Hi I hope your day is going well, I have a male Nidoran and he tends to be really quiet and doesn’t enjoy battling too much. My father wants to pass down his gym to me and I would love for him to be a part of my main team. How do I get him excited about battles? I should probably already know this if I’m going to be a gym leader…

Don’t.

You must excuse me for my tone, anonymous, but the long and short of it is that if a pokémon doesn’t wish to be a part of a gym team, they shouldn’t be forced into it. Gym battles are more intense than average, everyday training, and if a pokémon’s heart isn’t into it, then that will translate badly on the battlefield. Your pokémon may be at a higher risk of getting injured if he’s not battling to his fullest capabilities, with his heart 100% in what he’s doing. It’s better to allow him to watch from the sidelines than to force him to take part in something he doesn’t wish to participate in.

Perhaps, down the line, he may change his mind, especially if he’s allowed to watch you battle frequently. However, don’t press him (into either battling or watching), and until he shows an interest in battling, don’t risk his safety by battling with him.