And it bodes nobody well.

Okay, maybe it was cool, but sharp greetings like that are no way to break the ice.





....you can't hurt me for the puns, I'm on the internet!

Although, the awesome old men have even more awesome stories.

Hmmm.  Drayden, Mike Haggar.  Drayden, Mike Haggar.

That's a tough choice.  That is one awe-inspiring beard.

The next pair of battles in the Opelucid Gym is all about threes.

What the lower statue would hope to accomplish by hitting the other dragon in the fist with its nose is up to you to decide.

Yet another Bottled Water waits for you at the entrance to this gym- with your per-pokemon HP up notably over 100 at this point, the item is looking considerably less nice than it did at the start of your journey.  With all the free Lemonade you can get from making movies, it begs the question what this guy thinks you're going to do with the thing and why he considers it still important.

Finish your business in Shopping Mall Nine with a battle and then it's time to kick down the rest of Route 9.

Alarmingly, Shopping Mall Nine's TM selection is rather poor compared to the equivalents in other Pokemon games.  One does have to wonder what the meaning of that is...

Snag another couple things from Route 9's grassy area and you can then head into Shopping Mall Nine, the premier purchasable place perenially prized by pokemon profiteers.