76. Aya

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Under Kai's strength, the wooden wall was kicked open like a door panel on a hinge.

In the next instant, the entire wooden wall collapsed outward, revealing a sheer cliff behind it.

And more than ten meters below the cliff was a bottomless, rushing river!

It was clear that if a trainer got trapped in the corridor and attempted to escape through the transom, this unexpected trap would likely send them plunging into the torrential waters below.

Haunter tilted its head curiously. "Huh? How did you know there was a mechanism here?"

Kai smirked. "Because there was a very valuable lesson learned by someone else before me!"

With that, Kai turned and approached another wall. With a firm push, the trapdoor mechanism activated, rotating the wall to reveal an indoor battlefield.

Kai stepped through the opening, but as soon as he set foot inside, a flurry of ninja darts flew toward him with incredible speed.

The darts roared past him, a few whizzing so close that they brushed his ears, the wind from their speed ruffling his hair.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

When the commotion settled, Kai glanced back to find the ninja darts embedded into the trapdoor in the shape of a perfect humanoid outline.

The dart thrower clearly had exceptional aim.

From above, a woman descended gracefully and landed in front of him. She had long green hair tied in a ponytail, wore a revealing pink ninja uniform, and radiated an air of confidence.

"Born in darkness, living in shadows this is the fate of a ninja," she said in a sultry voice. "I am Aya, the kunoichi! Prepare yourself!"

Despite her dangerous aura, Kai couldn't help but think she exuded a certain flirtatiousness. Her beauty was striking, but her outfit seemed impractical for stealth missions.

Perhaps she was the type of ninja who relied on charm to disarm her enemies?

"It's impressive that you defeated Janine and made it through the traps to get here," Aya said, clapping her hands. "And to remain so calm under my ninja darts? You're quite extraordinary!"

Kai remained stoic. 'Should I tell her that I didn't even flinch because I couldn't process what happened in time?'

"After all that effort, I thought I'd finally meet the Gym Leader," Kai remarked dryly.

Aya chuckled. "If you want to face my brother, you'll have to defeat me first. However, since you just battled Janine, your available Pokémon are now limited to two!"

With a whistle, Aya summoned a Pokémon to her side. A fluffy, insect-like creature with compound eyes resembling a fly landed before her.

Kai quickly assessed his options. He tapped a Poké Ball at his belt, releasing a Pokémon with a favourable matchup.

"Go, Charmeleon!"

In a flash of blue light, Charmeleon appeared on the battlefield. It roared confidently, flames flickering on its tail as it sized up its opponent.

The battlefield mirrored the one where Kai had faced Janine earlier. Kai briefly wondered if he had somehow returned to the same room.

Once both sides were ready, Kai wasted no time issuing a command. "Charmeleon, use Flamethrower!"

"Charrrrrr!"

Charmeleon inhaled deeply, its chest swelling, and unleashed a torrent of flames toward Venonat.

Venonat had no chance to dodge. The flames engulfed it, and the super-effective hit made it stagger.

Aya reacted swiftly. "Venonat, use Disable!"

Venonat emitted strange waves of light that enveloped Charmeleon. The effect was immediate the Flamethrower move was sealed temporarily.

"Now, Venonat, use Stun Spore!" Aya commanded.

Venonat released a cloud of yellow spores toward Charmeleon. Kai commanded. "Charmeleon, use Smokescreen!"

Thick black smoke billowed out, mingling with the spores, but Venonat's compound eyes easily cut through the obscurity.

"Venonat, Leech Life!" Aya ordered.

Venonat darted into the smoke, sinking its fangs into Charmeleon. Kai couldn't see through the smoke but called out, "Charmeleon, Dragon Rage!"

Even blinded, Charmeleon retaliated with a shock wave that blasted Venonat out of the smoke and onto the floor outside.

The smoke dissipated, revealing both Pokémon Venonat struggling to stand and Charmeleon visibly slower due to the paralysis.

"Charmeleon, finish it with Fire Fang!" Kai commanded.

Charmeleon's fangs ignited as it charged forward, but the paralysis took effect, halting its movement mid-step.

Aya seized the moment. "Venonat, use Confusion!"

Psychic energy shot from Venonat's antennae, forcing Kai to think quickly. "Charmeleon, counter with Dragon Rage!"

The two attacks clashed, briefly holding the battle in balance.

Aya smirked. "Venonat, Leech Life again!"

As Venonat charged forward, Kai's eyes glinted. "Charmeleon, use Flamethrower!"

Aya's eyes widened. "What? Flamethrower!?"

Charmeleon, free from Disable's effect, unleashed another blazing inferno that consumed Venonat. The Bug Pokémon collapsed, unable to continue.

Aya sighed, recalling her Pokémon. "You caught me off guard, I'll admit. I got so caught up in the battle I forgot Disable's duration was limited."

Kai smirked. "Miss Aya, that's where you made a mistake."

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