Chapter 209: The Underground Hidden Battlefield

Pikachu reacted in the blink of an eye, reaching out to catch Togepi before it could fall into the hot spring.

But Togepi narrowly dodged Pikachu's grasp, slipped, and tumbled with a cry.

Misty, who was rushing over, screamed, fearing that Togepi would fall into the hot spring.

Fortunately, Togepi was stopped by the rocks at the edge of the hot spring and didn't fall in. Pikachu, recovering, quickly ran over and scooped up Togepi.

"Boom..." As Pikachu acted, a strange sound echoed, and Ash, Misty, and Brock, who had reached the hot spring, saw the rockery near the edge shift.

"What's happening?!" The three were stunned, as were the Pokémon. Misty reacted first, hugging Togepi tightly.

"Why are you so naughty?! Don't you know I'd worry? Be careful next time!" Misty scolded Togepi, but seeing its pitiful expression, she softened, stroking its head comfortingly.

"Why is there a passage here?!" By now, Ash and Brock had reached the rockery and discovered a passage leading underground, with a wave of heat rushing out.

"With lights and stairs, this can't be an accident..." Brock said gravely.

At this moment, Ash remembered the original plot. It seemed there was a mechanism in the hotel's hot spring that, when triggered, opened a passage to Cinnabar Gym.

However, this world differed from the anime. In the anime, Cinnabar Gym was desolate and abandoned, but in the real world, it was still operational, located in the research center next door!

"Should we investigate, or call the waiter and ask what's going on?" Brock sought Ash's opinion, feeling uneasy about the hotel and the mysterious passage.

"Let's check it out first. If anything seems amiss, we can contact the police discreetly," Ash said, activating the Xtransceiver on his wrist.

Although he knew the situation, Ash feigned ignorance, unable to explain his knowledge.

"Alright..." Brock agreed after a moment's thought, his suspicion growing.

After informing Misty, they recalled their Pokémon. Ash had Pikachu perch on his shoulder, and the three descended the passage's stairs into the underground.

The passage was deep, its end invisible from the entrance. Thankfully, lights illuminated the way, and they only needed to watch for potential hazards or traps as they progressed.

"Oh? The mechanism's been triggered?"

In a hotel room, a red light flashed in a corner as the hot spring mechanism activated.

Four warning lights indicated the rooms, and the third from the left was now lit, signifying that the mechanism in room 3 had been triggered.

The room's occupant was the hotel owner, the riddle-loving old man, and also... the Cinnabar Gym Leader, Blaine!

"It seems they're quite lucky. Let's see how strong you are." Blaine smiled faintly, walked to the wardrobe, and pressed a hidden button.

The wardrobe whirred, its sides extending to reveal an elevator within!

Blaine pressed a button, the elevator doors opened, and he stepped inside. The doors closed, and the elevator descended rapidly.

"It's getting hotter..." Misty, holding Togepi with one hand, fanned herself with the other. The deeper they went, the higher the temperature rose.

"The hot springs above suggest magma underground, and Cinnabar Island has an active volcano. It's natural to feel hot as we descend," Brock explained.

"We're here!" After a while, Ash saw the passage's end, where an iron gate stood. It had been nearly five minutes since they left the entrance, and Ash couldn't fathom the depth.

Standing before the gate, Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu felt the scorching air emanating from behind it, as if they were entering a furnace.

Ash stepped forward, removing his coat and using it as a glove to protect his hands from the hot iron.

Just as he was about to open the gate, gears turned, and it swung inward automatically, revealing the space beyond.

The sight that greeted them was a vast hall, filled with visible heat. In the center, a battlefield hung suspended by iron chains.

Beneath the battlefield, a magma pool bubbled, occasionally spitting out tendrils of molten rock.

"Where are we...?" Misty and Brock stared blankly at the extraordinary hall. Even Ash, who had been mentally prepared, was taken aback by the sight.

"Welcome, everyone." At this moment, the hall lights suddenly lit up, and a voice came from the opposite platform. The three of them searched for the source of the voice and found that it was the hotel owner who liked to pose riddles, standing opposite them!

"The riddle-loving old man?" Misty and Brock exclaimed, becoming vigilant at the same time.

"When you don't know it, you can easily say it, but after you know it, you can't say it. What is it?" Blaine smiled lightly, posing a riddle to the three of them.

"A secret." Just as Misty and Brock were thinking, Ash guessed the answer. After all, he vaguely remembered the original plot, and seeing Blaine's attire at this time, he could also deduce it.

"Ding dong ding dong ding dong!" Blaine made an artificial "correct" sound with his mouth, then pulled off the wig, beard, and sunglasses, revealing his true appearance.

He was an old man with a bald head and short gray hair on the sides and back. Although nearly seventy years old, he was strong and full of vigor, looking like a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties.

"I am the Cinnabar Gym Leader, Blaine!" Blaine smiled, looking at the surprised trio. He was very satisfied. This was why he had built this hotel and set up such a mechanism within it—to surprise people!

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