The next morning, Ash and I stood outside the towering Viridian Gym. The building was imposing, its stone walls casting long shadows under the morning sun. The doors loomed before us, promising a challenge we weren't sure we were ready for.
Ash grinned with excitement. "This is it, Kaito! Our first Gym battle! We'll crush it!"
I crossed my arms, a bit skeptical. "Don't you think it's weird that the Gym is open so early? I heard this place is supposed to be closed most of the time."
Ash shrugged. "We won't know until we try."
We pushed the heavy doors open and stepped inside. The Gym was dimly lit, with a single figure standing at the far end. He wore a black suit, his posture exuding power and authority.
The man stepped forward, revealing his face. Giovanni.
"Welcome to the Viridian Gym," he said, his voice deep and commanding. "I see you're both eager young Trainers. But be warned — only the strongest can challenge me."
Ash, ever fearless, stepped forward. "I'm ready to prove myself! Pikachu and I can take you on!"
Giovanni smirked. "And you?" He turned to me, his piercing gaze making my heart race.
"I'm ready too," I said firmly. "Eevee and I won't back down."
Giovanni chuckled. "Very well. Let's see if you're truly worthy."
Giovanni sent out his first Pokémon — a towering Onix, its rocky body crashing to the ground with a thud.
Ash grinned. "This is perfect! Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"
Pikachu dashed forward, slamming into Onix, but the attack barely made a dent. Onix roared in response.
"Onix, use Rock Throw," Giovanni commanded.
The massive snake hurled chunks of rock toward Pikachu.
"Dodge it, Pikachu!" Ash yelled.
Pikachu leapt out of the way, but one rock clipped its side, sending it tumbling to the ground.
Ash clenched his fists. "Pikachu, get up! We've got this!"
Seeing Ash struggle lit a fire in me. "Eevee, let's jump in! Use Sand Attack!"
Eevee darted forward, kicking up sand into Onix's eyes, blinding it.
Ash nodded. "Thanks, Kaito! Now, Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"
Pikachu unleashed a powerful bolt of electricity. The attack struck Onix, and despite its Ground typing, the moisture in the air allowed the attack to do some damage.
Onix groaned before collapsing to the ground.
Giovanni recalled his Onix, his expression unreadable. "Impressive. But this battle is far from over."
He sent out his next Pokémon — Persian. The sleek, white feline Pokémon prowled forward, eyes gleaming with cunning intelligence.
"This is where things get serious," Giovanni said. "Persian, use Slash!"
Persian lunged toward Eevee with blinding speed.
"Eevee, dodge and use Quick Attack!" I commanded.
Eevee barely dodged the attack and countered with Quick Attack, but Persian took the hit with ease.
Giovanni chuckled darkly. "You have spirit, but spirit alone won't win battles."
Persian launched another attack, this time aiming for Pikachu.
"Pikachu, use Iron Tail!" Ash commanded.
Pikachu's tail glowed silver as it struck Persian, knocking it back slightly.
But Persian wasn't done. It lunged again, faster than before.
Suddenly, my Eevee stepped in front of Pikachu, growling fiercely. A bright light surrounded Eevee's body.
"What's happening?" Ash gasped.
I watched in awe as Eevee began to glow. Its form shifted and changed, evolving before my eyes.
When the light faded, standing in Eevee's place was a majestic Espeon. Its sleek, lavender body gleamed in the dim light, and its red gem glowed with psychic energy.
"No way…" I whispered. "Eevee evolved into Espeon."
Ash grinned. "That's awesome, Kaito! Now let's finish this!"
Giovanni's eyes narrowed. "Interesting. Let's see what your Espeon can do."
"Espeon, use Psybeam!" I commanded.
Espeon's gem glowed, unleashing a rainbow-colored beam of psychic energy. It struck Persian head-on, sending it crashing to the ground.
Persian struggled to get up but collapsed, defeated.
Giovanni recalled his Persian, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. "You've both proven yourselves worthy… for now."
He turned and walked away without another word.
Ash and I stood there, catching our breath. We'd done it. We'd defeated the leader of the Viridian Gym — though something about Giovanni's demeanor left me uneasy.
Ash grinned, giving me a thumbs-up. "We did it, Kaito! Our first big win!"
I smiled, looking down at Espeon. "Yeah. And this is just the beginning."
As we left the Gym, we knew one thing for sure — our journey was only just starting, and the challenges ahead would be greater than we ever imagined.
To be continued…