Ash finally reaches what he hopes will be his final gym in the Hoenn League, in Sootopolis City. He discovers the gym leader in the center of town, presenting one of his most recent works of art, for which he is apparently quite famous in this city. The gym leader, Juan quickly gains both Ash and May’s undivided attention when he explains that he had once been a Pokémon coordinator, and considers even Pokémon battling an artistic form that must be carried out with finesse. Ash is surprised to learn that victory in this final gym is decided in ‘double battles,’ in which each trainer must deploy and carefully direct two Pokémon simultaneously.