Pokemon: A Gym Leader's Rise(SI)

"Alright everyone, gather around," Gladion called out to his Pokémon one sunny afternoon. They were all lounging in the backyard after an intense training session. "I've been thinking about something important."

His team assembled before him: the muscular Machoke flexing unconsciously, Milotic gracefully coiling herself into a comfortable position, Eevee bouncing excitedly, and Pupitar was laying on a rock.

"You know how there are thousands of Machoke, Milotic, Eevee, and Pupitar out there?" Gladion began, pacing back and forth. "Well, you're not just any ordinary Pokémon. You're MY Pokémon, and each of you is special in your own way. So, I think it's time you all had names that reflect who you are."

Eevee yipped excitedly, her tail wagging so fast it was almost a blur. Gladion couldn't help but chuckle at her enthusiasm.

"Let's start with you, my little powerhouse," he said, turning to Machoke. "You know how I sometimes reference this character called Might Guy when we train? Well, I think that should be your name - Guy."

Machoke's eyes widened, and it struck a dramatic pose showing his super white teeth that was so similar to the actual Might Guy that Gladion had to stifle a laugh.

"Guy was known as the Green Beast in his world, and he believed in the power of hard work over natural talent. Sound familiar?" Gladion grinned as Machoke - now Guy - flexed his muscles and gave a thumbs up. "He also had this habit of making dramatic speeches about youth and-"

Before Gladion could finish, Guy struck another pose and let out a series of grunts that somehow managed to convey the essence of a speech about the springtime of youth. The other Pokémon sweatdropped in perfect anime fashion.

"Yeah, exactly like that," Gladion laughed. "I see you're already living up to your name."

Turning to his Eevee, who was practically vibrating with anticipation, Gladion smiled. "For you, my future Umbreon, I've chosen the name Nyx."

Eevee tilted her head curiously.

"Nyx was the ancient goddess of the night," Gladion explained. "She was one of the primordial deities, incredibly powerful and respected even by the strongest gods. Given that you're working so hard to evolve into an Umbreon - a dark-type Pokémon associated with the moon and night - I thought it would be perfect."

Nyx puffed up her chest proudly, trying to look as dignified as possible... until she got so excited she started chasing her own tail, causing Gladion to facepalm.

"And you," Gladion turned to his elegant Milotic, "I'm naming you Mystique. It means an aura of mystery and allure, which fits you perfectly. Plus," he added with a grin, "you did start out as a rather mysterious Feebas before revealing your true beautiful form."

Mystique preened at the compliment, doing a graceful twirl in the air that sent sparkles of light dancing off her scales. Guy rolled his eyes good-naturedly at her showmanship, while Nyx watched the sparkles with fascinated eyes, trying to catch them with her paws.

"Finally," Gladion turned to his Pupitar, "for you, I've chosen the name Colossus. It means something of enormous size and strength, which is perfect considering you'll eventually evolve into one of the most powerful Pokémon species known - Tyranitar. You are also quite big thanks to your super powerful genes so this name suits you quite a lot."

Colossus vibrated with happiness, accidentally releasing a small Stone Edge that narrowly missed Guy, who dodged it with an exaggerated martial arts move.

"Hey, watch it there, big guy!" Gladion laughed. "Save that energy for training."

Looking at his newly named team, Gladion felt a surge of pride. "You know what this means now, right? When people talk about the incredible Machoke who mastered three elemental punches, they won't just be talking about any Machoke - they'll be talking about Guy. When they speak of the Milotic who can hold her own against electric type Pokemon, they'll be speaking of Mystique. When they mention the Umbreon who can disappear into shadows, they'll be talking about Nyx. And when they whisper about the Tyranitar who can shake mountains, they'll be speaking of Colossus."

His Pokémon cheered in their own ways - Guy struck another pose, Mystique created a beautiful aurora with her scales, Nyx howled adorably, and Colossus vibrated excitedly (this time without the Stone Edge).

"Although," Gladion added with a mischievous grin looking at Colossus, "I considered naming you 'Rocky' instead of Colossus, but I was afraid you'd give me the cold shoulder... get it? Because you're a rock-type?"

His Pokémon collectively groaned at the terrible pun, with Guy actually falling over dramatically in mock despair.

"Tough crowd," Gladion chuckled. "Would you say my jokes are... rock bottom?"

Mystique used her tail to gently splash some water from the pond at him, while Nyx playfully tugged at his pants leg as if trying to drag him away from making more puns.

"Okay, okay, I'll stop!" Gladion raised his hands in surrender, laughing. "But seriously, these names aren't just labels - they're promises. Promises of who you'll become, of the legends you'll create. From now on, you're not just my Pokémon - you're Guy, the Machoke who never gives up; Mystique, the Milotic who defied expectations; Nyx, the future Umbreon who will command the night; and Colossus, the Pupitar and future Tyranitor destined for greatness."

Each Pokémon stood a little taller (or in Nyx's case, tried to) at their new names.

"Now then," Gladion clapped his hands together, "how about we celebrate with some training? Guy, ready to show us how many times you can yell about youth while doing pushups?"

Guy immediately dropped to the ground and started doing one-armed pushups while grunting enthusiastically.

"Mystique, want to show us why they call you the beautiful mystery?"

Mystique responded by creating a dazzling display of combination of water and ice moves that sparkled in the sunlight.

"Nyx, ready to practice another dark type move?"

Nyx immediately l started trying to use bite even though she has already learned it.

"And Colossus, ready to show us why they'll call you the mountain mover?"

Colossus vibrated with determination, this time successfully controlling his Stone Edge to create a perfect circle of rocks around him.

As Gladion watched his newly named team train, he couldn't help but smile. These weren't just names - they were the beginning of their legends. And somewhere in the back of his mind, he could already hear future trainers whispering about the incredible Pokémon trained by Gladion Vortex, each one as unique as their names suggested.

"Although," he couldn't resist adding, "I guess you could say these names really... rock!"

The collective groan from his Pokémon could probably be heard all over Moonwood Town.

------Author Notes-------

Y'all can read 12 extra chapters on my pat*reon.

https://pat reon.com/mrmime24

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