"How did you sleep last night?" While Ash and Sabrina were chatting, Koga's voice suddenly rang out. He was dressed in the same blue ninja uniform as yesterday, looking every bit the part.
"It was fine—better than sleeping out in the wild. So… how are you planning to handle me today?" Ash asked with a confident smile. With his current Champion-level strength, facing a Gym Leader wasn't much of a challenge.
If, in the past, Ash had to rack his brain for ways to defeat Gym Leaders, now it was the Gym Leaders who had to figure out how to deal with him.
"It's going to be tough. I've reviewed your Pokémon's data, and to be honest, today's match will probably be more of a learning experience for me. Still, battling a Champion is a rare opportunity, so I'll give it everything I have." Koga's tone was serious.
After every battle, both sides gained experience—but if the strength gap was too large, the benefit would mostly go one way.
"What about your sister, Aya?" Over breakfast in the wooden lodge's living room, Ash noticed Aya was nowhere to be seen and asked.
"She dared to sneak off to the Gym without telling me. I've sent her back to the training grounds and locked it down. If she doesn't improve her strength, I won't let her manage the Gym again," Koga replied with a sigh.
Problems at the Gym were one thing—there would always be a few troublemakers—but the reputation of the Fuchsia Gym was another matter entirely. That sort of damage couldn't be fixed with words alone; only time could restore the trust of new challengers.
After breakfast, Ash followed Koga to the Fuchsia Gym's battlefield. Unlike most Gyms, this one was set inside a massive indoor forest.
"The Fuchsia Gym's challenge rules are two-on-two. The challenger attacks first, and each side may switch Pokémon once. I'll ask Miss Suzie to be our referee today—it's awkward to have my sister in that role right now." Koga gave Suzie an apologetic look.
Normally, Aya would have been the referee, but with her in confinement, Suzie had to step in.
"It's fine. I've done this before—it's no trouble at all," Suzie replied gently, earning a brief, appreciative glance from Ash. Gentle women had a way of putting others at ease, and that kind of presence was a quiet but valuable strength.
"Alright, time for you to shine—come out, Venusaur!" Koga called. A massive Venusaur emerged, the giant flower on its back in full bloom, clearly well-trained.
"You'd better be careful," Koga warned. "In a forest like this, my Venusaur is nearly unbeatable. Even my strongest Dragonite can't take it down quickly here."
Ash knew that Venusaur's primary technique was Grass-type mastery—a formidable advantage in this terrain.
"Your warning just makes me want to battle more! Go—Venomoth!" Ash countered.
Venomoth was larger than Pikachu, with pale pink wings and a deep purple body. At a glance, its dual Bug/Poison typing was clear.
Pokémon Data:
Name: Venomoth
Level: Elite Four-tier
Abilities: Shield Dust, Compound Eyes
Type: Bug/Poison
Potential: B+
"This Venomoth is well-trained," Ash thought. "But it's probably not Koga's main powerhouse. Is he planning to test Venusaur's strength first?"
"Since the challenger attacks first, I won't hold back—Venusaur, Vine Whip!" Ash commanded. Confident in his strength, he chose to strike directly.
Six thick green vines shot from beneath Venusaur's flower, lashing toward Venomoth with incredible speed—the speed of a Champion-tier Pokémon.
"So fast! Venomoth, Psychic!" Koga ordered instantly. Venomoth's compound eyes glowed blue, halting the vines mid-strike—but only for about a second before the raw power broke through.
Most Flying or Bug-type Pokémon could learn Psychic-type techniques, and while their mental power wasn't on par with true Psychic-types, it could still be a valuable support tool.
"It's useless," Ash said with a faint smile. "Not only is there a difference in our Pokémon's levels, but due to Venusaur's size, his movement speed can't be improved much. That's why I focused on training the speed and power of his attacks. Your Venomoth's Psychic won't be able to hold back his Vine Whip."
As if to prove his words, the moment Ash finished speaking, Venusaur's six vines struck as one.
Boom!
Thwack!
The attack landed squarely, the combined force of the six vine lashes hitting the same spot with incredible impact. Venomoth's left wing took the brunt of the damage, the delicate structure already showing signs of strain.
"Venomoth, hang in there! Use Stun Spore!" Koga called out urgently. Though concerned for his Pokémon, he didn't pull back from the fight. Venomoth gave a sharp cry, darting toward Venusaur's wounds while scattering a cloud of fine orange powder from its wings.
Stun Spore was a move that could paralyze on contact, regardless of the opponent's level. The effect was straightforward—touch the spores, and stiffness set in—unless the target was immune to powders or spores entirely.
"Venusaur, use Magical Leaf!" Ash countered without hesitation. He knew Venusaur's Grass/Poison typing gave him resistance to such powders. Stun Spore might not be completely ineffective, but it wouldn't have any real impact.
Besides, paralysis worked best against agile opponents by freezing their movement. With Venusaur's massive bulk and slower pace, such a tactic was far less effective. Koga's Stun Spore wasn't going to turn the tide here.
...
TN:
⚡ Pa-treon-com/LordMerlin