With seven badges in hand, Ash and his companions finally arrived at the location of the final gym in the Kanto RegionViridian City.
The city gave off a solemn and dignified atmosphere, and the pedestrians on the streets all seemed to be in a great hurry.
"So this is Viridian City," Brock said, looking at the map in his hands. "Viridian Gym is just a short distance ahead."
As they walked toward the gym, a familiar voice called out from behind them. "Hmph, I wondered who it was. So, it's just you, Ash."
Gary Oak approached with his signature confident smirk, followed as always by his enthusiastic troupe of cheerleaders.
"Gary, are you here to challenge Viridian Gym too?" Ash asked.
"Of course." Gary triumphantly displayed his badge case, which held ten badges neatly arranged inside. "I've already collected the badges required to participate in the Indigo Plateau Conference, but I heard the strength of Viridian Gym is extraordinary, so I came specifically to see it for myself."
Ash's expression remained grave after hearing this.
His Aura Power had begun to stir restlessly as they approached the gym. He could sense a powerful and abnormal fluctuation of energy radiating from deep within the building. That sensation was unfamiliar, yet memories from his past life made it feel hauntingly familiar.
"Gary," Ash said with rare seriousness, "the Gym Leader of Viridian Gym is no simple opponent. You must be careful."
Gary smiled dismissively. "What's this? Are you worried about me? Don't worry, I am the most talented trainer from Pallet Town."
Watching Gary walk into the gym with such confidence, Ash could only worry in silence.
He knew that the current Gym Leader was none other than the leader of Team RocketGiovanni. And hidden deep within the gym was the artificial Pokémon created by Team Rocket using the genes of Mew: Mewtwo!
Thinking of this, Ash couldn't help but recall the first Pokémon movie, Mewtwo Strikes Back. The appearance of Mewtwo at Viridian Gym was the prelude to that entire event.
Meanwhile, Gary and his cheerleaders entered Viridian Gym.
The interior was exceptionally dim, and the air was thick with an oppressive atmosphere. Gary stood at one end of the battlefield, waiting for the leader to appear.
"Welcome to Viridian Gym," a deep voice echoed from the shadows.
On a high platform, Giovanni sat upon a throne, dressed in a sharp suit with a composed demeanor. His left hand idly stroked one of his acesPersian!
Though his tone was calm, his eyes held an unquestionable authority.
"The rules are three-on-three. Only the challenger is permitted to switch Pokémon," Giovanni said without emotion. "Are you ready?"
"I can start anytime!" Gary declared confidently, tossing a Poké Ball. "Go, Nidoking!"
"Go, Golem!" Giovanni calmly released his first Pokémon.
The battle between the two Ground-type Pokémon was intense. Ultimately, Gary's Nidoking relied on its superior agility to secure victory with a precise Horn Drill.
"Not bad," Giovanni replied, his expression remaining flat. "Then, the second oneKingler!"
"Kingler, use Crabhammer!"
The moment his opponent made a move, Gary had already recalled Nidoking and sent out Arcanine in its place.
Despite the type disadvantage, Gary showed no fear. After several rounds of exchanges, Arcanine ended the match with a single, devastating Fire Blast that finished Kingler.
At that moment, Giovanni stood up from his seat and looked down at Gary. "Young man, you are quite impressive to have defeated two of my Pokémon in a row."
"However, what will you do against this next one?"
Snap!
With a snap of Giovanni's fingers, a secret door on the other side of the gym slowly slid open. A "Pokémon" wearing Mewtwo's Armor, with several cables connected to the suit, emerged from the darkness.
"Whwhat is that?" Gary was stunned. Just by standing there, the creature emitted a wave of overwhelming pressure that crashed over him.
Giovanni said nothing more, giving only a light snap of his fingers. The "Pokémon" erupted with a dark blue Extrasensory, which instantly blasted Arcanine backward!
"Arcanine!" Gary cried out in shock before throwing another Poké Ball. "Nidoking, I'm counting on you one more time!"
The result went without saying. The attacks of Gary's two Pokémon were like ants trying to shake a giant tree; they couldn't pose even the slightest threat.
Only then did Gary recall Ash's warning.
"You must be careful. Viridian Gym is not so easy to beat!"
On the other side, Ash and his group were in no rush to head toward the gym. He knew clearly that Mewtwo and Giovanni had not yet departed.
He definitely intended to challenge the gym, but he would wait until those two were gone. Based on his current mastery of Aura, his chances of winning were less than thirty percent!
Moreover, with Giovanni right there, Ash couldn't perform to his full potential. If he caught the leader's eye, his future travels would be plagued by even more unrest.
"Ash, you said from the start that Viridian Gym was unusual. Why did you say that?"
Facing Brock's question, Ash thought for a moment before giving an ambiguous answer. "Maybe it's just intuition! You've seen it for yourselvesmy intuition hasn't been wrong once on this journey!"
With his current strength, facing Mewtwo was simply too difficult!
He would have to wait for the events of the first movie, Mewtwo Strikes Back, to try his luck. After all, he'd have Mew there as a fallback!
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