Ash's Story (Part 5: Modern Sinnoh)

Chapter 6: Poison Tricks

The road after the Bidoof village looked harmless for almost half an hour, which should have warned me that something ridiculous was waiting nearby.

Bidoof rode in Lillie's arms for a while before deciding he wanted to walk. He stayed close to her boots, still shy around the wider road, but his steps grew steadier each time Pikachu encouraged him.

Dawn kept glancing at every patch of grass as if her first wild capture might jump out and introduce itself. Piplup marched beside her, determined to look ready for anything.

Tox walked with his medical bag over one shoulder. He had been quiet since the Bidoof village, but his eyes kept moving toward every plant along the roadside.

"You are studying the herbs again," Dawn said.

"I am studying everything," Tox answered. "If we are traveling, I should learn what grows where people actually get hurt."

Daniel nodded beside Meowstic. "That is practical."

Gladion looked ahead with Umbreon at his side. "Practical is better than walking blindly into another trap."

A large sign appeared between two trees, painted in dripping purple letters.

WELCOME TO THE SINNOH POISON-TYPE GYM.

I stopped walking with a bad feeling.

Lillie looked from the sign to the road. "That seems strange. Professor Rowan said the nearest Gym was in Oreburgh."

Daniel checked his map. "There is no official Gym here."

Dawn leaned closer to the sign. "Maybe it is a training Gym?"

Pikachu's meaning came flat and suspicious. "Smells like trouble and cheap paint."

Bidoof hid behind Lillie's legs, while Kricketot had not yet joined us and the morning still seemed ordinary enough to fool someone less experienced. I had seen too many Team Rocket signs pretending to be something official.

Umbreon's rings glowed faintly. His meaning followed with darker certainty. "Trap. Loud trap. Bad actors nearby."

Before I could agree, the door of the small building swung open. Jessie stood inside wearing a crooked purple cape, while James wore a mask shaped like a Seviper head.

Meowth stood on a box between them with a badge made from bottle caps. "Welcome, challengers, to the totally official Poison-type Gym!"

"That voice," Lillie said, already tired.

Jessie cleared her throat and lowered her voice. "I am the mysterious Poison Queen of Route Something."

James spread his cape. "And I am her noble toxic assistant."

Meowth grinned. "Defeat us, and you win pride. Lose, and we hold your Poké Balls for safekeeping."

"That is not suspicious at all," Gladion said coldly.

Team Rocket froze for half a second, then Jessie pointed dramatically. "Silence from the peanut gallery."

Dawn stepped forward before I could stop her. "If this is a fake Gym, then we should expose it."

Piplup puffed up beside her, thrilled by the idea of exposing anything.

The battle lasted less like a Gym match and more like a badly rehearsed scam falling apart. Jessie used Seviper, James used Dustox, and Meowth tried to pull a lever whenever nobody looked at him.

Jessie ordered Seviper to use Poison Tail, but the command came with so much posing that Aipom had time to leap over it. James tried to make Dustox scatter Stun Spore from above, only for Togetic to drift underneath and scatter the powder away before it reached anyone.