A short while later, Blaine brought Ash's group a simple, hot meal. Though the dishes were plain, they had been starving for so long that all three of them practically pressed their faces into their bowls, wanting to lick them clean.
After exchanging a look with Blaine, Red quietly left, choosing not to reveal Blaine's identity to Ash. The gym leader didn't want to expose himself as the Cinnabar Gym Leader just yet.
Ash was still in Blaine's observation phase. In the past, too many challengers had come with a casual, touristy attitude, which had annoyed Blaine to the point of abandoning his gym.
If Ash's skills were on par with those third-rate trainers, Blaine wouldn't reveal the location of the Cinnabar Gym and would simply let Ash find another League gym to challenge.
However, Blaine knew of Red and Ash's relationship as brothers, so he held some expectation for Ash's abilities. He believed Ash couldn't possibly be like those other trainers, but the evaluation process still had to be followed.
After that, the familiar plot unfolded. Once Ash's group had eaten their fill, Blaine received an urgent call from the Cinnabar Lab. Three individuals claiming to be Team Rocket members had attacked the lab and stolen the Pokémon being raised there.
Arriving at the scene, Ash immediately sent out Pikachu and Pidgeotto. The two Pokémon worked together and successfully defeated the troublemaking Team Rocket.
Seeing this, Blaine acknowledged Ash's strength and told him how to find the Cinnabar Gym through the previous riddle game.
To reward Ash's group for their help, Blaine invited them to the open-air hot spring behind his inn, indirectly guiding them to his gym.
Due to the presence of both genders, the hot spring, which was originally a single pool, was divided in half by a flimsy-looking bamboo screen. Neither Ash nor Brock had any inappropriate thoughts about Misty; they simply saw her as one of the guys.
Fortunately, Misty was unaware of their thoughts, or she would have certainly erupted in anger.
The usual comedic scene played out. The playful Togepi bounced over to the Gyarados statue and activated the switch for the hidden passage. A moving rock then destroyed the bamboo screen in the middle.
Ash and Brock, at the sound of a towel-clad Misty's shriek, scrambled away in a panic.
Later, having changed their clothes, the three of them entered the hidden passage. The flickering candles on the walls and the gradually rising temperature made the trio feel a brief sense of unease.
"Don't you guys feel like it's getting hotter?" Misty asked.
"I definitely feel it," Brock agreed.
At the end of the passage, an iron door appeared before them. The thick-headed Ash, seemingly unaware of the door's high temperature, recklessly reached out to touch it and was nearly burned.
"Hot! Hot! What's with this?!" Ash cried out in pain, shaking his seared right hand.
As if the master inside had heard Ash's yelp, the iron door before them slowly opened, revealing a battle platform suspended by chains over lava.
"There's a Pokémon Gym under an open-air bathhouse?!" Brock said in astonishment.
"It really is a flood up above and a fire down below," Misty quipped.
As the lights came on, Red and Blaine appeared on the opposite side of the battlefield.
"Big brother? And the innkeeper? What are you guys doing here?" Ash asked in confusion.
"Ash, you're as dense as ever," Red said with a sigh, surprised at how slow on the uptake his brother could be.
"Welcome, everyone! What is something that's easy to talk about when you don't know but becomes unspeakable once you do?" Blaine asked.
"The answer to an exam?" Ash replied.
"That's something you can say when you know, but can't when you don't!" Brock retorted.
"A toupee!" Misty said, having figured it out after a moment of thought.
"Why?" Ash asked, puzzled.
"When you don't know someone is bald, you can bring up the topic. But once you know, you wouldn't dare mention it," Misty explained.
"Correct!"
With that, Blaine tore off his disguise and explained the rules of the challenge match to Ash. It would be a 3v3 battle, and as the challenger, Ash could switch his Pokémon freely.
"Ash, Mr. Blaine must be a Fire-type Pokémon expert," Brock advised.
"You should use a Water-type Pokémon for this!" Misty added.
Just as Ash was about to send out Squirtle, Red, after getting a permissive nod from Blaine, spoke up. "Ash, relying purely on type advantage is useless. A Pokémon's level and the battle environment can also create a suppressive effect. You need to think carefully about this match."
After hearing Red's words, Ash's hand, which was about to throw Squirtle's Poké Ball, froze in mid-air. After a brief moment of thought, he decided to send out his most trusted partner, Pikachu, for the first battle to gain an early advantage.
"Since you're ready, my first contestant is this one!"
Blaine threw his Poké Ball forcefully. Ninetales emerged from it and stood opposite Pikachu, confidently looking down at the smaller Pokémon.
With his theoretical knowledge being almost zero, Ash once again took out his Pokédex to analyze Ninetales's detailed information. "Ninetales, the Fox Pokémon, the evolved form of Vulpix. It has brilliant golden fur and nine long tails. It is said to live for 1,000 years."
"Ninetales, use Fire Spin!" Blaine ordered first.
Ninetales released a pillar of scorching fire from its mouth, trying to trap Pikachu.
But as Ash's main Pokémon, Pikachu wouldn't be defeated so easily. Following Ash's command, it immediately used Agility, cleverly avoiding the Fire Spin attack.
"Not bad," Blaine praised slightly, then commanded, "Ninetales, use Extrasensory!"
Ninetales's eyes flashed with an azure light as it manipulated its psychic power to control Pikachu's body. However, Pikachu had already undergone extensive training to overcome psychic powers. After a brief struggle, it actually broke free from Ninetales's control.
"Now's our chance, Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted excitedly.
High-voltage electricity erupted from Pikachu's body, transforming into a lightning snake that swiftly struck Ninetales, dealing considerable damage.
Although it wasn't enough to defeat Ninetales, it did scorch its proud fur. The beauty-conscious Ninetales glared at Pikachu, its gaze almost making the electric mouse tremble.
"Ninetales, charge forward and use Iron Tail!"
Ninetales let out a low growl and rushed in front of Pikachu. Its nine tails, glowing with silver light, looked extremely deadly, not an attack Pikachu could easily withstand.
"Pikachu's tail isn't just for show! Pikachu, use Iron Tail to whip the ground and jump up!" Ash commanded calmly.
Seeing this, Pikachu immediately used its Iron Tail to cleverly launch itself into the air, dodging Ninetales's attack. It then immediately used another Thunderbolt, hitting Ninetales's body once more.
Ninetales let out a painful growl. Before it could react, the descending Pikachu used Iron Tail again. Aided by the increased power from its fall, one strike sent Ninetales to the ground.
"Excellent performance," Red praised with a satisfied nod.