WebNovels

Chapter 21 - Chapter 21: The First Gym Choice—Pewter Gym! Time to Catch a New Pokémon.

After hanging up the phone, Ash wiped the nonexistent sweat from his forehead and muttered, "Isn't Professor Oak exaggerating a bit? Are those two Gyms really that terrifying?"

"I'm not sure about the Saffron Gym, but the Viridian Gym's reputation is definitely just like Professor Oak said." Misty tapped her pale chin with a slender finger, a thoughtful look on her face.

"The Viridian Gym Leader is Giovanni. Besides being a Gym Leader, he's also a businessman. They say Poké Balls, Backpacks, all those things—he's invested in them. As for his true strength, he never shows it, but it's unfathomable. Just from the little power he's revealed, he's at least on par with the Elite Four."

"On top of that, every Trainer who's battled at the Viridian Gym says Giovanni's gentle and guides you through the fight. No matter if you win or lose, you'll always walk away having learned something—as long as the gap in strength isn't too wide."

"And there are rumors he donates to charity, supports Trainers from poor families… he practically looks like the perfect man."

Misty rattled off Giovanni's information like she was reading from a book. Ash and Pikachu just sat there stunned.

From the way Misty described it, Giovanni clearly wasn't just some Gym Leader. From personality to reputation to strength, he was flawless. For a Beginner Trainer to face someone like that as their very first Gym… it could leave a pretty nasty scar on their confidence.

"Forget it, let's try another Gym. The closest one is… Pewter Gym. Misty, do you know anything about Pewter Gym?" Ash looked at the map Nurse Joy had given him and found the nearest city to Viridian City—Pewter City, which also had an official League Gym.

"Pewter Gym… if I remember right, it specializes in Rock-types. Usually Rock-types come with Ground-type or Ground-type moves. Ash, you only have Pikachu right now, don't you? That puts you at a huge disadvantage against Pewter Gym."

Misty the know-it-all laid out Pewter Gym's details. Ash didn't know where she got all her info, but she was almost never wrong.

"And Gyms usually battle two-on-two or three-on-three. If you only have one Pokémon, unless Pikachu can take on two or three opponents in a row, it's better not to rush into a Gym challenge."

Her words made Ash fall into thought. Pikachu was stronger than most beginner Pokémon—taking down the easiest Gym fights shouldn't be an issue, but only if it was one-on-one.

If the other side used two or three Pokémon, Pikachu really couldn't handle it.

And if Pewter Gym pulled out a Ground-type, Pikachu would be in serious trouble. Not only are Ground-type moves strong against him, but Electric moves don't affect Ground-types at all. It was a complete disadvantage, no matter how you looked at it.

Ash had never really understood type matchups before, but after seeing all the breakdowns about Pikachu's typing in the chat group, he at least knew which types Electric had an advantage over, and which ones it was weak against.

"What about this one? Cerulean Gym's also nearby. What type's that one?" Ash pointed to Cerulean City on the map.

Focused on the map, he didn't notice the sudden stiffness in Misty's expression when he mentioned Cerulean Gym.

"C-Cerulean Gym specializes in Water-types. But I don't recommend going there!"

"Why not? If it's Water-type, Pikachu would be perfect for it, right?" Ash frowned. With only an Electric-type Pokémon, a Water-type Gym sounded like the ideal matchup.

"Pika pika!!" Pikachu thumped his skinny little arm like a flex and proudly declared that he'd wipe the floor with any Water-types they threw at him.

"Because… um… it's… not challenging! Yeah, that's it! Not challenging at all. Think about it—didn't you set out on this journey to face the unknown and test yourself against tougher battles? What's the point of fighting a Gym that's weak to you? If you want a real fight, you've gotta go for the type disadvantage! I think Pewter Gym sounds great. Yep."

Misty nodded firmly to her own words, as if to convince herself.

Ash shot her a suspicious look. That excuse was way too flimsy. It almost sounded like she just didn't want him going to Cerulean Gym.

"Didn't you just say Pewter Gym would be too tough for me?"

"Tough? When did I say that! All I said was it's a little disadvantageous. You only have Pikachu, after all! But if we're heading to Pewter City, we'll pass through Viridian Forest. As long as you catch a Pokémon or two there that's strong against Rock-types, you'll be fine!"

Ash: …

"But you said earlier that going against type disadvantage is more challenging—"

"So you catch one that's good against Rock-types and keep Pikachu for the disadvantage! One of each, problem solved! Honestly, you're so stubborn! Anyway, I don't recommend Cerulean Gym. Whether you go or not, that's your choice!" Misty huffed, turning her head sharply away from Ash and Pikachu.

Ash and Pikachu exchanged baffled looks. Neither of them understood why Misty seemed kinda upset all of a sudden.

"Fine, then we'll head for Pewter City first. Let's go!" Ash shouldered his bag, ready to continue the journey—only to be pulled back by Misty.

"Hold it! Didn't I just say we'll have to cross Viridian Forest? That place is huge. There's no way we can get through in just a day or two. We'll need camping gear. Don't tell me you already have some?"

Ash shook his head. His mom had packed him a bunch of stuff, but most of it wasn't practical. Aside from a sleeping bag, some instant meals, and a bit of general Pokémon Food, the rest wasn't much use.

"If you don't, then we need to hit the Viridian City department store. And make sure we get plenty of bug repellent. There are a ton of bugs in the forest!" Misty stressed the word "bugs" so hard that her voice even trembled a little.

"Got it. Then our next stop is Viridian Department Store!" Ash nodded and strode out of the Pokémon Center, Pikachu right behind him. Misty quickly followed.

As they stepped outside, they passed three people bundled up head-to-toe, completely unrecognizable. For some reason, Ash's eyes followed them—two tall figures and one shorter one.

"What is it, Ash? Do you know those three?" Misty followed his gaze, spotting the trio wrapped in coats from head to toe, their faces completely hidden.

Even if Ash had met them before, how could he recognize anyone dressed up like that? Did he have eagle eyes or something?

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