“Hmph, I get it! I’ll just go to the Celadon Gym by myself then!” Ash said angrily, stubbornly throwing a tantrum and wanting to be left alone, but Red quickly intervened.

“Ash, didn’t you realize that Miss Erika is the Gym Leader of the Celadon Gym?” Red said helplessly, flicking Ash’s forehead gently.

“What?!” Ash’s face instantly stiffened. He hadn’t expected that the person he had inadvertently angered earlier was the Gym Leader he was about to challenge.

“It’s fine, Mr. Red, I’m not ‘angry’ at all. I’ve long heard of your reputation as a formidable challenger; I’ve been ready for a formal battle with you!” Erika smiled at Red, feeling a hint of grievance over Eevee’s ‘betrayal.’ She had taken such good care of Eevee, providing good food and drink, yet it still couldn’t compare to Red’s sudden gentleness. Perhaps this was the feeling of not being able to forget ‘first love.’

“As for Ash’s Gym Challenge, please wait a moment longer!” Clearly, Erika was still bothered by Ash’s earlier words. Although a Gym Leader cannot explicitly refuse a challenger’s match, it is permissible to make things a little difficult, as Gym Leaders also need their private time.

“Huh? How could this be…” Ash mumbled with a pout, wishing he hadn’t been so blunt, but he still clung to his straightforward mentality.

After Red and Misty bought perfume, everyone followed Erika to the Celadon Gym. Red bought perfume purely to repay Erika’s kindness for taking care of Eevee these past few days, as Eevee also quite liked the scent of perfume.

At a glance, the Celadon Gym’s decoration featured a giant Gloom sculpture. The inside of the Gym was also a natural, vibrant garden, with a faint floral scent, as if one were truly within a forest. Taking a deep breath, it brought a strange sense of peace to the trainers who came to challenge.

Red and the others followed Erika to the arena. Red stepped onto the arena, ready to face Erika in a Gym Battle.

“Now commencing the official Gym Challenge! The two participants are Gym Leader Erika and Red from Pallet Town. Each may use three Pokémon. Whichever side’s Pokémon first loses its ability to battle, that side loses! During the match, only the challenger may switch Pokémon. There is no time limit for the match. Let the official match begin!” The referee announced, lowering the flags in both hands.

“Tangela, I’m counting on you!”

“Hitmonchan, let’s have you lead the first battle!”

Red and Erika simultaneously threw their Poké Balls, and Hitmonchan and Tangela appeared one after another on the battleground.

“What is this Pokémon?” Ash pulled out his Pokédex again. “Tangela, the Vine Pokémon. Blue vines are wrapped around it, hiding its true form. It will entangle anything that approaches.”

As soon as Hitmonchan appeared, it continuously waved its fists, its feet occasionally shaking. It quickly finished its warm-up, reaching a perfect battle state.

“Red’s Hitmonchan is incredibly self-aware! It completed its warm-up with just a few simple movements!” Brock exclaimed. As Brock, who aspired to become a Pokémon breeder, he had already noticed the difference in Hitmonchan.

“After all, they are Pokémon that can be caught by Red; their strength must be extraordinary!” Misty agreed.

“Tangela, use Vine Whip!” Hearing Erika’s command, Tangela’s blue vines became active, and then countless vines rapidly extended towards Hitmonchan.

“Fire Punch!” Red commanded.

Hitmonchan chose not to dodge, directly crossing its fists, which burst into flames. Its flaming fists directly met Tangela’s attack, burning Tangela.

Tangela’s Vine Whip attacks rely on its own vines. If its vines are burned, it will also suffer significant injuries. The Tangela facing Hitmonchan sustained clear damage due to the sudden flames.

“Mach Punch!”

Hitmonchan’s figure suddenly blurred from its spot, and in one second, it arrived in front of Tangela. A single Mach Punch heavily struck Tangela’s face, knocking it to the ground.

“What terrifying punches!” Brock exclaimed.

“Big brother’s Hitmonchan is so amazing…” Ash echoed.

“Pika… Pika…” Pikachu trembled slightly, afraid that it would have a showdown with Hitmonchan.

“Tangela, unable to battle!” the referee announced.

“As expected of Mr. Red, who gives many Gym Leaders headaches, but I will absolutely not back down!” Erika said firmly, throwing her second Poké Ball, “Weepinbell, I’m counting on you!”

Weepinbell shook its body, releasing countless Razor Leaf that attacked Hitmonchan like sharp blades.

“Hitmonchan, use Ice Punch!”

Seeing this, Hitmonchan released cold air from its fists, continuously swinging them, freezing the Razor Leaf one by one, turning them into shattered snowflakes, without sustaining any damage.

“The difference in strength is too vast…” Misty sighed.

“Miss Erika, you must cheer up! I always believe you will win!” Brock, who prioritized looks, immediately switched sides, cheering for Erika in the unfavorable situation.

“I say, Brock, whose side are you on anyway?” Ash said speechlessly. All of us are right here next to you, you should think it over.

“Since Fire and Ice have been used, then let’s just use the final Thunder Punch!” Hitmonchan quickly approached the still-unresponsive Weepinbell, landing a precise Thunder Punch on its vital point. Although the damage was halved due to type disadvantage, the overwhelming power still made Weepinbell scream in pain!

“Weepinbell, hold on, use Sleep Powder!” Erika said worriedly.

A slight current covered Weepinbell’s entire body, causing Weepinbell, which was about to release Sleep Powder, to become paralyzed for a moment.

“It seems the Thunder Punch triggered the Paralysis effect. Good luck,” Red said calmly. “Hitmonchan, use the final Mega Punch!”

Hitmonchan’s right fist, bursting with white light, heavily struck Weepinbell’s body, sending it flying.

“Weepinbell, unable to battle!”

“Hitmon!” Hitmonchan, who had won two consecutive matches, excitedly raised its fists, waiting for the appearance of its next opponent.

“Mr. Red, I admire your great strength, but my love for Grass-type Pokémon will absolutely not lose to yours!” Erika said firmly, throwing her last Poké Ball, “Gloom, I’m counting on you for the last one!”

As soon as Gloom appeared, it instinctively released foul-smelling pollen, which quickly spread in front of Hitmonchan. Hitmonchan cautiously took a step back and lightly sniffed the pollen, resulting in its entire face instantly turning black.

(End of Chapter)

***

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