After arriving in Fuchsia City, Ash and his companions rested briefly before heading toward the Fuchsia Gym, located near the edge of the city and surrounded by dense woods.
Even though the Gym was right in front of them, Ash did not rush forward.
Because he knew very well that plenty of traps were waiting along the way.
Relying on his foreknowledge of the original story, Ash carefully led the group forward, cleverly avoiding every hidden trap set along the narrow path to the Gym. Whether it was nets that suddenly sprang out or pits that collapsed beneath their feet, they managed to dodge them all without incident.
Of course, there were also the rather troublesome Voltorb and Electrode.
"Ash, how do you always seem to know where the problems are?" Misty asked in surprise.
"Just intuition. My instincts are pretty accurate," Ash laughed it off, though his eyes continued scanning the surroundings cautiously.
Just as they approached the main Gym building, a girl dressed in ninja attire suddenly leapt down from a treetop and blocked their path with agile movements.
Ash recognized her immediately.
She was Aya, the younger sister and student of the Gym Leader Koga.
"Who are you people? You actually avoided all the traps!" Aya said, her tone filled with surprise and a hint of defiance.
"We're here to challenge the Fuchsia Gym," Ash answered calmly.
"You want to challenge my brother? You'll have to get past me first! Go, Venonat!" Aya threw out a Poké Ball without hesitation.
"Then I choose you, Bulbasaur!" Ash sent out his reliable partner.
During the battle, Aya's Venonat moved quickly, attempting to disrupt the fight with Confusion and Psybeam. But under Ash's command, Bulbasaur controlled the battlefield with sturdy Vine Whip, sliced through the illusions with precise Razor Leaf, and finally defeated Venonat with Leech Seed followed by a decisive Tackle.
"Ugh… I lost." Aya pouted, clearly unwilling to accept defeat, but she still acknowledged Ash's strength. "Come with me. I'll take you to see my brother."
Under Aya's introduction, they soon met the Gym Leader of Fuchsia City.
Koga stood with a calm and steady presence, his sharp eyes observing them closely. After hearing the results of Ash's battle with Aya and learning that they had avoided every trap along the path, a hint of admiration flashed in his gaze.
"Excellent perception and commanding ability. I accept your challenge," Koga said in a deep voice. "The rules are two-on-two. Only the challenger may switch Pokémon."
The Gym battle quickly began. Koga's first Pokémon was also Venonat, but it was clearly far stronger than Aya's.
Ash, meanwhile, sent out his Shiny Pidgeotto.
"A shiny Pokémon?" Koga showed a trace of surprise. "Interesting."
"Pidgeotto, Quick Attack!"
"Venonat, grab it with Confusion!"
Shiny Pidgeotto shot forward like a streak of golden light, moving at incredible speed. But Venonat's Confusion had a wide range and attempted to bind its movement.
During the clash, Venonat suddenly began glowing with the light of evolution.
The next moment, a purple Venomoth appeared on the battlefield.
After evolving, Venomoth's strength increased greatly. With a flap of its wings, it scattered Sleep Powder that could induce drowsiness, while the power of its Psybeam also increased.
"Pidgeotto, use Gust to blow away the powder! Then use Steel Wing!"
Shiny Pidgeotto beat its wings fiercely, dispersing most of the Sleep Powder before its wings shone with a metallic glow as it rushed toward Venomoth.
"Venomoth, Psychic!"
Venomoth countered with Psychic.
The two Pokémon clashed fiercely in the air. In the end, Pidgeotto managed to win through its type-advantaged Steel Wing and superior speed, narrowly defeating Venomoth.
"Venomoth is unable to battle. Pidgeotto wins!" Aya announced as the temporary referee.
Koga recalled Venomoth and nodded slightly.
"An excellent Flying-type Pokémon. Now then, my second Pokémon. Golbat!"
The agile Golbat appeared on the battlefield, emitting piercing sound waves.
"Come back, Pidgeotto!" Ash recalled his exhausted Pokémon. "Your turn, Charmander!"
"Charmander, be careful of its speed. Use Smokescreen to obscure the battlefield!"
"Golbat, disrupt it with Supersonic!"
Charmander released thick black smoke that covered part of the battlefield, limiting Golbat's vision and mobility. Golbat's Supersonic struggled to land accurately through the smoke.
"Now's the time! Charmander, aim toward the sound and use Flamethrower!" Ash seized the moment.
A blazing pillar of fire burst through the smoke and struck Golbat directly.
It was super effective.
Golbat's body was scorched black as it wobbled and crashed onto the ground.
"Golbat is unable to battle! Therefore, the winner is the challenger, Ash!" Aya declared loudly.
[Ding! Host has defeated Fuchsia Gym Leader Koga and obtained the Soul Badge. Reward: 500 World Points.]
[Current World Points: 14,700.]
Koga handed the Soul Badge to Ash.
"Your grasp of battle situations and the trust you place in your Pokémon are impressive. This badge is well deserved."
With this victory, Ash had now collected six badges. Only two remained before he could qualify for the Indigo League Conference.
Just as Koga was about to say something more, Ash's Aura ability suddenly detected several sneaky energy signatures outside the window.
Team Rocket.
As expected, they had come to cause trouble, probably intending to set traps in the Gym or steal Pokémon.
What they did not expect was that the battle here would end so quickly.
A faint smile curled at the corner of Ash's mouth as he spoke casually to Koga.
"Mr. Koga, I've heard that some petty thieves like sneaking in while others are battling to cause trouble. Maybe we should prepare something for them… like sticky nets in the corners, or some ridiculous explosive traps."
Koga was no ordinary person. He immediately understood Ash's hint, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.
Without drawing attention, he made several subtle hand gestures. Hidden ninja apprentices instantly sprang into action.
The outcome was predictable.
Before the Team Rocket trio could even begin their plan, they fell into their own traps, which had been slightly relocated by the ninja apprentices. Then Koga himself suddenly appeared, frightening them out of their wits.
Before they could even finish their usual motto, Koga casually sent out a Crobat, which blasted them away with several Air Slash attacks.
Their voices echoed through the sky as they flew off.
"What a terrible feeling...!"
Ash and his companions successfully obtained the Soul Badge, and by turning the tables on Team Rocket, left the Fuchsia Gym in high spirits.
Next stop: the Safari Zone.
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