After leaving Lake Lucid, Ash's group crossed a small desert area and finally arrived in Olivine City! Their first priority was, naturally, the Gym challenge.
As expected of a Steel type Gym, the Olivine Gym gave off an incredibly sturdy impression. It was hard to imagine that the Gym Leader here was a great beauty, but it was the truth.
"Is anyone there? I'm Ash from Pallet Town, here for a Gym challenge!"
Since the doors were tightly shut, Ash had no choice but to knock.
After a moment, a voice called out "Welcome," and the doors swung open.
"Please come inside! Walk straight ahead in a single line!"
The lights weren't on, but by the light from the entrance, they could see that the pillars and walls were all made of steel.
"The Pokémon used here must be very robust!" Brock judged.
Hearing this, Ash smiled. "My Pokémon are also very robust now."
It was true; most of his Pokémon had completed their evolutions and were massive in size. He even had a Tyranitar, the pseudo-legendary of Johto, with him.
Following the instructions, they walked straight ahead and soon reached a door. It opened with a push, and the person who had spoken earlier was waiting inside.
As the large lights overhead flickered on, the room opened up. True to its nature as a Steel Gym, the metal style was very rugged, but because the space was so vast, the line of sight was clear, giving it a very comfortable feel.
"I am the Gym Leader of the Olivine Gym, Jasmine! The beautiful warrior!"
The speaker looked barely older than Molly. Who gave you the confidence to claim you're a Gym Leader? Do you think being a League Gym Leader is like playing house? Or do you take us all for fools? Ash didn't bother exposing her. He figured the real Jasmine would show up once the battle started.
"The match will be three-on-three. Is that acceptable?"
This "Jasmine" directly announced the rules without a referee. After Ash agreed, the battle began.
"Go, Onix!"
The Onix sent out by this "Jasmine" had a strange, glossy sheen to its body.
Ash chuckled. "I choose you, Tyranitar!"
As the brutal war beast took the stage, the young girl opposite him was terrified. "Hey! Why didn't you use a Fire type Pokémon?"
"Sorry, I don't have any Fire types on me!" Ash smirked.
Brock and Misty also realized what was going on and couldn't help but laugh. "Ash is getting more and more mischievous. He's clearly just bullying her now!"
Molly, on the other hand, cheered loudly, "Go, Big Brother! Go, Tyranitar!"
"Let's go! Tyranitar, Hyper Beam!"
He started with a finishing move. The Hyper Beam that had once caused massive destruction in the city roared toward Onix! Ash was showing absolutely no mercy.
"Onix, dodge it!"
The girl was decent enough; at least she reacted in time to give an order, though it was too late.
There was no way Onix could dodge Tyranitar's Hyper Beam. It took a direct hit and crashed to the ground with a thunderous boom.
"That's enough!"
A commanding voice rang out from outside the battlefield. The iron door opened, revealing a beautiful young lady in a white dress. A Magnemite was perched on her shoulder, its presence perfectly blending with her elegant aura.
Brock's eyes immediately turned into hearts. "So beautiful! And that Magnemite on her shoulder fits her so well!"
"I am truly sorry. This match must be voided!" The lady moved to terminate the match immediately.
However, Ash shouted, "The battle has already begun! This is a three-on-three match; you can't just stop it whenever you want! What do you take Pokémon battles for?"
"You..."
Ash's persistence annoyed the lady, but since her side was at fault, she suppressed her temper to explain. "A Gym match is only valid if it is conducted by the actual Gym Leader!"
"I am the real Jasmine, the Gym Leader of the Olivine Gym! That girl is our apprentice trainer, Janina!"
These were indeed the rules of a Gym challenge.
"In that case, I demand an apology!" Ash said sternly.
"Apologize for the people of the Olivine Gym deceiving a challenger by impersonating a Gym Leader! Apologize for her unauthorized use of Waterproof Wax on Onix, which is a severe act of cheating in a match!"
Ash spoke with righteous indignation. "She must know the gravity of her mistake!"
"Pokémon trainers train with their Pokémon day and night, working hard and progressing together. That bond is not something that should be desecrated by these petty tricks!"
Ash's words left Jasmine completely unable to argue! Especially when she noticed that Ash had a sister even younger than Janina with him.
She understood that Ash was using this as a living example to teach his sister what a Pokémon trainer should be. In comparison, she had failed as a mentor. It was her responsibility that Janina had done such a thing.
"Ash..." Brock's look toward Ash changed once again.
Without realizing it, the boy who couldn't even command Pikachu in the beginning had grown into such a powerful trainer.
"You're right," Jasmine lowered her head. "Janina!"
"Yes!"
Janina had been stunned into silence by Ash's words, but she quickly reacted and walked over to stand before him.
"I'm sorry... I deceived you!"
Her attitude was quite sincere, and Ash didn't actually plan to hold a grudge.
"Big Sister, why did you put Waterproof Wax on that Onix?" Molly, with Jigglypuff on her head, leaned in. "Don't be scared, Big Brother Ash is very nice!"
Facing this girl who was a bit younger than her, Janina quickly relaxed. "I applied it with all my might, making sure not to miss a single spot!"
"But doing that really is cheating. Big Brother Ash says that children who cheat aren't good kids, and they'll grow up to be ugly!"
Molly spoke like a little adult. Hearing that she would become ugly, Janina got nervous. "But... my teacher taught me to communicate well with Pokémon and understand their traits! That's why I thought of removing Onix's weakness!"
Hearing this, Jasmine covered her face in shame. She walked over to Janina's side. "You still understand nothing!"
Jasmine looked at Ash, seeing that his face had softened and the feigned anger was gone. "You're called Ash, right? Thank you. You are a trainer worthy of respect."
"It's fine. Who doesn't grow up like this?" Ash smiled and dropped the matter, letting the two girls whisper and chat amongst themselves. "May I have a Gym challenge now?"
At this, Jasmine's expression shifted back to one of apology. "I'm terribly sorry, but I really can't do a Gym match right now."
"Amphy is in poor health, and I cannot leave its side."
Just then, she received a communication and hurriedly bid them farewell to leave, leaving only Janina behind.
Seeing that the two little girls were getting along well, Ash smiled. "Molly, why don't you go with Janina and help her wipe the Waterproof Wax off that Onix? Janina, you need to use this time for some deep reflection!"
"Okay!"
"Yes!"
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