One month ago, disaster struck the Celadon City Gym. What was meant to be an innocent attempt to create a unique perfume ended up fattening everyone there, as the moment the purchased Full Incense was exposed to the humid air of the gym, saturated with plant sugars and nectar, it blew up like a smoke bomb. All of a sudden, the building was full of smog, the people inside were inflating rapidly, and the contaminant was seeping into the soil. Though no one had to be hospitalized and only understudies of the Gym Leader were there that day, all of them were left hundreds of pounds heavier than before.

It took weeks to air out the place, but the Indigo League was finally willing to let visitors inside in order to contest Erika for the Rainbow Badge. Since dawn, she has been fighting, making good on scheduled fights that had to be delayed only because of her own folly. By the end of the day, she was beat; her weary and titanic body was verging on collapse when you entered the gym.

"O-Oh, we're, w-we can only take contenders who've been scheduled in advance," Erika said as she heard someone pass through the front doors, though she was currently looking down towards her feet. "Speak with one of my apprentices; they'll help you..."