Chapter 114: Vermilion Gymnasium

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"Everyone... you must hold on!" A moment later, the first Gym Challenge ended, and a Trainer rushed out, holding three Poké Balls in his hands, looking very anxious.

"Gulu..." A Trainer sitting next to Ash couldn't help swallowing as he watched this scene, his expression growing even more nervous.

"I've heard that the owner of the Vermilion Gymnasium is very strong, but now it seems that not only is he strong, but he also looks a bit too fierce..." Another Trainer looked troubled, clearly worried.

Seeing this, Ash was momentarily taken aback before remembering the plot from the anime. Ma Zhishi was indeed very aggressive, relentlessly attacking challengers, leaving many of their Pokémon seriously injured.

Ma Zhishi also had a strict stance against Pokémon that evolved before reaching level 800, believing only evolved Pokémon were truly strong.

Ash, however, did agree to some extent about evolution. After all, evolved Pokémon tend to have higher Species Strength, making them much stronger than those that haven't evolved when they're at the same level.

Still, some Pokémon don't need to evolve to exceed the strength of evolved ones. It varies from case to case, and in general, evolution does make Pokémon stronger.

Yet Ma Zhishi was extreme in his approach. His Pokémon evolved too quickly, meaning some moves were lost after evolution—his main weakness. Ash took advantage of this in the anime, defeating Ma Zhishi's Raichu, which had failed to learn speed-based moves.

As time passed, more Trainers failed to complete the challenge. Two Trainers had passed, but they didn't look well. They hurriedly left the gym and made their way to the Pokémon Center.

"It's my turn..." Ash stood up when he heard the announcement over the loudspeaker, while Brock and Misty were already heading to the auditorium of the battle arena to watch.

"Let's go, Pikachu, let Ma Zhishi see what we're capable of!" Ash smiled, sending Pikachu into the battle hall.

The battle hall was vast, and the battlefield was set up as a standard arena with no changes to the terrain.

In the Gym Leader's position stood a tall, mighty young man with short blond hair, wearing a dark green military uniform. A grin spread across his face. He was Ma Zhishi!

"A Poké Ball-level Trainer carrying a Pikachu? This is just laughable!" Ma Zhishi had already read Ash's profile, and upon discovering that Ash was a Poké Ball-level Trainer who carried a Pikachu, he couldn't help but look down on him. He wanted to teach Ash a good lesson.

Ash stood in the challenger's spot, and to the left, Brock and Misty appeared slightly anxious. They had watched the previous two matches and knew that Ma Zhishi's strength was no joke.

"Come on, let's see what qualifications you have to become a Poké Ball-level Trainer!" Ma Zhishi shouted at Ash, releasing his aura fully. He intended to overwhelm Ash with his presence.

But Ash remained unfazed, standing tall and calm with Pikachu at his side, filled with fighting spirit.

Seeing Ash's composed demeanor, Ma Zhishi's eyes narrowed. This kid wasn't affected by his aura. It seemed there was more to Ash than met the eye. But Ma Zhishi still intended to defeat this Poké Ball-level Trainer.

"The battle now begins between Gym Leader Ma Zhishi and challenger Ash! Both sides may use three Pokémon. The challenger is allowed to switch out Pokémon during the battle. The match ends when one side loses all three Pokémon!"

The referee, standing at the edge of the battlefield, announced the rules as the audience looked on eagerly. Only a few of Ma Zhishi's gym Trainers cheered from the stands.

"Destroy it, Electrode!" With a swift motion, Ma Zhishi threw a Poké Ball into the air. It opened in mid-air, releasing a bright white light that spread across the battlefield. The light took form, revealing a large, spherical Pokémon—Electrode!

Electrode, the evolution of Voltorb, stood tall at about 1.2 meters. It was a ball-shaped Pokémon with no arms or legs, resembling a giant Poké Ball turned upside down. Its eyes were in the upper white section, while its red lower half bore a large, toothy grin.

Electrode Type: Electric Category: Ball Pokémon Ability: Soundproof or Static; Hidden Ability: Detonate

With its elite-level strength, Ma Zhishi's Electrode was certainly no pushover. Ash was a Poké Ball-level Trainer, so Ma Zhishi was using an elite-level Pokémon to match Ash's strength. This Pokémon was provided by the Pokémon League, not trained by Ma Zhishi himself.

Ma Zhishi was a Great Ball-level Trainer, and even his weakest Pokémon were elite-level. He was well-known throughout Vermilion City.

"Electrode..." Ash paused briefly, then straightened his hat. He took out his own Poké Ball and threw it into the air. "It's your turn, Bulbasaur!"

As the white light from the Poké Ball spread, Bulbasaur appeared on the battlefield. In comparison to Electrode, Bulbasaur's small, cute appearance made it look almost childlike.

"Hahahaha... a Bulbasaur! This is hilarious!" Seeing Ash's choice, Ma Zhishi burst out laughing. Not only had Ash sent out a Pokémon that hadn't evolved, but its strength was only average, making it seem like a poor choice for a Poké Ball-level Trainer.

Ma Zhishi's laughter spread through his gym Trainers, and they, too, laughed along. They shared Ma Zhishi's belief that only evolved Pokémon were worth anything.

Bulbasaur's face darkened. It took offense to this mockery of its current form. Unlike Ma Zhishi, Bulbasaur was proud of its un-evolved strength and didn't take kindly to insults about its appearance.

Pikachu seemed equally upset, but since it wasn't in the battle, it could only cheer for Bulbasaur.

Ash remained silent. Words weren't necessary. Defeating Ma Zhishi would be a much stronger statement than any amount of verbal retort.

"Battle—start!" The referee waited for both sides to be ready, then announced the official beginning of the match.

"Bulbasaur, use Leech Seed!" Ash called out immediately, instructing Bulbasaur to launch the first move.

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