1.Ash's Story (Part 2: Johto)

Chapter 75: Rising Trial

Blackthorn Gym looked less like a building and more like a warning carved into the mountain. Dark stone framed the entrance, dragon symbols covered the doors, and heated air leaked through the cracks. After Riverhead Falls and the Dragon Fang ritual, I understood Blackthorn's pride better, but the Gym still made my stomach tighten.

Pikachu sat on my shoulder while Espeon stood beside my leg. Togetic floated near Lillie and the Special Egg case, watching the doors with unusual seriousness.

Ethan adjusted his badge case. "So this is Clair's Gym."

Lillie glanced at me. "It feels more serious after what happened yesterday."

Espeon's ears turned toward the building. "There is a lot of heat inside. It is moving upward through the walls."

"Espeon says the heat is coming from inside the Gym," Lillie told Ethan, Kris, Reisa, and East.

East examined the vents. "Then we watch where we step."

The doors opened, and a wave of hot air rolled over us.

Inside, stone walkways crossed pits of glowing lava. Mechanical platforms rested on rails above the heat, with levers and round floor switches controlling their direction. Red light flickered across dragon carvings along the walls.

Reisa breathed out slowly. "I preferred Ice Path."

A Gym guide waved from the entrance. "Yo! Champs in making! Clair uses powerful Dragon-type Pokémon. Ice moves are useful, and Dragon-types also have to respect Fairy-type attacks."

Lillie nodded. "Good thing we have both kinds available."

Ethan stepped forward before I could speak. "I want to challenge Clair first."

I looked at him. "Before me?"

"Yeah." His grin faded into something more serious. "I want my battle to be mine. If I go after you, everyone will compare whatever I do with whatever you did."

I understood that immediately. "Then you go first."

Pikachu watched Ethan reach for his Poké Balls. "He has been thinking about this since Ice Path."

I rubbed Pikachu's head. "I think so too."

Togetic floated closer to Lillie. "Then we should cheer for him before we cheer for Ash."

Lillie smiled and nodded. "That sounds fair to me."

Ethan released Aibo and Sudobo beside him. Aibo landed on his shoulder, while Sudobo planted both feet on the stone and stared toward the lava.

Aibo raised his tail-hand. "The lava does not scare me."

Sudobo glanced down once. "I would still rather not fall into it."

Ethan laughed at their expressions. "Good. We all agree not to fall."

The first moving platform waited above the lava. We stepped onto it together, with Ethan nearest the controls.

The heat rose through the soles of my shoes even though the platform itself remained safe. Far below, bubbles rolled through the lava and burst against black stone. Pikachu leaned over my shoulder only once before deciding the view was better from farther back.

Kris studied the rails crossing the pit. "The platform does not just move forward. It has to rotate so the side exits line up with the next bridge."

East nodded. "Which means the controls are part of the challenge, not decoration."

Two arrows marked a lever. A round switch sat in the center.

"What does the button do?" Ethan asked.

East answered immediately. "Do not step on it until—"