Rain arrived before morning fully settled.
Not heavy. Just enough to darken the streets and leave thin streams running toward the harbor. Ash pulled his cap lower as they walked, the sound of water tapping against the brim steady and soft.
They stopped at the edge of Vermilion Gym.
The building rose higher than the others nearby, metal panels reinforced, thick cables running along its outer walls like veins. Every few seconds, a low hum pulsed through the air.
Ash didn't step closer.
The doors were open just enough to hear it.
A battle was already underway.
"Raichu, Thunderbolt!"
The shout echoed out, followed by a sharp crack of electricity. Ash tensed without meaning to.
Inside, a Pokémon cried out. The sound cut short.
Maya rested a hand against the fence, careful not to touch the metal. "Electric terrain favors decisive movement," she said. "Hesitation costs more here."
Ash watched another trainer exit moments later, shoulders slumped, returning Pokémon without a word.
Charizard shifted beside Ash when a thunderclap rolled overhead. Its tail flame flared briefly, then settled again.
Ash noticed.
"So that's Lt. Surge," he said quietly.
"Or one of his challengers losing," Maya replied. "Hard to tell from the outside."
Ash studied the cables, the structure, the way the place felt less like a Gym and more like a checkpoint.
"We're not ready," he said after a moment.
Maya looked at him. "You sure?"
Ash nodded. "Yeah."
They turned away without regret.
As they walked, the rain eased. The hum of the Gym faded behind them, replaced by the sound of gulls and distant waves.
Charizard stayed close.
No pulling toward the challenge. No impatience.
Just steady steps.
The road ahead didn't spark or crackle.
And that, for now, felt right.
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T/N:
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