"I'm here, Ash!"
Just as a strange atmosphere was settling over the lobby between Ash and Paul, a cheerful and lively voice broke the unique tension. It was the girl who had finished fixing her hair. She had put on her white hat with the pink Poké Ball pattern, and with her slightly glistening blue hair, she twirled over to Ash.
Unfortunately, she noticed that besides Ash and Brock, there was also a cool-looking boy in a purple outfit. It was Paul from before, and upon seeing him, the bright smile on her face immediately disappeared. She really disliked that guy. The memory of Paul's ungrateful behavior after Ash kindly helped his Chimchar was still fresh in her mind.
"Ash, let's go! We should hurry to the gym!" The girl followed her instincts and came up behind Ash, putting a hand on his shoulder and pushing him out the door. She didn't want to stay there and look at that annoying guy with the poker face.
"Brock, let's go!" While enjoying the girl's push, he didn't forget to call out to Brock.
"Coming!" Brock gave Paul a look and then followed them with a serious expression.
"..."
The entire lobby, save for Nurse Joy at the front desk, was now empty except for Paul. He watched the trio walk away, paused for a moment, and then decided to follow them. It wasn't because he wanted to battle Ash again; he also needed to challenge the Oreburgh Gym.
The location of the Oreburgh Gym is very unique. It's not a landmark building; it's located inside a hollowed-out mine. Except for Brock, who was also a Rock-type gym leader, Ash (who, as a main character, was also seeing this for the first time) and Dawn were a bit surprised. But after Brock's explanation, they learned that it's quite normal for a gym to be located inside a mine in a city focused on mining. After all, the original Pewter Gym was also like this.
The trio arrived at the mine and saw a large gate in front of them. The gate was wide open, indicating that the gym leader was inside and ready to accept a challenger.
"It's so dark in here!" Since it was at the bottom of the mine, light couldn't get in, making it very dim. The girl, who was afraid of the dark, hugged Ash's right arm tightly.
"Don't worry, there's light over by the gate!" Feeling her hold on his arm, Ash spoke softly to comfort her and slowly led her toward the gate.
"Hello, my name is Ash from Pallet Town! I'm here to challenge for a gym badge!" Ash shouted loudly into the gym.
A moment later, a handsome young man in a red construction hat came out to greet Ash and his friends. With a polite smile, he said, "Welcome, trainers. Please follow me!" The young man snapped his fingers, and the lights in the entire arena suddenly turned on, dispelling all the darkness.
At that moment, the girl, her face flushed, released Ash's arm, thanked him, and went with Brock to the audience seating.
"First, let me go over the rules for the challenge..." A referee, also wearing a red construction hat, came out and announced that it would be a 3-on-3 battle, and that both sides could now send out their Pokémon.
"Pidgeot, I choose you!" Ash took a red-and-white ball from his waist and threw it, but he didn't send out the newly evolved Staravia. Instead, he sent out its big brother, the Pidgeot that had returned from Viridian Forest.
"Huh? I thought he was going to send out Staravia and the others?" In the audience, Dawn said, surprised. They all knew about Ash's planned team, so why the sudden change?
"Hmm... maybe it's because of Paul," Brock speculated, stroking his chin.
"Huh? Why?" Dawn was very surprised to see Paul opposite them. Why would Ash do that for that annoying guy? The three of them had known that Paul was following them. When they chose their seats, Dawn had deliberately picked one far away from him, just to avoid him.
"A strong Pidgeot, I see!" The gym leader, Roark, looked at the Pidgeot circling in the air with admiration. He put the Poké Ball containing his Geodude back. His eyes lit up as he stared at Ash, and he pulled a Premier Ball from his belt and gave it a light toss.
"Roar!" Roark sent out an ancient Pokémon, a ruler of a bygone era: Aerodactyl. It stared menacingly at Pidgeot, which was also in the air, and let out a roar from its gaping maw.
"That's... an Aerodactyl!" In the audience, Paul stared in disbelief at the Pokémon Roark had sent out. The ancient ruler's reputation preceded it, and he could tell it was a powerful Pokémon at a glance. Judging by the oppressive aura of the Aerodactyl, it was definitely no weaker than his Torterra. Paul's face darkened; this was not what his intel had told him. Stroking the Marill he had recently caught, he knew that sending out a Pokémon of such low strength would be no match for the Aerodactyl.
"See? I knew it!" Upon seeing the Aerodactyl, Ash smiled with satisfaction. He knew the gym leaders were much stronger than they seemed, and this was a good chance to show Paul that they were not weak.
"Pidgeot, use Tailwind!" As the challenger, Ash had the right to make the first move. His first choice was the support move Tailwind, which would greatly increase Pidgeot's flight speed and combat ability.
"Use Stone Edge!" Roark's command came right after, choosing a ranged Rock-type move that was super-effective against Pidgeot.
"Roar!" With a deafening roar, fist-sized sharp rocks emerged around Aerodactyl's massive body. With a flap of its huge wings, they flew toward Pidgeot with a whooshing sound.
Pidgeot's Tailwind had already been successfully cast. A strong wind swirled around it, and Pidgeot, like a child of the wind, swayed and easily dodged the incoming rocks.
"Use Quick Attack, then Steel Wing!"
"Pidgeot!" After dodging Aerodactyl's Stone Edge, Pidgeot flapped its huge wings. Using the acceleration from Tailwind, it used Quick Attack, leaving only a blur in its wake. With a whoosh, it was in front of Aerodactyl. Its wings were covered in a metallic sheen, and it was slightly raised, ready to deliver a heavy blow.
"Use Thunder Fang!" Roark knew he couldn't dodge the attack and decisively ordered Thunder Fang, a tactic of trading blows with Pidgeot.
"Roar!" With a painful roar, Aerodactyl took the Steel Wing attack. Its mouth glowed with electricity, and its sharp teeth bit down hard on Pidgeot's neck, channeling the electricity through its body.