The next day, the gang was resting in their rooms at the Pokémon Center after visiting Kurt. From him, they received a few Lure Balls and Heavy Balls—the most useful of the standard balls that could be made—which were distributed among Brock, Misty, and Ash, as Yellow wasn't looking to catch any new Pokémon.
Ash had also learned how to make Poké Balls. Obviously, he wasn't as skilled as Kurt—that was a given—but he didn't need to be. Kurt even shared the recipes for each kind of Poké Ball, standard or otherwise, though Ash figured he'd try making them later.
Today was the day Ash would challenge the Gym. He already knew what his two-badge team would be, and needless to say, he wasn't thrilled about it. His current game plan was simple: he'd bring Growlithe, Zubat, and Fuecoco.
He hadn't had the time to properly train Cyndaquil, so bringing him along felt more like a liability. As for Zubat, he'd been bonding with her through Aura, and if she wasn't at max friendship yet, she was close. He'd trained her to be a fast physical attacker, and she even had Heavy-Duty Boots.
Now, you might be wondering how Zubat could use Heavy-Duty Boots. Well, the term 'boots' is deceptive—as are many things in the Pokémon world. Instead of actual boots, Ash had fashioned them into harnesses and wing straps to protect her.
Other than that, there wasn't much more preparation Ash had done for the Gym. So, when the next day came, they headed to the Gym. Misty, who had initially been excited at the thought of meeting another Water-type specialist, was now shivering in discomfort after learning it was a Bug-type Gym.
As they entered, they found Shelly sitting at the front desk, reading a book. Her face lit up when she saw Ash.
"Hey, Ash, it's good to see you," Shelly said, still a little nervous but clearly happy to see a friend.
"Hey, Shelly. Is Bugsy around for a battle?" Ash asked. Everyone else stood behind him, unfamiliar with the girl.
"Oh, Bugsy is battling Ethan right now. He got here early and challenged Bugsy a few minutes ago. They might be done soon—you're welcome to check," Shelly replied. Then, her expression brightened further. "Oh, did you like the book I gave you? It's one of my favorites. I hope you liked it."
Before she could continue, Misty cleared her throat loudly. "Ahem. We're here, you know."
Shelly's cheerful demeanor shifted back to her nervous one under Misty's annoyed gaze. "O-oh, I-I'm sorry…"
Ash waved dismissively. "Don't mind her, Shelly. She's just annoyed that this is a Bug-type Gym."
"Hey, just because it's true doesn't mean you have to say it," Misty shot back, crossing her arms and looking away.
"So, care to introduce us?" Brock asked.
"Right," Ash said. "Well, this is Shelly, a friend I made while you guys were gone. And, Shelly, these are my friends: Brock, Yellow, and the grumpy one is Misty."
"N-nice to meet you," Shelly said, awkwardly holding out her hand.
"Oh, uh, hi! Nice to meet you too," Yellow replied, returning the handshake with her own equally awkward one.
As the two introverts stared at each other, unsure how to proceed, Brock leaned closer to Ash. "Is it just me, or do they act alike?"
"Oh, thank goodness," Ash said with a sigh. "I was thinking that, but I didn't want to be rude."
Shelly and Yellow exchanged awkward glances before speaking up at the same time:
"Do y— Oh, s— you first—" They both cut each other off, trying to be polite, only to end up mirroring each other's words.
Misty, having recovered from her bad mood, stood beside the boys, watching the scene. "Oh yeah, this is uncanny…"
Just as it seemed like someone was about to speak, the doors to the battlefield opened, and Ethan and Bugsy emerged, both laughing despite a visible fire smoldering in the background. Ethan held the Hive Badge in his hand, and the two finally noticed Ash and his group.
"Oh, hey, Ash!" Bugsy greeted, walking up to him with a grin and offering a dap. "Did you come to challenge me too?"
"You know it. I guess Ethan already beat you. Well, I'm sorry you'll have to take two losses on the same day," Ash replied confidently.
"Oh, confident, huh? Well, I can't say you don't have a reason after how you've handled yourself so far," Bugsy said, smirking back. "But don't think I'll make it easy for you. So, tell me, how many badges?"
"Only one. This will be my second badge here in Johto," Ash answered.
Bugsy let out a whistle as he unhooked the Poké Balls from his belt and walked over to the desk. "Wow, I sure hope you're using different Pokémon. I don't think I could even beat that Pikachu of yours with this team," he admitted, swapping out three Poké Balls to prepare for the match.
"Yeah, I'm using a different team. I just started training them," Ash said, casually scratching the back of his head.
Ethan smirked. "Oh, this is going to be good. I think I'll stick around to watch if you don't mind."
Bugsy glanced at the rest of Ash's group and gave a friendly wave. "Hey there! You must be Ash's friends. Well, I hope you enjoy the match. I'll try not to beat him too hard in front of you all."
Shelly hesitated but raised her hand. "U-um, follow me. I-I'll take you to the bleachers."
The group followed Shelly as Ash and Bugsy entered the battlefield. The arena had a forest-like setup, with dense foliage and a canopy that gave the place a wild, natural atmosphere. Ash and Bugsy walked to opposite ends of the field, holding their Poké Balls at the ready.
"Alright," Bugsy called out. "Standard rules: three-on-three, you can switch out, but I can't. Everything else is as usual. You ready?"
"Ready when you are," Ash replied, his confidence unwavering.
"Then let's go! Shuckle, you're up!" Bugsy said, throwing out his Poké Ball.
"Growlithe, come on out!" Ash said at the same time.
On the field, Growlithe appeared, looking focused with something in her mouth. Opposite her, Shuckle emerged, holding a Lum Berry.
The battle began instantly, with Ash taking the first move. "Alright, Growlithe, let's start by getting rid of that Berry with [Incinerate]!"
Growlithe's fur bristled as she charged up energy, then spat out a small wave of flames. The fire hit Shuckle, who was far too slow to dodge. The attack dealt minimal damage but succeeded in burning up the Lum Berry.
Bugsy frowned. "Okay, that's kind of annoying. But we can be annoying, too! Shuckle set up with [Stealth Rock]!"
Shuckle retracted its head into its shell, then launched multiple small stones around the battlefield, creating a hazardous trap for later.
Ash smirked, ready to execute his plan to bring down Shuckle. "Alright, Growlithe, you know the plan—[Will-O-Wisp]!"
Growlithe's body glowed as five small, ghostly flames formed around her, spinning rapidly. With a howl, she launched the flames at Shuckle, striking it directly and leaving the Pokémon burned.
"Oh no, you're going to chip away at me," Bugsy groaned, looking exasperated.
"You're the one using stall tactics. You don't get to complain," Ash shot back as Shuckle took damage from the burn.
"Fair enough," Bugsy admitted. "And I'm going to keep stalling! Shuckle, use [Sticky Web]!"
Shuckle retreated into its shell again, launching a sticky, glistening web that spread across the battlefield, creating a hazard for Ash's team.
"Alright, Growlithe, let's do as much damage as we can! [Fire Spin]—and keep moving!" Ash called out.
Growlithe barked in acknowledgment and began sprinting around the field, skillfully dodging the Sticky Web and Stealth Rocks. Flames swirled in her mouth before she unleashed a spiraling inferno that engulfed Shuckle, adding more chip damage on top of the burn.
Bugsy frowned, realizing Ash's strategy. "Two can play that game! Shuckle, use [Toxic], rapid fire!"
Ash countered immediately. "Growlithe, keep running! Don't let it touch you!"
Shuckle began launching deep purple globs of poison across the battlefield, aiming to catch Growlithe. The agile dog zigzagged and leaped, dodging glob after glob. Meanwhile, Shuckle continued to suffer from the burn and Fire Spin's lingering damage.
But then, as Growlithe's paw caught on the Sticky Web, she stumbled for just a moment. Seizing the opportunity, Shuckle landed a direct hit with [Toxic]. Bugsy's face lit up with victory.
However, as the others braced for Growlithe to take the poison, she got back up, and everyone noticed she had a Lum Berry in her mouth. She bit down, instantly curing herself of the poison. Growlithe grinned smugly while Ash pointed dramatically at Shuckle.
"Did you think we'd make it that easy? Now, [Swagger]!"
Growlithe winked as Shuckle's eyes turned red from the confusion, and it started looking around, confused, taking some more chip damage, of course, it did raise Shuckle's Attack, but what's it going to do, attack back?
Shuckle tried to launch another [Toxic] but instead tripped over its own shell and smacked itself, taking even more damage from the burn and Fire Spin.
"Shuckle! Are you okay?" Bugsy called out, but it was clear the Pokémon was weakening rapidly, chipped down by the burn, confusion, and residual Fire Spin damage. Meanwhile, Growlithe stood proudly, still untouched since Bugsy didn't bother to attack with Shuckle's laughable attack stat.
"Shuckle, can you keep going?" Bugsy yelled. Shuckle nodded weakly, shaking its head in an attempt to snap out of confusion.
"Alright then—[Infestation]!" Bugsy commanded.
Shuckle weakly looked up, barely conscious. Its eyes glowed green, and from beneath Growlithe, tiny black dots began to emerge, crawling up her legs and moving erratically around her paws.
Growlithe barked and scratched at herself, desperate to shake off the tiny invaders as they nipped at her fur. Now, it was a war of attrition, with both Pokémon slowly succumbing to chip damage. Shuckle attempted a few more [Toxic] shots, but Growlithe, despite the irritation of the infestation, was too fast and dodged them all.
The stalemate continued until Shuckle, finally overwhelmed by the persistent burn damage, collapsed. As it fainted, the [Infestation] immediately ceased.
Bugsy returned Shuckle to its Poké Ball with a smile. "Not bad. I can't say I've ever been beaten like that before. But now, the real fun starts." He reached for the second Poké Ball on his belt and threw it onto the field.
"Heracross, come on out!"
From the Poké Ball emerged a familiar blue bug-type. Heracross landed with a loud stomp, cracking the ground beneath it. Around its neck hung a Flame Orb, glowing faintly.
Ash frowned. He knew this would be the real challenge. "Growlithe, [Flare Blitz], now!"
Growlithe barked as her fur ignited into a fiery aura. She launched herself forward like a blazing missile, speeding toward Heracross. The bug raised its muscular arms to brace itself, sliding back from the sheer force of the attack as flames licked at its exoskeleton, leaving scorch marks. Growlithe pushed harder, breaking through its guard and slamming into its chest with a fiery explosion.
Growlithe leaped back, panting heavily and taking recoil damage. Heracross, however, stood firm, breathing heavily but with a determined glint in its eyes. The Flame Orb activated, burning Heracross, but instead of wincing in pain, it smiled.
Steam began to rise from Heracross's body, and its exoskeleton took on a faint red glow. Its Guts ability had activated.
Bugsy grinned. "Alright, Heracross, it's our turn—[Counter]!"
Heracross surged forward, steam hissing off its body. Growlithe attempted to jump back, but Heracross stomped down hard, trapping her paw under its massive foot. Growlithe yelped, and Heracross seized the opportunity. It grabbed Growlithe by the jaw, tossing her into the air before delivering a devastating uppercut that sent her flying. As Growlithe plummeted back to the ground, Heracross waited, ready to strike again.
Bugsy waved his hand with a confident smile. "Now finish this with [Megahorn]!"
Ash clenched his fist. "If we're going down, we're going down swinging! Growlithe, [Flare Blitz]—again!"
Heracross's horn began glowing a vibrant green, the energy building as it prepared to deliver its final blow. Meanwhile, Growlithe spun midair, igniting herself once more. She rocketed downward, aiming to meet Heracross head-on.
The two attacks collided in a thunderous explosion. The shockwave sent loose rocks and debris flying across the battlefield. At the center of the chaos, Heracross and Growlithe pushed against each other, their attacks locked in a fierce struggle.
For a moment, it seemed like Growlithe might overpower Heracross. But then, more steam erupted from Heracross's body as it tapped into its boosted strength. With a mighty roar, Heracross surged forward, throwing its head upward to send Growlithe flying. Before Growlithe could recover, Heracross followed through, slamming her into the ground with its glowing horn.
As the dust settled, Growlithe lay still, her eyes replaced by swirls. She was out cold. The battle was now tied, with both trainers down to two Pokémon each.
Bugsy smirked at Ash. "I told you I wasn't just going to let you win. We might be friends, but here on the battlefield, we're enemies."
Ash returned Growlithe to her Poké Ball, a small smirk forming on his face as he pulled out his next choice. "Did you really think I wouldn't prepare for this situation?" He threw the Poké Ball into the field.