The Illyna League: Gym Leader Evelina

by PentheWonderful

Gym Leader Eve.png
PentheWonderful Past the rocky peaks and sheer drops of Mt. Cragspire, the Seismic Badge in hand, you find yourself travelling down a valley road. The weather shifts to a more sullen, gloomy state, with thick overcast and a certain heaviness in the air. There's an occasional whistle of a breeze rustling barren branches and the occasional rumble of thunder, and you get the sense that you're constantly being followed. As you follow the lonely, desolate road, you start to see the occasional megalith engraved with an ancient language and illustrations, patterns and symbols, and eventually, large-scale excavation sites where you can battle some archeologists and construction workers, maybe catch a Pokemon or two. At the end of the road, you finally see it; Caldoshire City.

In summary, perhaps you could describe it as a fusion of the old and the new, with modern high-rise apartments and offices intertwining with ancient structures that have been restored and blended into the new infrastructure. Ancient roads merged with new ones, and megaliths and stone structures serve as centrepieces for roundabouts or put on display in parks and sidewalks for all to enjoy. Several history museums and laboratories are scattered throughout the city, housing various relics found from the excavation sites of Illyna's ancient ruins. One of Caldoshire's biggest attractions is the Illyna National Museum, where ancient runes, relics, fossils, artwork and native flora and fauna are put on display for educational purposes alongside published studies on Illyna's mysterious ruins.

It is through the museum that you can gain access to Caldoshire Gym. At the very back of the museum's hall, past the endless bookshelves and rows of PCs is a dark, plain-looking corridor brandishing the classic Gym logo above the doorframe. Upon entering it, you are subjected to what can only be described as a "haunted house" experience. The corridor leads you down several flights of stairs with only dim lighting, the lights flickering every now and again, and your surroundings are deafeningly silent. Once you reach the bottom of the stairs, you are met with stacks of papers and boxes that rise from the floor to the ceiling, and nothing but pitch black beyond it. As you push your way through, carefully avoiding the occasional misplaced box or paper stack, the experience is extremely claustrophobic. You hear whispers, eerie, inhuman laughter, and feel a recurring cold chill or the sensation that something is touching you, only to find nothing there.

The stacks of boxes and papers are like a perpetual wall around you, creating a disorienting maze where you could easily become lost in forever should you lose your bearings, or possibly be crushed beneath the stacks of boxes should you knock into it. Occasionally, you find reprieve in an odd clearing of actual shelves holding various antiques or books, or desks cluttered with various test tubes holding eerie, glowing fluids. Occasionally you would see relics or fossils inside a containment chamber, hooked up to various wires and cables that lead into the piles of boxes. You notice that there are no other trainers to battle through, but hoards of incredibly strong and Wild Ghost Pokemon will ambush you at random when they're not throwing things at you or knocking things over to try and scare you. You are allowed to catch these Pokemon, however. Another challenge to overcome is the random traps set up around the maze, operating on various mechanisms that will either worsen your vision, disorient you, or even afflict status ailments onto your Pokemon. If you manage to navigate this horror maze, however, Evelina awaits you in her study.

The team you must now battle is:
1. Luka, her eerie and imposing Chandelure
2. Anya, her cuddly, yet dangerous Mimikyu
3. Igor, her powerful and sturdy Golurk
4. Artem, her battle-hungry and vengeful Runerigus
5. Ivan-chai, her emotional support Polteageist and confidante.

Eve may be a Ghost Gym Leader, but she is also a status-ailment specialist. Her strategy revolves around afflicting various status ailments on her opponents and using moves that will take advantage of said ailments. Reversely, her defence includes using her status ailments to her advantage, making her an extremely frustrating opponent, as straight-forward attacks will only lead you into her trap, forcing trainers to think of more creative ways to battle. In addition, Eve also favours moves that disorientates and warps the environment to her advantage (such as creating illusions), in the hopes of throwing the opponent off their guard and pushing them to think on their toes. Quick adaptation is key in defeating Eve, but once you manage that, she will reward you with the Mirage Badge and the TM Confuse Ray.

With the many Ghost type Pokemon that run rampant inside the gym, the maze is constantly shifting and changing, with new corridors that go on forever or dead ends that weren't there before, making the maze seem endless. However, the good news is, if they see you are now in possession of the Mirage Badge, they will clear a way for you straight to the stairs. But if they don't... Good luck finding your way out.
  1. PentheWonderful
    PentheWonderful
    @RenzFlintrock There's a lot of layers to this picture! Literally and figuratively XD
    Mar 29, 2020
    RenzFlintrock likes this.
  2. RenzFlintrock
    RenzFlintrock
    After seeing this picture about 20 times I’m just now realizing that the background is a bunch of ghost types.

    How did I miss that before...?!
    Mar 27, 2020
    PentheWonderful likes this.
  3. Vergil Tanner
    Vergil Tanner
    @PentheWonderful
    The Legend of Pokemon: Breath Of The Wild!
    The Pokescrolls VI: Pokelivion!
    Poke-Age 3!
    WatchHoundooms!

    Ok, I'll stop.

    Though seriously, that does sound like an awesome idea. I would easily lose years of my life to a vast open world Pokemon game xD
    Mar 17, 2020
    RenzFlintrock likes this.
  4. PentheWonderful
    PentheWonderful
    @GymLeaderJojo Lmao, I actually don't mind them cutting the 730 out of SnSh just because the Pokedex keeps expanding with every new generation, and having all 730 seems a bit redundant. Especially if you won't be able to catch those Pokemon in the region. I think it's good to just focus on the new Pokemon being introduced since it's still possible to transfer over your old team to the game anyway. That being said, I am hoping that they do an "Open-World" game someday where you can travel to every region that's been introduced and literally catch 'em all. :D
    Mar 15, 2020
  5. JojoMaker
    JojoMaker
    @PentheWonderful your welcome! And making the gym leader Ghost herself? Good idea. also, Why didn't Game Freak think of that!
    (probably because they are lazy cuz they literally just cut about 730 pokemon out of sword and shield. Also I just relized she has a mega stone in her hair)
    Mar 14, 2020
  6. PentheWonderful
    PentheWonderful
    @GymLeaderJojo Thanks so much! I wanted her to look more like a ghost herself than a witch or freaky lady dressed in black XD
    Mar 14, 2020
  7. JojoMaker
    JojoMaker
    DANG THATS A GOOD DESIGN FOR A GHOST TYPE GYM LEADER!!!
    you keep bringing good artworks! keep it up @PentheWonderful! (but don't stress yourself!)
    Mar 14, 2020
  8. PentheWonderful
    PentheWonderful
    @Red Gallade Haha, it's definitely both XD I highly doubt any human enjoys being down there except her or a select few Ghost-type enthusiasts.

    You can certainly try, but she's not very big on conversation. Except if it's her research you're discussing, of course :p
    Mar 11, 2020
    RenzFlintrock likes this.
  9. Red Gallade
    Red Gallade
    I also like the fact she has wild Ghost type Pokemon rather than trainers who share her ways; she's either a great friend to these Pokemon or her ways are 'a rare taste.'

    I'd say both, but I wouldn't be afraid to have a cuppa with her.
    Mar 11, 2020
  10. PentheWonderful
  11. Merciless Medic
    Merciless Medic
    Omg, Shade is going to gush at all the Ghost-Types and would love the gym. The fight, not so much. XD all my other characters are going to loathe this.
    Mar 11, 2020
  12. kyuukestu
    kyuukestu
    Calling the custom Mega-evolution from now~
    Mar 11, 2020
  13. PentheWonderful
    PentheWonderful
    @kyuukestu Wow! I'm almost speechless, that was very well done! :D :D

    I'm glad you like the concept of the gym! I was quite proud of it myself ^^ But the keystone she has is no fluke, alright ;) As for why, well, you'll need to find out later.

    @E.K.A.N.S. Thanks? :p
    Mar 11, 2020
  14. E.K.A.N.S.
    E.K.A.N.S.
    If she kneed a girl in the groin, she'd collapse as if she'd been kicked in the nuts.
    Mar 11, 2020
  15. kyuukestu
    kyuukestu
    Thanks! It could do with a bit of editing, I was still in a bit of a rush so I'm sure mistakes abound. Though this is certainly the type of gym I'd like to go through in an RP :D

    @Vergil Tanner
    Mar 11, 2020
  16. Vergil Tanner
    Vergil Tanner
    @kyuukestu Bravo! Nicely done! An interesting read, and definitely well done! I said to Pen that this gym sounds all kinds of legitimately terrifying.

    All I'll say is that the Mega stone is not an artistic oversight ;-)
    Mar 10, 2020
  17. kyuukestu
    kyuukestu
    Ahhh~ with a bit more time on my hand and an itch in my fingers this was the result.

    You've been on edge ever since stepping foot into the Caldoshire Gym. You can handle the dim, flickering lights and the ubiquitous silence filled only by the draft of your breath, and your soft footfalls against the tiled floor. There's a persistent drumming coming from somewhere...but you realize it is only your heart as you descend into darkness.

    Suspended there-in are boxes and reams of paper; propped up against the gym's black, velvety background. You're careful to avoid touching them, they seem a surefire way to find yourself suddenly possessed by ghastly ghost-types. You can already feel everything shrinking; darkness closes in around you. However, the near-complete sensory deprivation only serves to highlight those breaks in the lull.

    It starts with whispers, eerie and inhumane, building into cackling laughter that sends chills down your spine. You have the sense that there's something behind you; your skin prickles with goosebumps and you whirl around. Only darkness greets you.

    You take a deep breath and steel your resolve. The gym challenge continues.

    The papers are boxes have become more prevalent; they share space with the void beyond them. They lean precariously, threatening to bury you; but you're not quite ready to become apart of the gym's haunting ambiance. You push onward.

    There are rare clearings, devoid of the gym's archaic chaos; actual bookshelves and tables provide much-needed support to their contents. It is a reprieve not only from the maze of darkness but for your mind as well; at least the various paraphernalia here do not seek to subvert your rationality. It is a welcome break from the gym's staunch defiance of common sense; it is more familiar but no less disturbing. Nevertheless, not even this will stop you.

    Leaving behind the clearing you find yourself beneath the assault of various ghost-types. You fight them off, of course, you were strong enough to get here and no wild ghost can put down your hardy team. You now know there is something beyond the darkness; you aren't sure if that realization is good...or bad.

    Sometime later the maze finally gives way to the Gym Leader's study. Pale as moonlight, she's just what you would expect from a person who dwelled in such darkness. Her features are charming, in a dispassioned and ephemeral kind of way —some kind of Kuudere. You wouldn't have expected these looks from a person who booby-trapped their gym. You grimace, still reeling from the effects of the last trap you'd triggered.

    The most fragrant rose has the sharpest thorns; the layout of the gym has given you ample time to familiarize yourself with this Gym Leader's insidious style. You shan't be fooled by her soft looks, she is dangerous. You notice the mega-stone punctuating her hair; your eyes are immediately drawn to it, its vibrant colors stand out against her outfit whose pure white and brilliant golds strike a shape contrast to the gym's themes of darkness and disconcertment.

    The battle begins, but you're all too eager to end it and leave this accursed place. Her pokemon are a hard fight, afflicting various statuses and ailments on your team and then capitalizing on them. Her defense is also solid, supplemented by more ailments. It grates on your already high-strung nerves; you can't believe it, but perhaps you may the first Human to learn the move Frustration.

    Still, your school your emotions, knowing that rushing in will play into her traps. You are not eager to experience another one after that maze. Your battle becomes strategic, testing not only the strength of your pokemon, but also the sharpness of your mind. One by one you blow through her smoke and shatter her mirrors, you're making good progress but you hesitate to go all in. Your eyes return to the mega-stone that crowns her; you've yet to see the Pokemon it belong to, so you'll wait a bit longer.

    Her pokemon fall one after the other, but so too do your own, afflictions earned in battle compounded by exhausted from the journey.

    You are both down to your last pokemon, you can see the light of victory reflecting of the new badge you'll no doubt earn. You've seen this Evelina, her traps ensnare you no longer...or do they?

    Your heart sinks as you catch the faintest of smirks playing across her lips. You reel in shock as her final pokemon proves to be something you'd never expected, a Polteagesit. Where was the Gengar? the Bannette? The signet bearing bruiser whose stone matched her own?

    To your horror, you are once again ensnared in her trap; this one weaved by the thread of your own thoughts. Where else had you gone wrong? What other assumptions had you unwittingly made? Mystery shrouds her once more, as her every action seems some veiled form of deception or trickery.

    You realize now from whom the Mirage badge earned its name. From the very moment you'd entered this gym you'd been caught in a mirage, the lines between reality and fiction blurred...
    Mar 10, 2020
  18. kyuukestu
    kyuukestu
    Has Mega stone and yet no Pokemon capable of Mega evolution? Is this some sort of mind game to throw incoming trainers off guard? The tension of awaiting that final ace; the Mega Gengar or Mega Banette that'll never come. Your preemptive strategy of holding your best pokemon close at hand, only to find out you've fallen into a trap of your own creation. The suggested mega you've been expecting will never come and now your caution has given Evelina all the time she's needed to construct here cradle of punishment and status effects. Inflicting afflictions not only to the body but to the very soul~

    Ingenious psychological trap or artistic oversight?

    I see where I missed out with Kirana, Evelina does not disappoint.

    That said I'd love to gush a bit more but I'm running late for class xD

    10/10 for the design though; Oh how I wish Hex was a TM!
    Mar 10, 2020
  19. Vergil Tanner
    Vergil Tanner
    @PentheWonderful I know, right?! Just look at that big goofy grin! It's excited to meet new people! How dare anybody hurt such a precious tea bebe! :O
    Mar 10, 2020
  20. PentheWonderful
    PentheWonderful
    @Vergil Tanner Thanks ^^ She was definitely one of the ones I had the most fun designing. And Polteageist is too precious. Anyone who defeats it is heartless.
    Mar 10, 2020
  21. Vergil Tanner
    Vergil Tanner
    Ah yes. The one thing that can defeat Elias...enclosed spaces. >.>

    But I love her! She's so waifish and ethereally beautiful, and I can feel myself getting annoyed just thinking about that battle. To hell with status ailments, I swear to God. It's a good thing that Markus has a good sense of direction. And a map. :p

    Seriously though, well done on her! I LOVE the art, and LOOK AT THE CUTE LITTLE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT POLTEAGEIST OMG. ♥
    Mar 10, 2020