Pokémon: The Journey Begins with a Cowherd

Chapter 339 Challenging the Crimson Lotus Gym!

"Boom!"

With a loud roar, a bathroom in Xia Bo's shop suddenly slid to the sides.

A passage leading into the interior of the volcano has been revealed.

"Wow, Blaine, you're even making secret rooms!"

Looking at the passage in front of him, Qingyuan exclaimed in surprise and said to Uncle Xia.

"Cough cough~"

Upon hearing this, Xia Bo couldn't hold it in and started coughing violently.

"What are you thinking at such a young age!"

"This is where you conduct gym challenges. My previous gym collapsed due to years of disrepair!"

"So your gym challenge will have to take place here today!"

Seeing Qingyuan staring at the passage with curiosity, Xia Bo said in an annoyed tone.

"What's going on in your head?"

"Isn't this just a locked room?"

Upon hearing Xia Bo's words, Qing Yuan looked completely bewildered and said to Xia Bo.

……

Upon hearing this, the air in the hall fell silent.

Xia Bo glanced at Qing Yuan cautiously and found that Qing Yuan's face showed no other expression besides bewilderment.

He immediately panicked.

"Ahem, well, I misunderstood, nothing else!"

"Let's go, let's hurry up and start the gym challenge!"

Seeing Qingyuan staring intently at him, Xia Bo coughed twice, then walked seriously into the passage.

Looking at Xia Bo's retreating figure, a slight smile finally appeared on Qing Yuan's bewildered face.

"Old Deng, you're no match for me!"

"Watch me make you feel so guilty you'll die!"

After wiping the smile off his face, Qingyuan adjusted the Poké Balls on his belt.

He quickened his pace and followed behind Xia Bo into the passage.

The gym battles are held inside the volcano.

Therefore, when Qingyuan walked in the passage, he could clearly feel the surrounding air getting warmer.

"Welcome to the Crimson Lotus Gym, kid!"

When Qingyuan walked out of the passage and arrived at the battlefield, Xia Bo was already waiting for him at the battlefield command post.

The lava behind him bubbled up from time to time, making Xia Bo look quite like a peerless master.

"Why did you choose to set up the dojo inside a volcano?"

"Don't you feel the heat?"

Qingyuan breathed in the scorching air inside the volcano and said to Xia Bo with a speechless expression.

"What do you know, kid? Fire-type Pokémon can only grow rapidly in places where fire-type energy is abundant!"

"Don't let my small volcano fool you; it's a treasure trove that many fire-type trainers dream of!"

"If I weren't the Gym Leader of Cinnabar Island, this place wouldn't be mine to occupy!"

Looking at Qingyuan, who was speechless, Xia Bo said with an expression that said, "You don't know what you're missing."

"That's it!"

Upon hearing this, Qingyuan nodded thoughtfully.

This must be the "land" mentioned in the cultivation novels of my past life, which refers to wealth, companionship, magic, and land.

Since volcanoes allow fire-type Pokémon to grow stronger more rapidly.

I wonder if letting Ground-type Pokémon live underground would allow them to grow stronger even more quickly?

When we get back, let Scorpion King dig a dungeon in Professor Oak's backyard and see what happens!

"Alright kid, enough chit-chat, let's start the gym challenge!"

Seeing Qingyuan lost in thought because of his words, Xia Bo spoke up somewhat impatiently.

Although he was showing off to Qingyuan, he was actually finding it hard to stand the high temperature inside the volcano.

Especially since he had just stood above the lava to show off.

"Damn it, next time I'm taking on a challenger, I'm not standing on this side!"

After wiping the sweat from his forehead caused by wearing a wig, Blair silently complained to himself.

"Is there no referee?"

Hearing Xia Bo's words, Qing Yuan looked around at the battlefield environment and asked with a puzzled expression.

As one of the eight most famous dojos in the Kanto region, Guren Dojo can't possibly be unable to afford even one referee!

How many times do I have to tell you?!

"I've already shut down the Crimson Lotus Gym. This is where my Pokémon train!"

"So the referees and all that stuff have definitely been sent home by me!"

Xia Bo said to Qing Yuan as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Okay, I can't argue with that reason!"

Hearing this compelling reason, Qingyuan could only shrug helplessly.

"The game can be played just as well without a referee!"

"The rules for this gym battle are three against three. If all three Pokémon on one side are unable to battle, the other side wins!"

"And only the challenger can freely change their Pokémon during the competition!"

"Those are all the challenge rules. So, kid, are you ready?"

After explaining the challenge rules to Qingyuan, Blaine took out a Poké Ball and shouted loudly at Qingyuan.

"Ready!"

Upon hearing this, Qingyuan, on high alert, took out his Poké Ball and responded loudly.

"Before the competition begins, let's solve one more riddle!"

"What is it that you can easily say when you don't know, but can't say it after you know?"

Seeing Qingyuan standing ready, Xia Bo smiled and asked him a question.

"Is that even a question? It's definitely a wig!"

Hearing this, Qingyuan almost threw his back out from Xia Bo's sudden turn of events, but he still spoke seriously to Xia Bo.

"You're right, but there's no reward!"

"Then this will be my first Pokémon, go Ninetales!"

Upon hearing this, Blaine ripped off his wig and then threw the Poké Ball in his hand.

"Ow~"

With a flash of red light, a beige nine-tailed fox appeared on the battlefield.

"I didn't expect you to be bald, Uncle!"

"I choose you! Gengar, let's secure a perfect victory in our first battle!"

Looking at Blaine with her receding hairline, Qingyuan made a comment and then put away the Poké Ball.

He stomped on his own shadow and shouted loudly.

Since you insist on doing something fancy to him when he's all fired up.

He should reciprocate with dirty tricks once more.

"Kou Jie!"

Upon hearing Qingyuan's words, Gengar excitedly crawled out of Qingyuan's shadow.

This is its first time fighting alongside Qingyuan, and it's determined to put on a good show.

"A Ghost-type Pokémon? Ninetales, use Flamethrower!"

Seeing Gengar in the arena, Blaine immediately commanded Ninetales to launch an attack.

Although Ghost-type Pokémon are notoriously difficult to deal with, he still wanted to test the waters with Ninetales first.

After all, Qingyuan is so young, how strong can the Gengar he train be?

As we all know, Ghost-type Pokémon, like Dragon-type Pokémon, become stronger with age!