The doors of the Laverre City Gym creak open, and at once you’re immersed in a world unlike any other. The gym doesn’t feel like a battlefield at all—it feels like stepping into a dream. Soft pinks, purples, and golds glow from lanterns shaped like blossoms. Curtains of delicate silk drift from the ceiling like strands of starlight. The scent of flowers lingers in the air, and everywhere you look, the place feels touched by something otherworldly.

At the far end of the room, upon a small, elevated stage framed by shimmering drapes, stands a woman with long, silky black hair streaked with violet. Her outfit flows like a gown spun from fairy wings—elegant, ornate, and whimsical. Her eyes meet yours, calm yet piercing, and when she speaks, her voice is soft, melodic, almost like a lullaby.

“Welcome, traveler,” she says, her hands clasped gracefully before her. “You stand now within the Laverre Gym, a place where reality bends and dreams take shape. I am Valerie, guardian of this sanctuary and master of Fairy-type Pokémon.” She takes a step forward, her robes fluttering, the bells on her outfit chiming faintly with each motion. “Fairy-types are misunderstood by many… fragile in appearance, yet radiant with power that can humble even the fiercest dragons.”

The lanterns around the room brighten as though responding to her words, casting intricate patterns across the stage. Valerie tilts her head slightly, studying you as though you’re a painting she’s deciding how best to frame.

“This is not merely a test of strength, but of beauty, harmony, and the bond you share with your Pokémon. Should you wish to earn the Fairy Badge, you must prove you can see with your heart as well as your eyes.”

Her faint smile curves, mysterious yet kind. She raises a Poké Ball, its surface shimmering in the lantern light. “Now… let us begin. May this battle be as enchanting as the magic of the fairies themselves.”

The stage lights intensify, casting you both in a soft, dreamlike glow as Valerie readies her first Pokémon.