Before long, the group arrived at Pewter Gym.
From a distance, the building appeared to have been constructed from enormous layers of stone reinforced with steel.
However, when they approached, they discovered that its impressive appearance was mostly for show.
Those massive-looking boulders were actually nothing more than thin stone panels arranged to create the illusion of a sturdy stone structure!
And once they walked around the decorative facade, they discovered that the rear of Pewter Gym looked no different from an ordinary warehouse.
"What the heck?"
Misty grumbled.
"I thought the entire Gym was built out of stone! Turns out only that tiny bit at the front is actually made of stone!"
They pushed open the Gym doors.
Despite it being broad daylight outside, the interior was still incredibly dark.
Itsuki and the others entered one after another.
Only when they reached the center of the Gym did a spotlight suddenly switch on, illuminating a corner of the room.
There, a man wearing a green vest sat cross-legged.
"Who are you?"
The man's voice was deep and steady.
His tone was so calm that he resembled an enlightened monk deep in meditation.
"Are you Brock, the Gym Leader?"
Ash immediately stepped forward.
"I'm Ash from Pallet Town! I've come here to challenge you!"
Itsuki also spoke up.
"I'm Itsuki. I'm here to challenge the Gym as well."
"As the Gym Leader, I don't particularly mind how many challengers come to face me."
Brock slowly rose to his feet.
"However, each trainer is limited to using two Pokémon."
Only now did Itsuki finally get a clear look at Brock's appearance.
He had spiky hair and a stern face that made him look considerably older than his actual age.
And then there were his eyes.
They were so incredibly narrow that even when standing close and examining him carefully, it was difficult to tell whether they were open or closed.
Ash glanced at Itsuki before eagerly stepping forward.
"Obviously, I'm going first!"
"Come on! Let's battle!"
Seeing how enthusiastic Ash was, Itsuki had no intention of competing with him for the first turn.
Instead, he led his Pokémon toward the spectator seats.
"Good luck, Ash!"
Misty waved at him before walking over to sit beside Itsuki.
Looking at Ash, Brock snapped his fingers.
Click!
In an instant, every light in the Gym switched on, illuminating the entire building.
At the same time, large compartments beneath the spectator stands on both sides suddenly opened.
Two enormous sections of battlefield, made from earth and rock, slowly emerged from beneath the floor.
The sections moved toward each other until they finally connected, forming a complete battlefield.
As a trainer specializing in Rock-type and Ground-type Pokémon, Brock naturally had a battlefield designed around rocky terrain.
Seeing Ash step onto the battlefield with Pikachu, Brock leaped forward and landed in the trainer's command area on the opposite side.
Ash pointed straight ahead.
"Let's go, Pikachu!"
"Such youthful enthusiasm."
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Brock's mouth.
He then threw his own Poké Ball.
"Come out, my Pokémon—Onix!"
The moment Onix appeared on the battlefield, its enormous body and the cold, disdainful gaze it directed toward the tiny Pokémon before it gave Pikachu quite a fright.
"Pika! Pika!"
It lifted Ash's jacket and desperately tried to press the buttons on his other Poké Balls, hoping to switch places with one of Ash's other Pokémon!
"Hey, hey!"
Ash grabbed Pikachu and lifted it up, looking annoyed.
"Pikachu! Stop trying to switch places with Pidgeotto on your own! Get back out there and battle!"
Only after Ash repeatedly pushed and urged it forward did Pikachu reluctantly return to the battlefield.
'Using an Electric-type against a Ground-type...'
Sitting in the spectator stands, Itsuki chuckled silently.
Ash's lack of understanding of type matchups and his tendency to battle recklessly were both his weaknesses and his strengths.
After all, it was precisely because of this unconventional approach that he could repeatedly come up with creative strategies and defeat powerful opponents.
'But right now, he's still far too inexperienced...'
Shaking his head, Itsuki took out his Pokédex and pointed it toward Pikachu.
In terms of appearance, Ash's Pikachu was no different from an ordinary Pikachu.
Its entire body was covered in smooth, golden-yellow fur.
It had long ears, two round red electric sacs on its cheeks, and a jagged, lightning-bolt-shaped tail.
Its glossy black eyes made it look incredibly adorable.
The Pokédex announced:
"Beep! Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon. Electric-type. Also known as the Electric Mouse. It stores electricity in the electric sacs on its cheeks. When angered, it releases all its stored electricity at once to deliver a powerful electric shock."
Itsuki then pointed the Pokédex toward Onix.
Onix had a long, pointed rocky horn on its head.
Its enormous body was composed of multiple massive gray boulders connected together, giving it the appearance of a gigantic snake.
It looked both intimidating and majestic.
The Pokédex announced:
"Beep! Onix, the Rock Snake Pokémon. Rock/Ground-type. Its body resembles a giant serpent formed from connected boulders. It can swallow soil while digging long tunnels, traveling underground at speeds of up to eighty kilometers per hour."
With Brock's command, the battle officially began.