In just a short while, Blaine led Ash and his two companions to have a simple but filling meal. Although the dishes were plain, they had been hungry for so long that the three of them practically wanted to press their faces into their bowls and lick them clean.
After exchanging glances with Red, Red chose to quietly leave without revealing Blaine's identity to Ash, since Blaine didn't want to expose himself as the Cinnabar Gym Leader just yet.
Ash was still under Blaine's evaluation. Previously, too many challengers had come with a playful attitude, which made Blaine so frustrated that he abandoned the Gym altogether.
If Ash's strength turned out to be no different from those third-rate Trainers, Blaine wouldn't reveal the location of the Cinnabar Gym and would instead have him challenge other League Gyms.
However, Blaine was aware of the identities of both Red and Ash as brothers, so he held some expectations for Ash's strength, believing he wouldn't be like those mediocre Trainers. Still, the evaluation process had to be followed.
Soon, the familiar storyline unfolded. After Ash and his companions had eaten their fill, Blaine received a distress call from the Cinnabar Laboratory. At that moment, three people claiming to be Team Rocket members were attacking the lab and had stolen the Pokémon being raised there.
When Ash arrived, he immediately sent out Pikachu and Pidgeotto. Working together, the two Pokémon quickly defeated the Team Rocket troublemakers.
Seeing this, Blaine acknowledged Ash's strength and told him how to reach the Cinnabar Gym—through the earlier riddle game.
To reward them for their help, Blaine invited the trio to the open-air hot spring behind the inn, indirectly guiding them toward his Gym.
Because of the difference in gender, the originally single hot spring pool was divided into two by a bamboo screen. It looked flimsy, but neither Ash nor Brock had any inappropriate thoughts toward Misty—they simply treated her like a brother.
Fortunately, Misty didn't know what they were thinking, or she would have exploded in anger again.
The usual comedy then unfolded. The playful Togepi bounced over to the Gyarados statue and accidentally activated the hidden mechanism, causing the moving rocks to destroy the bamboo divider.
Amid Misty's scream—wrapped only in a towel—Ash and Brock panicked and ran off in embarrassment.
After changing clothes, the trio entered the hidden passage. The candles lining the walls and the gradually rising temperature made them feel briefly uncomfortable.
"Don't you feel like it's getting hotter and hotter?" Misty asked.
"Yeah, I feel that too," Brock agreed.
At the end of the path, an iron door appeared before them. Headstrong as ever, Ash didn't anticipate how hot it would be and reached out to touch it, nearly burning his right hand.
"So hot! What's going on?!" Ash cried, shaking his scorched hand.
Hearing his scream, the person inside slowly opened the iron door. Before them appeared a battlefield suspended by iron chains.
"There's a Pokémon Gym under a bathhouse?!" Brock exclaimed.
"It's like a flood above and a fire disaster below," Misty joked.
As the lights came on, Red and Blaine appeared on the opposite side of the field.
"Brother? And the inn uncle? Why are you here?" Ash asked in confusion.
"Ash, you're as dense as ever~" Red said helplessly, not expecting him to be this oblivious.
"Welcome, everyone! What is something that's easy to say when you don't know it, but hard to say once you do?" Blaine asked.
"Is it exam answers?" Ash guessed.
"That's something you can say when you know it, but can't when you don't!" Brock retorted.
"It's a wig!"
After thinking for a moment, Misty gave the correct answer.
"Why?" Ash asked, confused.
"When you don't know someone is bald, you can bring it up. But once you know they're bald, you don't dare to mention it," Misty explained.
"Correct!"
With that, Blaine removed his disguise and explained the battle rules to Ash. It would be a 3 vs 3 match, and as the challenger, Ash could switch Pokémon freely during the battle.
"Ash, Mr. Blaine must be an expert in Fire-type Pokémon," Brock reminded.
"Then you should use Water-type Pokémon!" Misty added.
Just as Ash was about to send out Squirtle, Red, after receiving Blaine's approval, spoke up to remind him:
"Ash, relying solely on type advantage isn't enough. A Pokémon's level and the battle environment can also create overwhelming pressure. Think carefully about this match."
Hearing this, Ash froze mid-motion with the Poké Ball in hand. After a brief moment of thought, he chose to send out his most trusted partner—Pikachu—to take the first battle and gain the upper hand.
"Since you're ready, my first Pokémon will be this one!"
With that, Blaine threw his Poké Ball. Ninetales emerged, standing proudly before Pikachu, lifting its head to look down at the smaller opponent.
With almost no theoretical knowledge, Ash pulled out his Pokédex again to analyze Ninetales' data.
"Ninetales, the Fox Pokémon, evolved from Vulpix. It has golden fur and nine long tails. It is said to live for 1,000 years."
"Ninetales, use Fire Spin!" Blaine commanded first.
Ninetales released a blazing column of fire from its mouth, attempting to trap Pikachu.
But as Ash's main Pokémon, Pikachu wasn't so easily defeated. Following Ash's command, it used Agility to skillfully dodge the Fire Spin.
"Not bad," Blaine praised lightly before giving the next order. "Ninetales, use Extrasensory!"
A blue glow shone from Ninetales' eyes as it tried to control Pikachu with psychic power. However, Pikachu had undergone extensive training to resist such abilities. After a brief struggle, it broke free from the control.
"Great chance! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt now!" Ash shouted excitedly.
A high-voltage current burst from Pikachu's body, forming a bolt of lightning that struck Ninetales directly, dealing considerable damage.
Though not enough to defeat it, Ninetales' once-pristine fur was scorched black. Enraged at having its beauty ruined, Ninetales glared fiercely at Pikachu, nearly making it tremble.
"Ninetales, rush in and use Iron Tail!"
With a low growl, Ninetales dashed forward. Its nine tails glowed silver, looking incredibly dangerous—far beyond what Pikachu could withstand head-on.
"Pikachu's tail isn't just for show! Use Iron Tail to strike the ground and jump!" Ash commanded calmly.
Seeing this, Pikachu immediately used Iron Tail to launch itself into the air, dodging the attack. While airborne, it unleashed another Thunderbolt, striking Ninetales again.
Ninetales let out a pained cry. Before it could react, Pikachu, descending from above, used Iron Tail once more. With the added force from gravity, the blow slammed Ninetales to the ground.
"Well done~" Red praised, nodding in satisfaction.