Chapter 118. Fuchsia Gym
"Strange.
Why hasn't the second challenger come out yet?"
Beside Aya stood a man in the same ninja garb.
He was Aya's older brother and the Fuchsia Gym's Gym Leader—Koga.
Only now, this well-trained ninja was staring at the second exit with tense focus.
For one reason only: this challenger named Ash had been inside for two or three hours and still hadn't come out.
That shouldn't happen.
A normal person should wander back out in half an hour!
A bead of cold sweat slid down Koga's forehead.
"Brother, don't worry.
They're Ash's companions, and they all say this is normal."
As Aya spoke, she took out a handkerchief, wanting to wipe her brother's sweat.
"Miss Aya, allow me to serve!"
Brock performed a lightning-fast kneeling slide.
"What on earth is Ash doing?"
In Misty's hands was Natsume's Rotom Phone.
Onscreen, Ash's location icon wound in loops and returned to the start again.
When Ash looped back to the start the first time, he had already contacted Natsume, who told him to take the right path with no traps, and then…
Ash looped back to the start a second time.
"Sigh, forget it.
Aya, go receive the challenger named Ash."
Koga kneaded his brow.
"Understood." Aya answered.
Before she could move, the wall between the two corridors suddenly shuddered.
"Boom!"
With a violent crash, a fist burst through and punched a big hole.
"?"
Koga stared, dumbfounded, at the dust-covered boy stepping out of the hole.
The other party seemed to have come this way by punching straight through the walls.
"It's Ash—and center-parted and Pikachu!" Misty exclaimed.
"Pikachu—"
Behind Ash, center-parted and Pikachu both wore looks of utter despair.
Seeing that Ash was unharmed, Koga let out a breath.
"All right, you two—let's begin!"
Ignoring the wall Ash had punched through, Koga walked to the center of the field.
"This will be a one-on-one battle."
With that—
Snap!
Smoke billowed up behind Koga.
When it cleared, a battle arena had appeared out of thin air.
"Wow, just like a circus clown act.
So cool!"
Ash wiped the sweat from his forehead and offered heartfelt praise.
"Uh… I don't think that's exactly a compliment."
Brock tugged on Ash's sleeve and took both Pikachu into his arms to massage them.
Hearing Ash's words, Koga's mouth twitched slightly.
He closed his eyes and said,
"You two come at me together."
"Together?" Ash was stunned.
"Natsume, is this what you meant by a Double Battle?" Ash turned to look at him.
"Probably not.
Double Battles also use one battlefield."
Natsume pointed at the two arenas that had appeared and shook his head.
"For this Gym challenge: Koga versus Ash, and Koga versus Natsume.
Challengers, prepare!"
Aya stood between the two adjacent arenas and took up the role of referee.
"As a ninja, dividing one's focus is basic training.
Come!"
Koga tossed two Poké Balls.
With twin flashes of red light, two Venonat appeared on the two fields.
"Wow, Venonat!"
Ash pulled out his Pokédex in wonder.
"Little brother, did you not see the Venonat that was sent to guide you just now?"
Koga turned and looked at Ash in puzzlement.
"Huh? Guide… I didn't see anything."
Ash's face showed confusion.
"Never mind, let's battle first."
Koga shook his head, planning to look for Venonat later.
"Venonat, evolve!" Koga called first.
In an instant, white light flashed over both Venonat.
With a twist of shape, two white-and-purple, fully furred giant moths appeared on the fields.
[Venomoth: Poison Moth Pokémon.
The evolved form of Venonat.
The powder that falls from its wings comes in many varieties.]
"Amazing!
Mr. Koga can control Pokémon evolution!"
Ash looked properly stunned.
"Yes.
Always knowing a partner's condition is one of a ninja's required lessons."
Receiving such generous emotional praise, Koga allowed himself a small smile.
It hadn't been in vain to calculate the levels so precisely.
"Just evolved, huh…"
Natsume pondered which partner to send.
The center-parted had wandered with Ash for half a day and had fallen fast asleep.
His other Pokémon were too high-level—if they went in and flattened the opponent in one hit, there wouldn't be much battle experience gained.
Right.
"Go, Rotom!"
Natsume threw his ball, and a golden-yellow Pokémon with a pair of little lightning wings appeared on the field.
Conveniently, the Rotom gifted by Toyama was a lower level—only around level 25 so far.
It needed battles to gain experience.
"Go, Charmander!"
Ash refused to be outdone.
Pikachu was exhausted for once, so he didn't send it to take point.
"Oh?
Looks like you two are well prepared."
Koga's eyes narrowed slightly.
He specialized in Poison-type Pokémon.
Charmander and Rotom were both unfriendly matchups for Venomoth—
One super-effective, the other resisting.
Natsume's Rotom even double-resisted Bug and Poison.
"Venomoth, Stun Spore!"
Pale yellow powder gusted out, sweeping toward Charmander and Rotom like a curtain.
"Charmander, Flamethrower!"
Ash reacted first.
On the other side, Natsume took out his phone to check today's wind direction.
"Rotom, take to the sky."
A thick jet of flame burned through the powder.
Rotom rose into the air and soon vanished from sight.
Before long, a light breeze arrived, and every mote of Stun Spore on the field was blown away.
"Charmander, Fire Spin!"
Ash pressed the advantage.
"Venomoth, dodge—quick!"
Koga had no idea where Natsume's Rotom had gone, but he had to pull his attention back.
"Thunder Wave."
Natsume's voice drifted down.
A wave of electricity fell from above and, before Koga could react, struck Venomoth.
"Veno—!"
Sparks crackled over Venomoth's body.
Its wings stiffened mid-beat, and it nearly crashed to the ground.
It was paralyzed.
"Hey, where did you even fly off to!"
Koga was baffled; he couldn't see Rotom at all.
The opponent was like a floating base, firing beams downward.
"Confuse Ray."
Natsume didn't answer.
He just kept piling status conditions on Venomoth.
"Darn it—Venomoth, get airborne!"
Confuse Ray hit, and Venomoth became confused.
Even so, at Koga's command, Venomoth actually pushed through both paralysis and confusion and climbed for the sky!
Natsume blinked.
Right now, he really wanted to wake center-parted from its dreams and make it witness this willpower.
But that would be pointless.
Natsume gave a small shake of the head.
Sure enough, mid-air, Venomoth wobbled and toppled back down.
"What's going on?" Koga froze.
"Boom!"
Before he could think further, an explosion sounded outside the Gym, pulling everyone's gaze.
"It looks like someone broke into the Gym?" Aya murmured.
Not far away, a Venonat with a rope tied to its body rolled in, sobbing.
It was the very Venonat that had been assigned to guide Ash!
"Veno—!"
It clutched Aya's leg and poured out its tale.
"Brother, Venonat says a man, a woman, and a Meowth broke into the Gym and are stealing Pokémon!"
Anxiousness rose on Aya's face.
"I'm going to stop them!"
With that, Aya headed off first.
"Mr. Koga, aren't you going?"
Ash and Natsume turned in unison to look at Koga.
"Standing on one's own is a quality a ninja must possess."
Koga closed his eyes and let Aya go.
"Miss Aya, I will aid you!"
Brock sprinted after her.
"I—I'll help too."
Realizing it was the Team Rocket trio, Misty covered her face and followed.
A moment later, she lowered her hand in confusion.
Why was she embarrassed on the trio's behalf?
Seeing Misty and Brock run over to help, Koga nodded again.
"Excellent.
A well-trained ninja must learn to make rational use of others' strength!"
Natsume: "…"
Whatever you say, you're always in the right, huh.
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