The sun was still rising over Cinnabar Island as Ace, Serena, Dawn, and May made their way through a quieter part of town, their steps echoing faintly against the stone-paved path. The bustle of the main tourist area was far behind them now.
Dawn glanced around, clearly confused. "Umm… Ace? Why are we heading toward an inn again? I thought we were going to the Cinnabar Gym."
"Yeah," Serena added, "we already have a room at the Pokémon Center. And wouldn't the gym be near the volcano or something?"
May crossed her arms thoughtfully. "This area's kind of… empty. No tourists, no shops. Just that weirdly clean inn."
Ace didn't break stride as he replied with a smirk, "Exactly. That's why we're going to that inn."
"Huh?" all three girls said in unison.
Ace turned his head, eyes gleaming with excitement. "I've heard rumors that the Cinnabar Gym Leader, Blaine, has a habit of disguising himself and testing challengers' intelligence before even letting them find the gym. He gives out riddles to unsuspecting trainers while pretending to be someone else. Solving them is the only way to discover where the gym is."
Serena blinked. "So… the gym isn't even publicly visible?"
Ace nodded. "Yup. But I've noticed something. All the rumors and clues — they tend to end up pointing to this inn. Think about it: no tourists, but the inn is still pristine and high-end. No way a place like that stays in business unless something's going on."
May's eyes widened. "So you think the gym is connected to this place?"
"That's what I'm betting on," Ace said. "I'm 99% sure Blaine owns this inn. Probably tells the trainers to stay here once they solve the final riddle. Then he reveals himself and leads them to the gym."
Dawn stared at him. "You pieced all of that together just from some rumors?"
Serena looked at Ace with admiration. "You're amazing, Ace…"
May nodded slowly. "That's seriously impressive…"
Ace chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Heh, well… maybe I got a little lucky."
'I probably wouldn't have figured any of this out so quickly if I didn't have knowledge from my past life… This world really is a strange mix of the anime, manga, and games.'
The group stepped through the sliding doors of the inn. It was quiet inside, the air pleasantly cool and filled with the faint scent of tea. At the counter sat an old man, gently brushing the fur of a content-looking Growlithe lying beside him. One of his arms was wrapped in thick, clean white bandages up to the forearm.
Ace's eyes narrowed for a split second. 'That hand… bandaged, just like in the manga… This really is the manga Blaine.'
The old man looked up in surprise, but quickly gave a hearty laugh. "Welcome to the inn! How can I help you fine young people today?"
Ace stepped forward confidently. "I'm here for the gym battle, Blaine."
The air went still for a beat. The girls stared in shock while the old man blinked.
"Oh?" he said, chuckling again. "And what makes you think I'm Blaine?"
Ace shrugged. "Clean inn in an empty district. No tourists but still running strong. Rumors of riddles always ending here. Add to that your disguised appearance… It was obvious."
Blaine blinked… then grinned. "Well, I'll be darned. You hit every note spot-on."
With a swift motion, he removed his wig, peeled off the fake mustache, and removed his thick-rimmed glasses, revealing a sharp-eyed, bald-headed man underneath.
"Nice deduction," he said with a thumbs up. "You've passed the first test. Now come on, the real gym's this way."
The group followed him outside, walking around the back of the inn and through a rocky path that led toward the volcano looming over the island.
Blaine stopped before a jagged rock wall, his fingers brushing against one stone. With a subtle push, a soft click echoed — and part of the rock shifted inward. A mechanical hiss followed as a hidden door opened, revealing a long pathway lit with flickering torches.
The girls gasped.
"This is… incredible," Serena whispered.
May leaned closer to the wall. "So this is how he hides his gym?"
Ace stared silently. 'This is definitely different than the anime… Ash entered through a bathhouse… but this secret passage feels more like a manga twist.'
The deeper they went, the hotter it got. The stone walls radiated warmth, and soon the group began to sweat.
"Ugh… it's like an oven in here," Dawn muttered, fanning herself with her hand.
May wiped her forehead. "How can anyone battle in this heat?"
Serena's face was flushed, trying to keep her composure. "This must be part of the challenge."
Ace, meanwhile, took off his jacket and tied it around his waist, revealing the outline of his toned abs beneath his black shirt. His muscles shifted as he adjusted his sleeves — completely unaware of the side effects his actions had.
The girls' eyes widened and their cheeks instantly turned pink.
'D-Don't stare!' Serena screamed internally, peeking through her fingers.
'Why does he have to be so ripped…' Dawn thought, clutching her cheeks.
'Focus, May, focus!' May mentally scolded herself, though her eyes betrayed her thoughts.
Unaware of the silent chaos behind him, Ace kept walking until they reached a massive metal door. Blaine pushed it open — and the sight that greeted them was breathtaking.
A colossal battle arena floated above a bubbling pit of lava, suspended by massive iron chains that creaked slightly with each movement of the earth. Heat shimmered through the air, giving the entire scene a surreal glow.
The girls stopped in awe.
"This is INSANE!" May gasped.
"Who would build a battlefield above lava!?" Dawn exclaimed.
"It's dangerous… but kind of amazing," Serena admitted.
Even Ace, who had expected this, was slightly taken aback. 'I knew about it… but seeing it for real is something else entirely.'
Blaine stepped onto a rocky slab to the right side of the field while Ace moved to the opposite side.
"We'll battle 6 vs 6," Blaine declared, his voice strong and clear. "Standard rules. No one can switch out. No need for a referee."
Ace blinked in surprise. "Six Pokémon? This'll be my first full battle…"
He took a deep breath, then slapped both his cheeks. 'Come on, Ace. You're ready for this. You've trained hard. Let's give it everything we've got.'
On the sidelines, the girls pulled out pom-poms and cheered loudly.
"Go, Ace!" Serena called.
"You've got this!" Dawn shouted.
"Don't hold back!" May added.
Ace gave them a confident thumbs up as the battle was about to begin.
The lava below glowed with an ominous shimmer as Blaine threw his first Poké Ball into the air. A flash of light revealed a sleek, flame-tailed Pokémon with sharp eyes.
"Flareon, let's heat things up!" Blaine called.
Ace smirked and pulled out his own Poké Ball. "Alright, Lapras, it's your time to shine!"
The majestic Lapras emerged with a soft, melodic hum, her eyes scanning the battlefield with curiosity.
Ace smiled warmly. "This is your first battle, Lapras… Let's give it everything we've got."
Lapras responded with a determined chirp, her body shifting into a steady stance.
Blaine crossed his arms. "Since you're the challenger, I'll let you make the first move."
Ace narrowed his eyes. 'Okay… he's a fire-type expert, and this field is perfect for his team. I'll have to change the environment first.'
"Lapras, use Rain Dance!"
Lapras raised her head, her horn glowing softly as a cloud began to form overhead. However, Ace's expression faltered. The cloud was much smaller than usual, and the light drizzle that followed was barely more than a sprinkle. Even with the damp rock boosting it.
"Hmph," Blaine chuckled. "Rain inside a volcano? That's ambitious, kid."
Ace clenched his fists. 'So the extreme heat is interfering with Rain Dance... even the Damp Rock can't maintain it properly.'
"Flareon, Flamethrower! Aim for the sky!"
"Flare!" Flareon barked, releasing a torrent of searing flames that sliced through the weak cloud, evaporating it instantly. The rain stopped.
Ace gritted his teeth. 'Even with Damp Rock… that Flamethrower's power is crazy!'
"Lapras, use Brine!"
Lapras fired a concentrated jet of salt water toward Flareon.
"Dodge and counter with Flare Blitz!" Blaine ordered.
Flareon leapt to the side, flames enveloping her as she surged toward Lapras like a missile.
"Ancient Power!"
Lapras summoned a barrage of glowing boulders that shot forward. Flareon smashed through ten of them, but her speed decreased drastically.
"Now, Confuse Ray!"
Lapras fired a pulse of white light at the approaching Flareon.
But Blaine's voice rang out sharply. "Will-O-Wisp!"
Flareon snarled, pulling the flames of her Flare Blitz into her mouth, then fired a small blue flame just as Confuse Ray hit her. Both attacks landed.
Lapras winced as the Will-O-Wisp burned her side. The Confuse Ray left Flareon staggering slightly, her movements erratic.
Ace's eyes narrowed. 'It was a setup… Flare Blitz wasn't meant to hit. It was to bait Confuse Ray and ensure Lapras gets burned. Now she's suffering while Flareon only has confusion, which won't last.'
Ace clenched his fist. 'Hydration could cure Lapras's burn if there were rain... but that's not going to happen again.'
His mind raced. Then—
'Wait… maybe I can work around it.'
"Lapras, use Surf!"
Lapras cried out, conjuring a large wave that rushed forward.
"Lava Plume!" Blaine commanded.
Flareon, even in her confused state, obeyed. Flames erupted around her body, expanding outwards. The two moves collided in the middle — water and fire clashing violently. A huge burst of steam covered the entire battlefield.
"Perfect," Ace whispered with a grin.
As the steam cleared, Blaine blinked. "What the—?"
A broken doll lay where Lapras had stood. While Flareon stood with an injured leg due to the Surf attack.
"A Substitute!" Blaine muttered. "Then where is—?"
Up above, Lapras floated, using Psychic to levitate herself directly over Flareon.
"Body Slam!"
Lapras deactivated her Psychic, slamming down onto Flareon like a boulder. Flareon cried out as her injured leg buckled under the pressure.
"Lava Plume!" Blaine shouted without hesitation.
"Sparkling Aria!"
Both Pokémon unleashed their attacks. Fire and bubbles clashed, bursting across the field in a symphony of heat and water. When the attacks faded, Lapras was left glowing slightly — the burn was gone.
Blaine's jaw twitched. "You… you had her heal herself with her own Sparkling Aria?"
Ace smirked, snapping his fingers. "Exactly. I used the steam from Surf and Lava Plume to signal Lapras. Half the Aria on Flareon, half on herself. Hydration wasn't working, so we made do with what we had. Plus Sparkling Aria wouldn't damage Lapras too much."
"That's brilliant," Blaine said with an impressed nod.
Serena stared wide-eyed. "He used a move that heals the opponents on himself during a fight to somehow heal himself… I never even thought of that."
May giggled. "It's so Ace-like."
Dawn nodded. "Only he would do something that crazy and make it work."
Back on the field, Flareon growled, shaking off the steam. Both Pokémon were injured, but still fighting strong.
"Trailblaze!" Blaine shouted.
Flareon charged forward, grass energy gathering around her paws.
"Ice Beam!" Ace countered.
Lapras fired thin beams of ice, but Flareon zigzagged through them before landing a solid hit. Lapras cried out, stumbling back.
"Psychic!"
Lapras's eyes glowed as she flung Flareon up and slammed her into the ground.
"Scary Face!" Blaine called.
Flareon twisted her expression into a terrifying snarl. Lapras gasped and flinched, losing control of her Psychic.
"Fire Blast!"
The massive, blazing kanji-shaped blast exploded against Lapras. She screamed in pain.
Ace wiped sweat from his brow. 'That Scary Face broke the momentum… I need to give Lapras some room to move so it will have a chance to dodge.'
"Lapras, use Ice Beam — on the ground!"
Lapras fired at her own feet, coating the field in slick ice. She slid forward smoothly.
"Flare Blitz!"
Flareon rocketed forward like a comet.
Ace smirked. "Now! Fissure!"
Lapras reared up and slammed the ground. A massive crack shot toward Flareon, who leapt up just in time due to her instincts.
"Good job!" Blaine shouted.
Flareon still crashed into Lapras midair with Flare Blitz. Lapras staggered and cried out.
"She's at her limit," Ace muttered. "So is Flareon…"
"Fire Fang!" Blaine roared.
"Horn Drill!" Ace shouted.
Flareon lunged, her jaws about to clamp down—
But Lapras's spiraling horn struck her chest. A shockwave burst outward as Flareon's eyes widened and she collapsed with a faint groan.
Blaine stared for a moment, then smiled. "Hah… What an excellent match."
He returned Flareon to its ball.
Ace kneeled on his slab as he watched Lapras slide towards him. He gently patting her head. "You were awesome. Take a good rest."
He returned her too, standing up with a grin.
"One Pokémon each down," Blaine noted, as Ace returning Lapras means it is disqualified.
Then he sent out his next Poké Ball. "Let's see how you handle this. Rapidash!"
The elegant, flame-maned horse neighed fiercely as it emerged, flames dancing across its mane and tail.
Ace considered his options before throwing his second Poké Ball. "Alright, Clefable — your turn!"
Clefable popped out, twirling in place and posing dramatically with a little "Faaa!" of excitement.
Blaine chuckled. "Let's see what your fairy can do."