Strange as it may have seemed, this was the Gym, the Rhydon statues by the entrance being proof of that. It didn't take long for Andrea to appear in all her onesie-clad glory, accompanied by a cute little Fuecoco. "Hello there... Alexei Ivanov, right?" Ever since being added in the group chat, she'd become a lot more familiar with Hoenn's Gym leaders. "Ooh, macaroons! Thank you so much!" She gratefully accepted the box of colorful treats.

"So you're here for a sandwich challenge. Come this way." The dragon-hooded girl led Alexei to a picnic table laden with all kinds of ingredients, from dairy and veggies to various meats. On a large plate in the middle, the bottom slice of bread had been set in advance, the top slice lying not far away. "Feel free to use any ingredients from this table, but you must use exactly five. Your Pokémon are welcome to help too!" The young woman explained.

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"Ooh, shiny!" Andrea marveled at the deep orange Combee, while helping herself to a macaroon. Jalapeño wagged his stubby arms, demanding a macaroon as well. What a sweet baby boy!

Speaking of sweetness, Alexei went with strawberry as his first ingredient choice. A bold move, but would it pay off? Only time would tell.

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Yep, the Fortree Gym leader had fully committed to the sweet sandwich route, creaming all over the bread. Was he making a sandwich or a dessert?

Andrea did not judge his choices. Quite the contrary, in fact. "Nice! It's like you're making a sandwich that's also a dessert!" She giddily remarked, while her Fuecoco growled supportively, wolfing down a spare macaroon.

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Hold up, let him cook. Sure, adding a bunch of sweet ingredients to a sandwich may have seemed questionable at first to the untrained eye, but Alexei was a man with a plan. The whipped cream and the strawberries had merely been a precursor to the real secret ingredient: A very nice apple that would keep any doctor away.

"I love apples! Apples are the best! They remind me of Fuecoco!" Andrea jovially remarked. Technically she wasn't supposed to help the challengers by giving them tips, but she couldn't help being excited at his latest choice. The apple slices fell so nicely over the cream-covered bread, it looked like they'd always belonged there. A perfect 100!

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Seeing the little Combee attempt to pick up that banana despite having no arms elicited a small giggle from the novice Gym leader. "She's just trying to help! Bananas are a good choice!" The young woman remarked.

Andrea reached for the box of macaroons to grab one, only to find out that her Fuecoco had already eaten all of them. "Jalapeño, how many did you eat?! You're gonna get a tummy ache!" She worriedly exclaimed, while the fire croc let out a loud burp.

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"She's doing a fantastic job even without arms!" The young PokéManiac remarked as the little Combee that could fetched the last ingredient, which predictably was a glob of sweet, sweet honey. With that, Alexei's sugary treat of a sandwich had reached completion. It was time for Andrea to bestow one of her well-known by now stringent reviews.

"Hmmm, using nothing but sweet ingredients was a bold move. However, what this sandwich lacks in variety, it makes up for with consistency. The fruit and the honey make for an interesting contrast, while at the same time blending perfectly together. I'll give this an above average rating of 59!" The dragon-costumed girl stated. It might have seemed low, but that grade was quite good all things considered.

"Now comes the fun part of the challenge!" Andrea dropped her strict reviewer persona, smiling and happily clasping her hands together. "You and Combee will have to eat this sandwich together!" She announced, her Fuecoco waving its stubby arms in anticipation.

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Seeing both of them savor the sweet taste of victory made Andrea's smile widen. Being offered a piece of the sandwich too caught the eccentric cosplayer by surprise, but she was more than happy to accept, sharing part of it with Jalapeño. "It tastes pretty good! Thanks, Mr. Alexei!"

Once everyone had had their fill, the young Gym leader presented Alexei with a handcrafted badge shaped like a nondescript creature's head. "For your remarkable bond with Combee, you've earned this Monster Badge! Wear it with pride!" She exclaimed, pinning the badge on the man's chest. Ouch.

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