Mabellis Gym

[Professor Ironwood]

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Mabellis Town Gym : Esoteric Badge
Gym Leader: Annelise Francey : Bewildering Tactics!
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The Mabellis Gym is, from the outside, a relatively modest, nondescript building, constructed at the focal point of the town. A neat sign, hand-carved and hand-lettered, hangs over the doorframe, indicating the Gym's existence and the Badge available there.

Stepping inside the Gym, however, is an entirely different experience. Constructed for exceptional acoustic qualities, the marble walkway that leads up to Annelise's seat causes vast and confusing echoes - reverberations that seem to come from everywhere and persist forever. The gym itself features dozens of mirrors placed at deliberate points throughout, on the walls and the roof and even the floor, though they are protected from any damage the combatants might do. Lighting flickers and refracts off of them, catching in the slight haze in the air, water vapour produced by unseen furnaces. The room is hot, except where it's been deliberately cooled, assaulting the enterprising trainer with a constant sensory assault that lacks any apparent consistency.

Ms. Francey is well known within the Circuit for her bizarre style - the only real theme that connects her various teams is that they all use collections of bizarre, strange moves. The entire flow of battle can turn on a dime at any point when facing her - her movesets are broad and deliberately engineered to keep Trainers off their feet and scrambling to react to changing circumstances. Her fondness for eclectic and bewildering tactics, however, may leave glaring holes in her teams that can be exploited by enterprising trainers if they can think on their feet. Of course, it depends on which team you end up facing...

Obtaining the Esoteric Badge will allow a trainer to use the Flash HM, as well as being the (usual) first half of the South-Western Circuit. Most trainers will proceed from here on to <city name>, looking to finish off the circuit and gain access to the Region's ferry services.