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"I'm scared to death. What on earth is going on in this house!"
Misty, who had been pulled back by Ash, patted her chest and spoke with clear annoyance. It was a strange house with no one around, yet it contained such an unexpected mechanism.
Venonat! Venonat!!
Just then, they heard a sound. When everyone turned to look, they saw a figure emerging from the revolving door.
Looking carefully, they realized it was a Pokémon. It was covered in purple fur that resembled a ball of fluffy yarn, with pincer-like mouthparts, enormous red compound eyes, white antennae, and gray-brown limbs.
"Is that a Venonat?" Brock asked, surprised by the Pokémon's sudden appearance.
"Venonat? Why is there a Venonat in a place like this? Is it the Gym Leader's Pokémon?"
Misty looked confused. There was no one around, yet a Venonat had appeared. If this was indeed a gym, then it might belong to the Gym Leader.
"Since it's probably the Gym Leader's Pokémon, it should know where they are. Can you take us there?"
Brock spoke in a friendly tone as he made his request.
Venonat~~~
After hearing this, Venonat tilted its head slightly, as if considering the question, then nodded after a moment.
The Venonat turned and scurried down the corridor behind them. Seeing this, the three trainers followed, but as soon as they rounded a corner, the Venonat vanished.
"Huh? Where did Venonat go?" Brock looked around in confusion.
"Really, didn't you say you were going to take us to the Gym Leader? And now you've disappeared without a trace?" Misty complained as she walked forward, looking around for the missing Pokémon.
"Careful!!"
Ash noticed something on the floor—a slightly raised wooden board that would be difficult to spot if you weren't paying close attention.
"What?"
BOOM!!!!
Misty was pulled back before she could react. Just as she was about to ask what was happening, a powerful electric shock flashed from the floor. If Ash hadn't pulled her back in time, she would have been struck by the electricity.
"What's going on! Why is there electricity coming out of the floor!" Misty was bewildered. First the mysterious door, and now electricity shooting from the floor.
"It's not the floor, it's that!" Ash pointed to the spot in front of them.
The Thunder Shock had shattered the wooden board, revealing what lay beneath.
Misty looked down and saw that the floor was recessed, with a pair of eyes glaring at them malevolently from within.
"That's... a Voltorb? Why is a Voltorb in a place like this?"
"It must be part of the gym's challenges. Obviously, if you want to challenge this gym, you need to pass these tests! Be careful from now on." Ash turned to Misty with a warning look.
Misty was frightened and followed Ash cautiously. The three of them carefully bypassed the Voltorb and continued forward, soon reaching a staircase.
There was no other path to take. They had no choice but to climb the stairs. At the top, they found a long corridor, and looking ahead, they suddenly spotted a familiar figure.
"Ah! It's that Venonat again!" Brock exclaimed.
Venonat!!
As soon as the Venonat saw them, it turned and ran off again. Seeing this, Brock called out quickly.
"Wait a minute!!" Brock started to chase after it.
"Don't bother!" Ash stopped him.
"If it belongs to the gym, it's deliberately leading us into traps. There's no need to follow it!" Ash prevented Brock from pursuing the Venonat, while Misty looked around warily.
"But there's only one path here!" Looking ahead, they could see only the corridor that Venonat had taken.
Ash didn't say much and continued forward, but he didn't rush to chase the Venonat, moving cautiously instead. Ash suspected there was an invisible glass wall ahead.
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" It was difficult to see with the naked eye, but Ash had a plan. He pointed directly ahead and commanded Pikachu.
"Pika?"
"Just trust me!" Seeing Pikachu's confused expression, Ash insisted.
"Pika-CHUUUU!"
Noting Ash's confident look, Pikachu hesitated no longer. It jumped forward and released a powerful electric discharge directly ahead. When the Thunderbolt current blasted forward...
BOOM!!!
The electricity suddenly exploded in midair. Witnessing this, Misty and Brock both displayed shocked expressions. The Thunderbolt had actually detonated in the air.
"That's it!" Looking carefully, only under the illumination of the lightning could they clearly see an invisible wall blocking their path.
Just as Ash had warned, if he hadn't stopped Brock, he would have certainly crashed into it while chasing the Venonat.
Pikachu landed back on the ground, and the glass barrier ahead showed no damage. It was clearly not ordinary glass, otherwise Pikachu's Thunderbolt would have shattered it.
Seeing this, Ash walked forward and approached the glass wall, touching it with his hands. Brock also stepped forward to examine it. If this continued, there would be no way to proceed, yet this was the only path available.
"What should we do? There's no way to move forward!"
"This place is getting weirder and weirder. I think we should go back!" Misty was frightened by the strange environment and instinctively took several steps backward.
THUD!!!
"Ouch, that hurts!!"
As they retreated, Misty suddenly collided with something. Ash and Brock heard the impact and turned to see her rubbing the back of her head.
"The way back is blocked too!" Brock stepped forward in surprise and, feeling with his hands, realized that their entry path was also sealed by an invisible glass wall.
"Are we trapped then?"
Hearing this, Misty ignored her pain and turned to place her hand against the glass barrier behind them. She knocked on it with her fist, but it was useless. Even Pikachu's Thunderbolt couldn't penetrate the glass walls.