After a night of rest at the Pokémon Center, Ash estimated the time was right and led Misty and Brock back to the Viridian Gym.
However, when they pushed open the heavy doors, the scene before them left them speechless.
Gary and his group of cheerleaders were sprawled across the floor at the gym's entrance, clearly having lost consciousness.
"Gary!" Ash hurried forward to check on him.
Under Misty and Brock's care, Gary slowly came to his senses.
He rubbed the back of his aching neck, his voice filled with regret. "I should have listened to your advice... That Gym Leader, and that Pokémon I've never seen before... they were just too strong..."
Gary recounted his encounter in fragments: he had faced Giovanni in a three-on-three duel. He had successfully won the first two rounds, but the third Pokémona mysterious creature covered in armorhad wiped out his remaining two Pokémon with a single blow.
"I didn't even see the move it used..." Gary managed a bitter smile.
Ash patted his shoulder. "You guys rest. I'll be the one to challenge this gym."
Once Gary and the others were settled, Ash walked alone toward the battlefield.
To his surprise, it wasn't Giovanni waiting for him, but three familiar figures.
"Prepare for trouble!"
"And make it double!"
"To protect the world from devastation!"
"To unite all peoples within our nation!"
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"
"Jessie!" "James!"
"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"
"Meowth, that's right!"
Jessie, James, and Meowth struck their signature poses, standing triumphantly at the other end of the battlefield.
"Finally, we got to say the whole thing! That felt amazing!"
"Why is it you guys?" Ash asked, his brow furrowed.
"Boss Giovanni had urgent business and had to leave," Jessie said smugly. "As of right now, the Team Rocket trio is acting as the proxy Gym Leaders!"
James added, "If you want the Earth Badge, you'll have to get through us first!"
Ash sighed. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Less talk!" Meowth jumped out. "The rules are three-on-three, but we've added a little surprise, Meowth!"
They gestured to electric shock devices installed on the trainers' platforms. "Whoever loses has to take a shock! Pretty exciting, right, Meowth?"
Ash shook his head. "If you insist... then let's begin."
In the first round, Jessie sent out Machamp, while Ash chose Primeape.
"Machamp, use Karate Chop!" Jessie shouted her command.
"Primeape, use your fighting techniques to show it what real power looks like!" Ash responded calmly.
Primeape displayed the refined martial skills it had honed under Ash's guidance. It nimbly dodged the attacks from Machamp's four arms, counterattacking with precision using Karate Chop and Cross Chop.
Within a few exchanges, Machamp was beaten into a state where it couldn't even fight back.
"Machamp is unable to battle! Primeape wins!" Brock announced, acting as the temporary referee.
The shock device on Jessie's platform activated, sending a surge through her that made her hair stand straight up.
In the second round, James sent out Kingler, and Ash chose Bulbasaur.
"Kingler, use Crabhammer!"
"Bulbasaur, Razor Leaf!"
Bulbasaur nimbly evaded Kingler's strikes while wearing it down from a distance with Razor Leaf.
Coordinating Leech Seed and Vine Whip, Bulbasaur quickly subdued the giant crab.
"This isn't fair!" James screamed as he was electrocuted. "Grass types have an advantage over Water types!"
For the third round, Team Rocket abandoned all pretense of fair play. All three of them sent out Pokémon at once: Jessie's Arbok, James's Weezing, and a Rhydon that Meowth claimed Giovanni had lent them for the occasion.
"Three against three is only fair, Meowth!" Meowth said righteously.
Ash sighed again. "If that's how it is... Charizard, Pikachu, I choose you!"
Charizard took the stage with a thunderous roar, and Pikachu was equally eager for the fight.
Ash's commands showcased incredible tactical coordination. Charizard used Flamethrower to suppress Rhydon, while Pikachu used Thunderbolt to deal with Arbok and Weezing.
"Now, Charizard! Use Seismic Toss on Rhydon!"
"Pikachu, use Thunder on Arbok and Weezing!"
In the heat of the battle, Charizard seized Rhydon, spinning it high into the air before slamming it violently into the ground. Simultaneously, Pikachu's powerful Thunder struck Arbok and Weezing dead center. The resulting shockwave was so intense that the gym's structure began to crumble.
"We're blasting off again!" the Team Rocket trio screamed as the explosion sent them flying out of the gym.
Ash found the Earth Badge among the ruins. With this, he had collected all eight badges and earned his qualification for the Indigo Plateau Conference.
Meanwhile, the building's collapse was accelerating.
"Everyone, get out of here!" Ash shouted to the group in the spectator area.
As they rushed out, the entire Viridian Gym collapsed into rubble with a deafening roar.
[Ding! Host has defeated the Team Rocket trio and obtained the Earth Badge. Reward: 500 World Origin Points.]
[Ding! Host has gathered all eight badges and is now qualified for the Indigo Plateau Conference.]
[Current World Origin Points: 24,500.]
Ash gripped the Earth Badge tightly. Looking at the ruins before him, a flicker of unease rose in his heart: where had Giovanni and that mysterious Pokémon, Mewtwo, gone?
The Mewtwo Strikes Back arc will be completed before the Indigo Plateau Conference. Please keep supporting the story!
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