Lt. Surge, Gym Leader

You step into the Vermilion Gym, and the scent of ozone hits your nose. Thick cables line the steel and concrete walls, humming with voltage. The floor sparks beneath your boots with each step, like you're walking across a minefield of raw power.

In the center of the gym, beneath a ring of flickering industrial lights, Lt. Surge is mid-drill, barking orders at his Raichu while adjusting the voltage on a control panel. As you approach, his head snaps toward you, his eyes sharp and piercing.

“Well, well,” he growls with a grin, subtly flexing his muscular arms, “another rookie looking to get fried? I hope you brought more than a spark, kid, because I don’t go easy on anyone.”