EP028

## Summary

Excited about winning his Volcano Badge, Alex and his friends take a boat ride towards Cinnabar Island. For some reason, however, Nikki is hesitant and unsuccessfully tries to convince the others to go to other city instead. She leaves Alex and Salvadore as they enter the island.

Alex and Salvadore decide to find the Cinnabar Gym, and they eventually do it with the help of a local who tells them by using a riddle, which Salvadore solved. However, they learn that the Gym has been abandoned. The local leaves, but not before leaving Alex a business card for the Big Riddle Inn.

Alex and Salvadore then decide to explore the world-famous Pokemon Lab. There, they discover that it has been turned into a tourist trap. Finding nothing else to do, they decide to look for lodging, but find that all of the rooms at the local Pokemon Center and the hot springs resorts have been booked. As a result, they camp out. When Salvadore reminds Alex of the business card, they find that it also contains directions there, but in the form of a riddle. Alex is stumped, but Salvadore guesses correctly again and they locate the Big Riddle Inn because of its clock tower. The local from earlier, who runs the inn, reveals that he has a vacancy and allows the group to stay for free.

However, before they can settle in, the local receives a phone call, informing him that the Pokemon Lab, home to various Pokemon, is under attack from a balloon. Figuring that Team Rocket is involved, Alex and his friends arrive at the scene, and quickly dispatch the balloon with Charmeleon's Flamethrower whilst riding on Farfetch'd. As a reward for helping to save the Pokemon, the local tells them that Gym Leader Erik had built a secret Gym, in a place where firefighters couldn't win.

Later that night, as Alex and Salvadore mull over the riddle in the hot springs, Farfetch'd wanders off from Alex. It unwittingly activates a secret switch that moves a boulder, exposing a cave and knocking down the hot springs' gender separation screen. After quickly getting their clothes back on, Alex and Salvadore explore the secret cave, and find a metal door that is hot to the touch. Beyond the door, they find Erik's secret Gym, suspended over the Cinnabar Island volcano. The local suddenly appears along with Nikki. As it turns out, the local is himself Gym Leader Erik, and also Nikki's father. Alex challenges him to a Gym battle and he accepts.

The Gym battle begins as a two-on-two battle. Confident that the Fire-type leader will use his Fire Pokemon, Alex decides to start off with Wartortle, while Erik counters with a Vulpix. Alex checks Vulpix's data on his Pokedex. Despite the type advantage, Wartortle's Water Gun is no match for Vulpix's Flamethrower, and Wartortle is knocked out in one shot. Deciding to fight fire with fire, Alex decides to use Charmeleon. In response, Erik pulls Vulpix out for Magmar. Alex checks Magmar's data on his Pokedex. Magmar easily dodges Charmeleon's fire attacks. Charmeleon is effectively unable to attack, and Magmar's relentless Fire Punches leave it exhausted. The episode ends on a cliffhanger, with Charmeleon precariously caught between facing Magmar's Fire Blast and backing into the lava below.

## Major Events

* Alex and his friends reach Cinnabar Island
* Alex and Salvadore meet Erik, the Cinnabar Gym Leader
* Alex learns that Nikki is Erik's daughter
* Alex begins his Gym battle with Erik.

## Characters

### Humans

* Alex
* Nikki
* Salvadore
* Butch
* Cassidy
* Erik (debut)

## Pokemon

* Charmeleon (Alex's)
* Farfetch'd (Alex's)
* Wartortle (Alex's)
* Vulpix (Erik's, debut)
* Magmar (Erik's, debut)