In the afternoon, Natsui and Erika walked out of the great gate and left the Charicific Valley. After another day and night of travel, they returned to Azalea Town.
With Charizard left behind, Natsui now had only ten Pokémon with him: Gardevoir, Gengar, Crystal Onix, Jolteon, Dragonite, Scyther, Pupitar, plus Suicune and Raikou, and the Eevee he had gotten from the Kimono Sisters.
This freed up two spots, giving Natsui room to catch more Pokémon in the future.
Of course, having space didn't mean he would immediately go out and catch new Pokémon. He would rather have quality over quantity, and would only catch ones he truly liked.
After a long but not boring journey, on the morning of the third day, the two were once again standing outside the gates of the Azalea Gym.
Thankfully, the notice was gone this time, and the gate was wide open. It was clear that Bugsy had returned to the gym.
Peeking inside, they saw the circular building was like a botanical garden, with towering trees everywhere, lush green grass underfoot, and bushes all around.
Standing outside the gate, Natsui called out, "Excuse me, is anyone here?"
His voice echoed inside the gym, but after a long wait, there was still no response.
Exchanging a look with Erika, Natsui decided not to hesitate any longer and walked straight in.
A grassy path lay under their feet. As they went deeper, they looked around and found that the place was basically no different from a regular forest outside.
To be able to contain a small forest, the Azalea Gym was truly impressive. No wonder it was built on the outskirts of town.
The only difference was that the forest was home to many Bug-type Pokémon, far more than in a typical forest.
In just a short walk, they had seen a large group of Caterpie, Weedle, Metapod, and Kakuna. They were hiding in the bushes and behind leaves, and only poked their heads out when they heard someone approaching, eyeing the intruders cautiously.
Erika sighed lightly. "It really lives up to its name as a Bug-type gym. You can see all sorts of Bug Pokémon everywhere."
In terms of style, it was similar to the greenhouse in Erika's gym, but the Pokémon inside were completely different.
Looking at her, Natsui couldn't help but smile. "As a Grass-type gym leader, you must feel quite uncomfortable seeing so many Bug-type Pokémon."
Natsui wasn't just saying that for no reason. Naturally, Bug-type Pokémon were the predators of most Grass-type Pokémon, and they also had a type advantage. As a dedicated Grass-type trainer, it was hard not to be affected by these factors.
Erika nodded gently.
If Misty was simply afraid of Bug-type Pokémon, then Erika genuinely disliked them.
The two walked a dozen more steps into the botanical garden when a youthful voice suddenly came from the side.
"Who are you?"
Hearing the voice, Natsui and Erika turned to look. In a bush a little further away, a purple-haired boy in a green top and green shorts was squatting and looking at them.
Natsui took a step forward. "Excuse me, are you the gym leader, Bugsy?"
Bugsy dusted off his hands and stood up. Only then did Natsui and Erika see that he had been squatting there to take care of a Metapod.
Bugsy looked Natsui up and down. "That's right. I'm the Azalea Gym Trainer, master of Bug-type Pokémon, the one they call the walking encyclopedia of Bug Pokémon, Bugsy!"
The one they call?
A walking encyclopedia of Bug Pokémon?
Natsui didn't know how to react to that title.
No matter how you looked at it, it seemed like a nickname Bugsy had given himself. And do people really go around saying their own nicknames out loud?
Bugsy asked, "Are you here to challenge the gym?"
Natsui nodded. "I came by a few days ago, but you were out on business, so I missed my chance."
"Oh?" Bugsy seemed a little surprised. "My apologies for that. I was away in a farther place to catch new Pokémon, so I wasn't at the gym."
Now that he knew Natsui's purpose, Bugsy led him deeper into the forest. They passed through dense bushes, crossed a small indoor river, and finally arrived at a battlefield built in the middle of the forest.
It was surrounded by lush bushes, and sunlight streamed down through the glass panels of the canopy above. The fragrance of trees and flowers filled the air. The battlefield here was not only close to nature but also had a special charm.
Bugsy didn't look very old, about the same age as Ash, or maybe a few years older. To be able to run a gym at such a young age showed he was quite skilled.
In fact, Bugsy was quite remarkable. He was not only clever and knowledgeable, but he had also done a lot of research on Bug-type Pokémon and aspired to become a Pokémon Professor. He was known throughout the Johto region as a young genius.
As Natsui and Bugsy took their positions on opposite sides, Erika found a bench to sit on.
A staff member came out of a nearby rest area and stepped onto the battlefield to act as the referee.
The referee glanced at both of them. Seeing that Natsui and Bugsy were ready, he announced loudly, "The gym battle between the Azalea Gym Leader, Bugsy, and the challenger will now begin! Each trainer will use three Pokémon. The match will end when all of one side's Pokémon are unable to battle."
As the defending side, Bugsy was the first to take out a Poké Ball.
He threw it with force, and with a flash of blue light, a green, spider-like Pokémon appeared on the battlefield.
Bugsy smiled lightly. "This is my first Pokémon, the silent warrior of Bug-types—Spinarak!"
As a Bug- and Poison-type Pokémon, Spinarak was less than half a meter tall. Its head and abdomen were light green, with a white horn on its head and black eyes. It had three pairs of legs with yellow and dark green patterns. On its back was a pattern that resembled a sad face.
It is said that Spinarak is a very patient Pokémon. After setting up its trap with thin, strong silk, it will wait for its prey to fall into it. It can even stay in the same position in its nest for days while waiting. Even if prey gets caught in its web, it will wait motionless until nightfall before making a move.
Its silk is very strong; it won't break even with a ten-kilogram rock placed on it. Some fishermen even use its tough silk to weave nets for catching fish Pokémon.
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