Blowing Past Nosepass I (Japanese: VSノズパスI, Hepburn: VS Nosepass I) is the 11th and final chapter of Pokémon Adventures: Volume 15.
Synopsis[]
Sapphire arrives to the Gym, ready to challenge the first Gym Leader, Roxanne. After passing a test Roxanne asks of challengers to take, Sapphire challenges her, but soon finds her in a bind. Gabby and Ty, however, do research on the people that attacked her and find some new info.
Chapter plot[]
Determining that in order to deliver Mr. Stone's letter, Sapphire needs to be strong enough to defend herself against Team Aqua and challenges her first gym, in Rustboro City. She opens the doors, yelling out she came to challenge the Gym Leader. However, she finds an empty room, looking like a classroom. Sapphire is surprised, as the bell rings and students enter. She checks and has no dobut this is the Gym, but thinks its leader is gone. However, the leader appears.
Meanwhile, Gabby and Ty think on the recent attack against Mr. Stone. Gabby thinks something big is happening in Hoenn, even if the media already have reported Mr. Stone's attack. Gabby wonders why their boss has hushed up their report on it, and she wonders why Mr. Stone gave Sapphire a letter to deliver when he could just email or call Steven, thinking he knew this may have happened. Ty begins to be scared, but Gabby thinks this is the time their reporting skills should shine. Remembering a logo they'd seen on the criminals' Pokémon and their bandana, Gabby and Ty do some research and discover that the criminals belonged to Team Aqua.
At the gym, Sapphire meets Roxanne, a student of Pokémon trainers' school, as well as the Gym Leader of Rustboro City. Sapphire asks her for the challenge, but is pushed onto a chair and Roxanne gives her the paper test, claiming that is the Gym challenge, shocking Sapphire. Roxanne explains she has too many challengers, so only the one with the best results can challenge her, once per week. Sapphire is displeased, but remembers her father told her each Gym has its own rules.
Sapphire struggles with reading the test, so asks the people nearby to read some letters aloud. When the exams are graded, Roxanne scolds Sapphire she should learn to read, but claims someone scored full mark. It is revealed that Sapphire has a perfect score, to Roxanne's surprise. Roxanne accepts Sapphire's challenge, so Sapphire descends to the battlefield. Sapphire sends out her Rono against Roxanne's Nosepass. Rono uses Metal Claw, while Nosepass uses Harden. Sapphire changes her mind when she realizes how strong Nosepass is and calls Rono back. Surprisingly, Rono does not return to its Ball, being unable to.
Far away, at sea, an old sailor fishes a drifting, unconscious Ruby out of the waters.