Damn it… damn it…
Aya's eyes were filled with irritation.
"No. My brother is the Gym Leader," she replied sharply.
She had wanted to snap back with more insults, but the lingering numbness in her body reminded her to stay rational.
"Why did you set up so many traps?" Misty asked.
"This place is in the middle of nowhere. It's not like thieves would come rob a rundown house like this."
Brock nodded seriously.
"And it's so remote—no thief would bother coming here."
You guys…!
Aya was furious.
Who said the traps were meant for thieves?!
"So you're here to challenge the Gym, right?" Aya said, taking a deep breath to suppress the anger burning in her chest.
Just wait until my brother deals with you.
"Follow me."
Ash noticed the way Aya walked stiffly.
Compared to Team Rocket, who could still bounce back energetically after being shocked by Pikachu multiple times, Aya's endurance was clearly lacking.
They followed her into an open courtyard.
A man was practicing throwing ninja shuriken. If he had a forehead protector, he would look exactly like a ninja.
This man was Koga, the Fuchsia Gym Leader, a specialist in Poison-type Pokémon.
"Three guests, my apologies," Koga said without turning around.
"My sister must have caused you some trouble."
"This will be the battlefield."
Without giving them time to respond, Koga walked to the battle position.
Go, big brother!
Aya stood to the side and sneered at Ash and his friends.
"Sorry for the intrusion," Ash said as he stepped onto the battlefield with Pikachu.
"The Gym challenge rules are 2 vs. 2," Koga said while observing Ash.
"The Gym Leader sends out the first Pokémon."
"During the battle, the challenger may switch Pokémon freely."
"Then my first Pokémon is Venomoth."
Pokémon: Venomoth — Lv. 31
It had only recently evolved from Venonat.
"Charmeleon, you're up."
Ash had no intention of stubbornly sending out Bulbasaur against a bad matchup.
Whoever wanted to be a "type-disadvantage master" could go ahead.
"Venomoth, use Stun Spore."
Koga remained expressionless.
In his view, type advantages weren't everything—especially against challengers.
"Charmeleon, Fire Spin!"
A tornado-like vortex of flames burned away the Stun Spore released by Venomoth.
"Dodge and use Sleep Powder—then blow it forward!"
While evading, Venomoth scattered Sleep Powder into the air and used gusts from its wings to accelerate the spread.
You're even more annoying than me… Ash complained internally.
"Charmeleon, Flamethrower!"
A fierce blast of fire shot out, instantly incinerating the drifting Sleep Powder.
Even Venomoth's wing gusts couldn't stop Flamethrower. They only managed to deflect it slightly, preventing a direct knockout.
"Use Disable!"
Venomoth successfully sealed Charmeleon's Flamethrower, currently its strongest Fire-type move.
Ha! Take that! Aya thought happily.
Earlier, her brother's Venomoth had its powder attacks completely countered by Charmeleon's Fire-type moves.
With the type disadvantage and Ash's well-trained Charmeleon, the battle had initially looked one-sided.
"This guy would be perfect for battling Ash," Misty muttered.
This Gym Leader used nothing but status powders and move restrictions.
If she ever became a Gym Leader herself, she definitely hoped she wouldn't have to face challengers like this.
Honestly, she'd rather fight a straightforward battle than deal with such irritating strategies.
Brock remained silent, watching the battle with narrowed eyes.
Alright, so that's how you want to play…
Ash smirked.
You think disabling Flamethrower will stop me? I'll still beat the rest of your team.
Venomoth was Bug/Poison-type, while Charmeleon was Fire-type.
Trying to play tactics while facing a type disadvantage?
Ash guessed the next move.
Poison Powder.
Ash's eyes flickered.
"Venomoth, Poison Powder!"
Just as Ash predicted.
Koga planned to wear Charmeleon down with poison this time, though Venomoth didn't use gusts to speed it up.
However, Venomoth's wings had already been damaged by Flamethrower earlier. It could barely stay airborne now.
"Charmeleon, Fire Spin!"
The vortex of flames struck Venomoth directly.
The Poison Powder hadn't even traveled halfway before being burned away.
After taking two Fire-type attacks, Venomoth could no longer endure.
It lost the ability to battle.
Let that guy be proud for now…
Aya clenched her teeth.
Seeing Ash's calm expression and faint smile irritated her even more.
"Venomoth, you did well," Koga said calmly.
A hint of surprise appeared in his eyes.
Charmeleon had proven to be more troublesome than expected.
"Charmeleon's Trainer," Koga said while holding another Poké Ball.
"Do you mind if I increase the difficulty?"
"Go ahead," Ash replied casually.
Even if the next Pokémon was two or three levels higher, that was fine.
It might even help draw out Charmeleon's potential.
Constantly fighting one-sided battles was boring.
"Come out, Golbat."
After a brief moment of hesitation, Koga sent it out.
Pokémon: Golbat — Lv. 36
The moment Golbat appeared, it began flapping its wings violently, stirring up dust around the battlefield.
It was clearly far stronger than the previous Venomoth.
Even combined, the Golbat Brock usually encountered didn't feel as formidable as this one.
Brock touched the Poké Ball containing his Zubat.
Comparing the two, the gap was obvious.
He released Zubat to watch the battle, hoping it might learn something and grow stronger.
Since Golbat was Flying-type, Pikachu wouldn't have as overwhelming a type advantage.
Still, Misty wasn't worried at all.
The opponent's Golbat didn't even look as strong as Pikachu.
By type alone, it probably couldn't survive two Thunderbolts.
"Charmeleon, use Slash!" Ash commanded.
He didn't switch Pokémon because this was a rare chance to practice fighting against a Flying-type opponent.
It would help Charmeleon improve its combination of close-range and long-range combat.
"Golbat, block it."
Charmeleon's sharp claws slashed against Golbat's defensive wings.
Golbat flapped its wings and forced Charmeleon back.
Neither side gained an advantage from the opening exchange.
"Golbat, Air Slash!"
Golbat gave Charmeleon no time to react, sending multiple razor-sharp wind blades toward it.
"Charmeleon, Fire Spin!"
The fiery vortex only held for a moment before being shattered by Air Slash.
Charmeleon dodged the attack, and the flame on its tail burned even more fiercely.
"Use Dragon Breath!"
Charmeleon slammed its tail down and released a powerful breath of draconic energy.
"Golbat, Supersonic!"
Golbat had just begun emitting the piercing sound—
—but it was abruptly interrupted by Dragon Breath.
As the smoke cleared, Golbat showed no signs of paralysis.
However, several wounds had appeared on its body.
"You are among the stronger Trainers of your level," Koga said.
He acknowledged Ash's skill.
Whether Ash won or lost, Koga had already decided he would award him the Soul Badge.
Not only because of Ash's strength—
—but because understanding Pokémon battles, type matchups, and countering strategies were equally important.
And during the battle just now, Ash had clearly demonstrated those qualities.
PS: I've been releasing chapters daily . Honestly, it hurts seeing almost no support on Patreon after all that work.If you're enjoying the fic, even a little, supporting me would mean a lot. It helps a student stay independent .
complete fic (all chapters ) are already up on Patreon → patreon.com/Chakraflow789
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