under his breath.

"Three… three… three…"

On the other side, a Vespiquen holding four Pokéblocks in her claws hesitated before approaching the petrified Gym Leader Eve.

"Buzz… buzz buzz."

She held out the Pokéblocks, gesturing for Gym Leader Even to help process them. But seeing no response, she nervously set the cubes aside and started tapping his head.

"Don't move. Let me recover for a moment."

"Buzz?"

"It's nothing. Just a little emotional shock. Let me calm down."

Relieved, Vespiquen placed the Pokéblocks in front of him again, urging him to deal with them.

"Buzz buzz!"

"It's just a few Pokéblocks. If you want to eat, go ahead. I'll treat you and your grubs to a feast later!"

"Buzz?"

Vespiquen touched the spot where she had just tapped him. Did I hit him too hard? Did I break him?

Gym Leader Eve impatiently brushed her hand away.

"I'm fine! It's just some Pokéblocks. Wait till you see this treasure!"

With that, Gym Leader Eve opened the box Gabriel had left behind.

A fragrant aroma instantly filled the room, causing Vespiquen to freeze. Her consciousness seemed to waver.

"This box contains 300 Pokéblocks—enough for us to feast for days!"

Vespiquen trembled, then collapsed to the ground.

Is this… heaven?

Gym Leader Eve picked her up and continued, "And this is just a portion. From now on, we'll get 350 Pokéblocks every month. We're living the high life!"

Hearing this, Vespiquen fainted completely in Gym Leader Eve's arms.

This is definitely heaven!

"Hey, wake up! Don't sleep! Get up!"

Meanwhile, back at his villa, Gabriel was engrossed in reading the notebook. He spent the entire afternoon pouring over its contents, even skipping dinner. By the time he finally fell asleep, he was still clutching the book.

The next day, Gabriel finished studying the notebook.

As expected of a Gym Leader's notes, it explained many concepts he hadn't understood before and provided him with invaluable guidance.

He also finally understood why Gym Leader Eve seemed so unreliable—he only had one Pokémon, that Vespiquen.

The entire notebook was devoted to Gym Leader Eve's methods for training Vespiquen. To his credit, his insights were unique. If one followed his methods, they could indeed raise a Vespiquen strong enough to match a Gym Leader's.

While Gabriel admired Everette's dedication, he also recognized the limitations of his approach. Focusing on a single Pokémon was too restrictive, especially in battles where having a diverse team was crucial. No wonder Gym Leader Eve had never advanced beyond being a Gym Leader.

Still, the notebook contained plenty of knowledge Gym Leader Eve could use. Armed with this new understanding, he began formulating the next phase of Dratini's training.

Gabriel put away the notebook and headed to the training grounds with Dratini.

Perhaps Dratini couldn't beat that Growlithe yet, but in two months? That might be a different story.

Rafael, you better not cry when the time comes!

Elsewhere, Gym Leader Eve frowned as he examined another Dragonite Scale in his hand.

Wait… did I give him the wrong one?

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