I don't own Pokemon.
About a week after they had left Pewter City, the group stood at an intersection that divided the road into two paths, one straight and the other right. In the not-so-great distance, a silver mountain with green slopes could be seen.
"So that's Mt. Moon, huh?" Ash asked, his and Pikachu's head craned back to look at the peak.
Brock nodded "Yeah. The interior is a maze of tunnels and caves, one of which provides the quickest passage to Cerulean City."
"What about the Pokemon?"
"It's home to a lot of species, like Paras, Geodude, Onix, Sandshrew and such. The Zubat and Golbat aren't really popular though, but they mostly keep to themselves in the deeper and darker part of the caves."
Ash had to agree on that. The Bat Pokemon were okay as fighters, but they were really annoying if you found yourself in the middle of one of their frenzies, not that he had the bad luck to speak from first-hand experience (thank God!). Word of mouth and a working imagination were enough to give him an educated guess.
The other species didn't catch his interest either; perhaps he might have gone for a Sandshrew to use against Lt. Surge, which wasn't necessary anymore with Rhyhorn on his team. However, he was fully aware of what exactly Mt. Moon was most famous for. Firstly, for the bountiful amount of Moon Stones that were almost regularly mined from it, hence the name, and secondarily, for housing one of the largest colonies of the Cleffa line in the world.
But it still presented a problem to him.
"I can't tell you much about it since I took the long way around on my bike," Misty said.
"I can imagine that the passage is pretty narrow, right?" Ash inquired, looking at Brock.
The brunette stared back at him in understanding "If you mean too narrow to train in, then yes. It'd be both impossible and dangerous if you tried."
No kidding. They'd be up shit creek without a paddle if Rhyhorn accidentally caused a cave in by tackling against a cave wall. Speaking of which, the raven-haired Trainer had scanned the newest additions to his team the morning after their departure.
Beldum, the Iron Ball Pokemon. It uses magnetic waves to converse with its kind. Every cell in its body is magnetic. Beldum is a genderless Pokemon and it has the ability Clear Body. It knows the move Take Down.
Rhyhorn, the Spikes Pokemon. It is capable of charging in only one direction due to its four short legs. It makes up for it with its frightening power, its tackles capable of knocking a trailer flying. This Rhyhorn is female and has the ability Rock Head. She has also unlocked the hidden ability Reckless. She knows the moves Horn Attack, Fury Attack, Rock Blast, Scary Face and Megahorn. She also has the egg moves Crunch, Ice Fang and Thunder Fang, of which only Crunch has been unlocked.
An impressive moveset for someone as young as her, almost astonishingly so, if not for the fact that she was probably the offspring of Flint's own Rhydon, according to Brock. In Pokemon, more than just moves were passed down through the genes of the parents, but Pokemon genetics was a subject that had so many variables and unknowns that it was impossible to predict all the outcomes.
While not one to discriminate, Ash was glad that his Rhyhorn was born impressive.
"So we're going starboard?" Misty asked.
He nodded "Yeah. Misty, how long should it take us to reach Cerulean City that way?"
She held her chin in thought "Well, it took me 4 days to reach this intersection and I pedaled at least 7 hours a day. I guess it should take us about a week and a half, maybe two."
"That's plenty of time to get ready for my next Gym battle," Ash commented.
Misty scoffed dismissively "Against one of my sisters? You'll be the speedboat against their dingy."
The two males raised an eyebrow at the bitter tone, while Pikachu snickered at the analogy. There was some obvious family tension there. Perhaps it played a part in why the teenage girl left Cerulean City, if not the main reason. But, as usual, the raven-haired teen wasn't going to pry. Wow. How many times must have he told himself that? So many that it may as well become his motto.
Focus on your problems and don't pry into things that don't have any effect on you.
"In the case your sisters end up being indisposed, it's you who I'll be fighting, Misty. Would I still be a speedboat against a dingy then?" Ash said neutrally, though his challenge clear.
She scoffed again, though light-heartedly this time "Compared to me, you're a fart in a hurricane, kid. You'll be reduced to nothing by my awesomeness."
"Watching you two try to verbally outdo the other is the most fun I've had in a while. So far, I haven't regretted a minute of joining this merry band. "Brock chuckled, unclear if mirthfully or sarcastically. Or both.
Misty directed her smirk at him "Give it some time. It's only been a week."
"Seriously though, it really is a possibility that you end up being my opponent. That's why I was wondering if, well, until we get to Cerulean City, you two could give me and my team some privacy while we train?" Ash asked bluntly. No point in beating around the bush.
The two looked surprised by the odd request, but Misty shrugged soon after "Sure. Always good to have an ace up your sleeve. Hell, I'll give you a few hints." At that, Ash payed closer attention "The Cerulean City Gym holds three-on-three battles against challengers with few exceptions. If I'm gonna be your opponent, I'll be using Staryu, Chinchou and Starmie."
"Should you really be telling him that?" Brock asked uncertainly.
The carrot top raised a finger "One, it's more likely that he'll exchange cannon fire with one of my sisters, not me." She raised a second finger "Two, he's a smart kid; he would've figured it out on his own."
She wasn't wrong. The young Trainer had already deduced that those were the Pokemon he would face if Misty was to be the opposing Gym Leader. With only one badge in the case, she most likely wasn't going to use Pokemon from her original team that she undoubtedly possessed, not counting Starmie.
In fact, he was planning to train his team as if they were going to battle against Misty and when they reached the Gym, ask if she would be his opponent. He'd bet his whole allowance that she'd accept. After weeks of sparring, he was quite certain she'd want to face him in an official battle. He knew because he felt the same way.
He couldn't fool her though. The thirteen year-old was too smart not to see through his plan. However, rather than be offended, Ash was pretty sure she would relish the challenge and compliment him by comparing him to some great admiral or pirate captain.
Misty was cool like that.
Even though he had already beaten Brock, the the two males knew what would have been offensive was if Ash had asked only her to leave.
A couple hours later, the group was eating lunch along with their Pokemon in a large field. Ash couldn't help staring every few minutes at the formidable, 60 foot metal serpent that was Brock's starter. For a Pokemon that seemed to possess a permanent scowl, his Steelix somehow gave off an aura of affable calmness, belying the fierceness ready to be brought forth under the right circumstances.
Completing his team of six, the other newly introduced Pokemon was, surprisingly, a Crustle, a dual Bug/Rock-type most commonly found in the Unova region. Ash noticed that all of Brock's Pokemon looked exceptionally well taken care of, with rock and steel-hard skin as if crafted with the proficiency and steady hand of a master sculptor.
The sixteen year-old was feeding them food especially made for each of them, containing the necessary calories and minerals to energize them and enforce their durable bodies. He had bought the ingredients in a small town they had passed the day before, having miscalculated the amount he had taken from Pewter City by accident. Because of that, he had kept his Pokemon in their pokeballs under suspended animation until today.
The raven-haired boy turned his gaze to his female companion "Hey, Misty."
She raised her head to look at him, chewing on her food "Uh-huh?"
"Does your Gym really have four Gym Leaders?" he asked.
Misty gave him a searching look. Eventually, she shrugged, figuring that Ash just wanted information from someone with first-hand experience "Yeah. Tedious if you ask me," she huffed "It's a rather simple process, really. Most Gym Leaders gain their qualification through a master-student relationship or as a tradition in the family that erected the very Gym."
Brock nodded along "It's simple, but effective. It's proven to be successful."
"What about Right of Conquest? Can a Trainer just win over a Gym through a battle?" Ash inquired curiously.
Misty scowled bitterly "Qualification is pretty simple, but not that simple. Power does not make you a legit Gym Leader! That's bullshit! When the League realized that, they sunk that ship to the bottom, like over 50 years ago."
"There is responsibility and worthiness that must be taken into account, a sort of discipline that is more easily taught through family and apprenticeship. It's rare nowadays for a Trainer to just waltz into a Gym and demand the Gym Leaders to test his worthiness. Not to mention it makes things more complicated since most Gyms already have an heir to take the title," the Pewter City native elaborated.
"But the Cerulean City Gym has four of them."
"That's 'cause they're all sisters. Sure, an arrangement can always be made. There are benefits to having more than one Gym Leader, but there are downsides too and not everyone feels that way," Brock said.
Ash nodded in agreement. When sharing power, arguments between the power-holders was a calculated risk. History books were filled with disagreements between ways to manage some estimable body that eventually led to its own demise. Misty's own reaction to his question was proof enough about not everyone having a favorable opinion of such an arrangement.
"And what about this worthiness thing? What exactly does that mean?" he asked.
His orange-haired friend laughed "Brock's being dramatic. Calling it worthiness is overglorifying it a bit. Look at it this way. If a Dr. Gregory House existed, do you think any hospital would really hire him?"
Ash stopped himself from saying the first thing that came to his mind, which was 'If I owned a hospital, I would'. He liked the character. He found his witty sarcasm funny and even tried to base his own sarcasm on it, though he wouldn't admit that to either of his human companions.
Realistically though...
"Not likely." Ash shook his head. Frankly, he still didn't understand what the character had anything to do with the topic of Gym Leaders.
"And why is that?" she further asked.
"His bedside manner sucks," he said as if it was the most obvious thing in Kanto before his eyes widened suddenly in understanding.
She smirked at his reaction "Now you get it. Manner-of-approach is vital; how they treat both their challengers and their Pokemon. There is some flexibility there of course, but the Pokemon League has standards that must be upheld. Ain't that right, Brock?"
Though appearing somewhat put out by her reductive explanation, he nodded in accord "We're Gym Leaders. We're supposed to set a moral example for other Trainers. That's a department in which we can't afford to appear hypocritical, which is why the League pays significant attention to it."
No joke. Though he only met one such Trainer eight months ago on that day, Ash could easily come to the conclusion that some trainers, if not many, cared for Pokemon only as a means to an end, such as fame and glory. Very cliche, yeah.
The main problem was that most of those were abusive in a sort of way that did not warrant expulsion from the Trainer Program. Cruel and cold-hearted scolding was not by any means against the rules, just discouraged and morally frowned upon, as well as a concept that was present in more than just Trainer-Pokemon relationships.
Besides, how could Kanto or any other region claim to be a 'free region' if they didn't allow their citizens to speak their minds openly.
Brock's eyes hardened while Misty's eyes gained a sad tint to them "It's a bane of being a Gym Leader. We encounter abusive Trainers every once in a while and, as Gym Leaders, are morally inclined to put up a stronger fight against them in the hopes of teaching them a lesson," the male teen said.
The ten year-old raised an eyebrow in curiosity. He had never really thought about that "And how do you recognize Trainers like that?"
He sighed sadly before responding "It doesn't come to you immediately, but after spending some time battling Trainers... you just start recognizing that look in their eyes. The worst are the ones who gain that look of unbridled rage after they lose, but don't say anything in front of you. Why? Because you know they're going to lay it on their Pokemon when they step outside of your Gym, but not knowing exactly what makes it even less bearable."
"Even freedom has its cruelties. Life truly is unfair," Misty chuckled humorlessly.
To their astonishment, Ash scoffed "Nothing in life is black and white. It's stupid to call a situation fair because it works in your favor and otherwise deem it unfair just because it's inconvenient and uncomfortable. There is no such thing as an absolutely good or an absolutely bad concept."
It was naive thinking in Ash's opinion. Even fairness was a relative term. One could argue that someone else's favorable circumstances were unfair because that someone never earned whatever fortune befell him, while another could argue that someone's misfortune was otherwise fair.
In the words of Gregory House, you don't get what you deserve, you just get what you get. Ash would better surmise it as one doesn't get what someone else believes he or she deserves because they deserve it. They get what circumstances, their actions and the actions of others end up giving them.
Karma was just wishful thinking of those who didn't know how to deal with what life threw at them.
He swallowed a spoonful of Brock's delicious broth before continuing "Still, I'm sorry to hear that. I never really considered it from that perspective," Ash said sincerely. Criminal organizations were one thing, everyday Trainers were another. Oddly, the latter was in some ways a lot sadder, as well as rage-inducing.
The two Gym Leaders glanced at each other "It's fine. We know it sounds a little fucked up, but you learn to cope with it," Misty said.
None of them noticed several of their Pokemon stopped eating and listened in on their conversation, nor did they notice them staring thoughtfully at them, especially Pikachu's intent gaze at his Trainer.
"Okay, guys. You've had more or less a break this last week, but these next two weeks will be heavily focused on your training to prepare for our next Gym battle," Ash proclaimed to his Pokemon after finding a part of the field obscured from Brock's and Misty's sight.
His team nodded or grunted in understanding and eagerness. Most of last week was spent relaxing with only light physical exercises and a few battles against travelling Trainers.
"I've already decided what moves to teach all of you, but first thing's first. Squirtle, I want you to use Brine against that tree over there," He pointed at a strong-looking tree on the edge of the clearing.
Squirtle smirked and jumped to the front, happy to start with the intense training. He took a deep breath, aiming for the tree and fired a powerful blast of water. The jet of water was a noticeably deeper blue hue than before and struck the wood with great force. He maintained the attack for a few seconds before cutting of the flow, smirking at the result.
His Trainer nodded "Just like I thought. Well done, Squirtle. You learned Brine."
The Tiny Turtle Pokemon graciously took his teammates compliments as they congratulated him on his success. Meanwhile, Ash was contemplating the progress of his Pokemon.
Egg moves were moves that a Pokemon had knowledge of how to do from the moment they were born, passed down from a parent. That didn't necessarily mean they had the ability to do it the moment they're born. There were physical and mental prerequisites for every move a Pokemon could perform. Egg moves fulfilled the latter, the very knowledge of how to do a technique, but they didn't fulfill the former.
However, it guaranteed that a Pokemon would learn an egg move faster than most others, since a Pokemon would be able to perform the move the moment it is physically able to. It wouldn't have to go through the tedious process of acquiring the knowledge and experience of how to do the move.
More than that, if a Pokemon had an egg move that wasn't the same type as the Pokemon itself, it would learn other moves of that same type more easily, since it had limited instinctual knowledge of how to manipulate that type of energy.
For example, if a Psyduck was born with Psychic as an egg move, but could only perform Scratch and Water Gun, it was almost assured that the Psyduck would learn Confusion much faster than a Psyduck without an egg move Psychic.
Speaking of egg moves.
"Squirtle, now try and use Aqua Ring," Ash commanded.
Squirtle grunted in affirmative and concentrated, causing several rings of sparkling water to appear around him. However, instead of flowing around him smoothly, the rings appeared unstable and they promptly dissipated. The Water-type frowned, feeling downtrodden by his unsuccessful attempt.
"Don't feel bad. You'll get it eventually. Besides, all the training with Water Gun was specifically meant for you to learn Brine first," Ash said, trying to comfort him. "But I'm putting Aqua Ring on hold for now. Instead, you're gonna learn Ice Beam. Since ice is just crystallized water, their energy signature is very similar and it shouldn't be too hard for you to learn it."
He then turned to the rest "Pikachu, you've got a rough couple of weeks ahead of you. We're gonna begin unlocking Volt Tackle. We'll start by teaching you how to do Thunder, while also discarding ThunderShock for it. Apart from that, you'll be doing a lot of speed exercising and learning Signal Beam too."
Pikachu groaned at the amount of work he would have to do. Suddenly, a week of resting didn't seem enough.
Ash realized he had to be a bit more careful what moves to teach Pikachu, since the electric mouse was close to reaching his maximum move capacity of 11 moves. Depending on the species, each Pokemon had a limited amount of moves it could do. For example, the first stage of all the traditional starter Pokemon could know 10 moves at max, like Squirtle, who also, by the way, would maximize his own move capacity when he has learned Ice Beam.
Discarding or 'forgetting' a move was still something of a mystery, but it's been somewhat accepted that a Pokemon's ability to do a move came mostly from instinctual knowledge, like muscle memory. The information was stored in a designated place within their mind, with each move filling a 'vacant spot' so to speak, and each species having a certain amount of them.
Another way of learning a new attack was to replace an already 'filled' spot with the knowledge of whatever new move the Pokemon was learning. Like the moves themselves, it came instinctually to a Pokemon.
"Volt tackle requires a massive electrical discharge, which is why you're going to learn Thunder, while moving at high speed, hence the speed exercises. The point of it all is to raise both to such a high level that they, in terms of power output, don't interfere much with each other. You should be able to use Volt Tackle then. Signal Beam is because you need the variety, buddy. Plus, it'll help against Grass-types too," Ash explained patiently.
Though eager to train, the other Pokemon didn't envy their teammate's training regimen, even if it was for excellent reasons. Pikachu felt the same, including his Trainer's reasoning, thus he had no way to convince himself or Ash to not make him go through with the new training program.
Still, he was very eager to start learning Volt Tackle. After all, it was the signature move of his evolutionary line and one of the most awesomely butt-kicking Electric-type moves of all. He knew how to do it, but he also knew he couldn't do it yet. It could definitely be frustrating to have the knowledge in your head, but lack the ability to put it to any good use. Like a bothersome itch you couldn't scratch.
Signal Beam sounded good too, he guessed.
Figuring Pikachu understood the purpose for his difficult training regimen, he turned to the only female of his team "Rhyhorn, you won't be yet battling in Cerulean City. Don't worry, no way am I putting you on the back burner. I'll teach you Counter and we'll try to unlock Thunder Fang. The latter shouldn't take long, being an egg move and all," the young Trainer said.
She growled happily and galloped over to him, rubbing against him. Her Trainer smiled and patted her head. She had proven to be uncommonly patient and gentle for a Rhyhorn, with a distinct, though not absolute, lack of aggressive tendencies. He mentally thanked whatever god he didn't believe in for gifting her to him before turning to the last member of his team.
"Beldum, I'm happy to say I've run across you at a most fortuitous time, due to the very recent discovery that your species can learn a few other moves beyond just Take Down."
"Bel?" it exclaimed, surprised. Its species long believed that Take Down was the only attack they could do. Evolution into Metang, and the ability to learn more moves, was considered a sort of coming-of-age ritual among its kind.
"The thing is you can only learn them if you are tutored. The moves are Iron Head, Zen Headbutt and Iron Defense," Ash elaborated.
That fact had been discovered less than two years ago by Steven Stone himself, the Hoenn Champion and a Master of Steel-type Pokemon. The two damage-inducing moves were technically the same as Take Down, they just required that Beldum coat itself in either Psychic-type or Steel-type energy, both of which are the Pokemon's types. Iron Defense was merely the use of Steel-type energy to temporarily increase a Pokemon's defense, so it wasn't a long shot either.
"Thankfully, Steven Stone, the discoverer, figured out the easiest methods to teach the moves and they were added to the Pokedex. You'll be learning Iron Defense and Zen Headbutt. Later on, when both of you," he said, referring to Beldum and Rhyhorn "get a good grasp on your moves, you, Beldum, will use Zen Headbutt on Rhyhorn, while she'll be using Counter. That way the both of you get to practice your moves simultaneously."
Counter was a move that reflected physical attacks back at the user with twice the strength. Since Rhyhorn was young, he wasn't yet sure of her defensive capabilities, even though she was a Rock-type. He felt that Counter would be a good move for her in both the short and long run.
Besides that, Ash had been worried that such an exercise might do too much damage to Beldum. Ultimately, he figured his Pokemon would be fine since a Psychic-type move would be twice as weak against it due to Beldum's typing. Not to mention the move would be either not fully learnt or just about, so it wouldn't yet have much strength.
"But that's not what we're going to be focusing on the most with you," Ash said, causing the Iron Ball Pokemon to look at him confused "I've been thinking about how to best employ your Take Down attack, observing your spars and battles," He smiled a touch viciously "and I think I've finally figured out what to do."
"There he blows! Cerulean City in all its majesty!"
Majesty was the right word, Ash thought as he gazed at the settlement. Two things came to mind when he first looked at it.
One, Cerulean City was amazingly beautiful.
Two, it must look like a giant bullseye from a bird's-eye view.
The city was settled in a shallow, but wide valley with low hills and higher ground encircling most of the city. The only open parts were most of the eastern side where the path lead to Kanto's eastern coast, and a small point on the city's west side, which was open due to water corrosion, evidenced by the tall waterfall and river that created a small canyon, which people had taken advantage of to build a railroad that directly connected Cerulean and Pewter City.
The most notable thing, however, was the city's structure. It consisted of two rings, one outer and one inner, and a circular center, hence the bullsey-like appearance. The outer ring was the suburban area and far wider than the inner ring, containing mostly bungalows and two-story houses, with the odd larger building here and there, like super-markets.
The inner ring was something special, though. It didn't have any buildings. Instead, surrounding the sprawling metropolis that was the center was a giant, ring-shaped park. Colored in shades of green by the numerous trees and grass, blue by the crystal clear water of the ponds and in nuances of grey due to the walkways, bridges and roads, it was the most uniquely exquisite image Ash had ever seen. There were a few houses though, probably accommodating workers responsible for the maintenance of the park.
The center itself was a true portraiture of a modern, thriving economical power, with apartment blocks and skyscrapers rising from the center of the city, as if it was a god among its mortal subjects. The young Trainer certainly was in awe of its semi-divine presence.
After he was done with his business here today, he vowed to find time for himself to come back and visit.
"He's real handsome, ain't he?" Misty said with a smile.
"He?" Brock asked confusedly, though he still appeared a bit dumbstruck by the city's 'majesty'.
The orange-haired girl smirked "Cerulean's the love of my life. He fulfills all my needs."
"How come you left then?" Ash raised an eyebrow, while, to his bewilderment, Brock blushed.
Misty gave him an 'are you stupid?' look "No healthy relationship lasts without a few separations. Duh."
He wouldn't really know anything about it, but decided not to comment. They continued sauntering towards the city, their minds straying to pleasant thoughts, especially for Ash. The training during the last two weeks had been successful, as usual. Most of them managed to learn all their respective new moves, with only a few exceptions.
Outside of that, there was time made for the usual physical exercises, sparring, coming up with combinations and strategies and such. There was also some sparring done with Misty's and Brock's Pokemon, without him using any of his Pokemon's newer attacks of course.
Needless to say, the dark-haired Trainer was quite confident in his chances to win the Cascade Badge.
After taking a short rest in the Pokemon Center, the group arrived at the Gym. The building was noticeably bigger and more elegant than Brock's back in Pewter City, situated at the very border of the suburban area and the ring-shaped park. It had a sports center look to it, appearing as if it housed a basketball and volleyball court along with the pools it undoubtedly had. On top of that, it had a great Dewgong sculpture above its entrance.
When they opened the door, the entrance hall was oddly empty, not a living soul in sight.
"I'd have thought this place would have at least someone inside, considering it functions as an aquarium alongside it being a Pokemon Gym," Ash wondered out loud. The other two wondered as well.
Suddenly, they heard noise coming from somewhere inside. To Ash, it sounded like... clapping and cheering. A crowd. Wait, what?!
Misty let out an amalgam of a groan and a sigh "My sisters must be performing. I swear, those three are dedicated in turning this facility, which is a Pokemon Gym first and foremost, into a tourist shitstorm for landlubbers."
She started walking, the two males following closely behind, until she came to a rather large double door and pushed it open. The immediate roar of the crowd actually pushed back Brock and Ash a step or two and Pikachu had to cover his ears. Misty, on the other hand, stood firm with a strength and expertise that suggested common exposure.
As they suspected, the room was filled with people, who were sitting on the stands which surrounded a large pool. In the pool was a teenage girl with deep pink hair, performing a water ballet show along with several Water-type Pokemon. They were pretty good, Ash admitted.
Ash leaned over to whisper into Misty's ear "Didn't you say there were three of them?"
She nodded "Yeah, there should be three of them. That down there is just Lily. I wonder where the other two dunderheads are."
After about half a minute more of dancing, Lily ended the performance and got out of the pool to wave at the crowd, causing them to cheer even louder than before. Frankly, it was starting to grate on their nerves, especially Pikachu's, who had the most acute sense of hearing.
"C'mon, guys! I know another way to get to her!" Misty shouted over the noise. The two nodded and followed her out of the room.
After climbing down a couple flights of stairs, the company entered the aquarium exhibit. Ash found it likable, despite it's simpleness. A minute later, they saw Misty's sister coming from the other end of the hall, drying her hair with a light blue towel.
"I see all three of you've doing a good job of keeping our Gym afloat in my absence," Misty spoke up sarcastically.
Startled, the pretty teenager turned towards the speaker, whom she quickly recognized. Her surprised expressions quickly turned confused.
"Misty, what are you doing back so soon? Didn't you, like, say you'd come back when you became a Water Pokemon Master or something?" Lily asked.
The raven-haired boy was already somewhat unimpressed. The girl spoke in the annoying valley girl speech, usually spoken among the spoiled, moronic class of humanity. Though he knew better than to judge too soon or too superficially, if the other two were similar to Lily, he could understand why they and Misty didn't get along.
"I'm here only for today, if you must know. I'm traveling with company and one of them has business with you," her younger sister said sharply, pointing behind her with her thumb.
The youngest of the Sensational Sisters looked towards where she pointed and saw two people, one of which she recognized. A big grin suddenly appeared on her face and ran towards the two males at bullet speed. Caught by surprise, Ash didn't have any time to react, but fortunately, he didn't have to. Lily had barreled into the older male, hugging him around the neck, who was quick to reciprocate.
Misty's jaw dropped while Ash just blinked in confusion.
"Baby, what are you doing here?" she asked in a happy tone, her voice muffled by his shoulder.
"I'm traveling with these two so I can learn more about being a Breeder. Dad came back and took over the Gym, so that part is covered," the teenager in question answered, smile almost as big as Lily's.
"Really? That's, like, spectacular!" Lily giggled cheerfully while pulling back, though still holding on to him. Then, much to the other two's astonishment, promptly leaned forward to kiss the brunette on the mouth.
The young Trainer stared blankly at them, his surprise waning and replaced by easy acceptance. So what? A boy and a girl met and got together. Big woof. Looking at Misty and her jaw even closer to the ground than before, he figured it wasn't quite same for her.
"Okay, Okay! That's enough!" the orange-haired Gym Leader quickly interjected, pushing the two apart "When the hell did this happen?"
"Oh, about... one and a half year ago," Lily responded thoughtfully, looking at Brock, who made the 'more or less' hand gesture.
Misty's face scrunched up in contemplation "Wait. He," She pointed at the male Gym Leader "is that boyfriend that you never told me the name of. The boyfriend that you'd go and visit for several days. Sometimes over a week."
"That's right." Her sister smiled cheekily.
"But he had his family to take care of. He couldn't leave Pewter City," Ash commented politely, crossing his arms. If the responsible and sagacious Brock found her likable enough to date her and were obviously still going strong a year and a half later, then there was definitely more to her than what appearances initially suggested.
"Well, mostly I visit him. The trains that go between our two cities are high-speed trains. Like, over a 150 miles per hour. It's a two hour trip max," she explained.
"Yeah, but how could he pay attention to you and his siblings at the same time?" Misty asked, still confused.
"That wasn't so much trouble. I love kids!" she exclaimed giddily, like a child in a candy store.
Misty raised a disbelieving eyebrow in response.
"It's true. She and they really get along, they're practically family. Well, my sisters weren't too happy at the start, but they got over it soon. Of course, we always managed to get some time for ourselves. There's a married couple who can't have kids due to the husband being sterile. I often hire them as babysitters. How do you think I had the time to run the Gym while having my siblings to take care of?" Brock said.
"And besides, out of all of us, I was, like, definitely the free-spirit. I don't mind travelling." Lily shrugged.
Suddenly, the orange-haired girl's face looked as if she had bitten into the world's most sour lemon. Her eyes shined with such a deep bitterness and anger, had he been a religious fanatic, Ash would compare them to the likeness of the fiery pits of hell. He was honestly surprised by the level of negative emotions displayed in her expression.
"So you and they are like family, huh? Must be nice for those kids to have a sister like you," she growled through gritted teeth, her voice wafting enough coldness to freeze all the world's oceans "I certainly wouldn't know it."
All of them, except for the raven-haired Trainer, took a prompt step back, somewhat unnerved. Even Pikachu hid behind his head, peeking around it in fear. What the hell happened to the girl who would scratch and rub him on his head after training? Pikachu liked that one a lot more than the scary Dark-type that was standing in the middle of the hallway.
In the midst of the mild fear, however, Ash saw guilt on Lily's face. He narrowed his eyes. From spending time with Misty, he had easily concluded that she and the other three Waterflowers didn't see eye to eye, most likely because of neglect on the the part of the older sisters. But he hadn't actually expected feelings of shame from them, at least not so early. Teenagers and young adults were often like that, judgmental and not realizing how their insensitivity affected other people.
In his opinion, that was a point in her favor.
Misty took a deep breath and exhaled, composing herself. After managing to make her face adopt a neutral expression, she continued "Where are Violet and Daisy?"
Coughing to hydrate her suddenly dry throat, Lily answered "Daisy came in second place at the beauty contest last week and won a trip to the East Kanto Beach Resort with all expenses paid for her and a friend. Needles to say, I drew the short straw."
Misty sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose "Just forget it. The whole reason we sailed here was for Ash to have his Gym battle, so let's get back to that," she said, to which said Trainer nodded gratefully. Even he was feeling his considerable patience run thin.
Lily winced apologetically "Sorry, but my Pokemon are pretty tired. We had a battle before the show today and I barely had any time to get them healed. That girl was a tough cookie."
"Pallet Town kid?" Ash asked, cocking his head slightly. He remembered one of his neighbors, Jennifer, who had gotten a starter the same day he and Gary did. She was a nice enough girl, not to mention impressively cunning, but also quite choleric and determined at times. He could imagine her giving the pink-haired Gym Leader a hard time.
She sighed dramatically "Yeah. Prof. Oak never does things half-assed when it comes to his students."
"Don't I know it?" the dark-haired boy said with a brief chuckle. "Well, it's not a problem either way. I was actually planning to ask Misty all along, if she would have me."
Lily smirked gleefully at her sister "So forward."
"Shut up!" Misty snapped back. She then looked at her younger travelling companion with an exasperated but still fond expression, while the couple tried to stifle their giggles "Ash, sweetie, you really need to choose your words more wisely or someone might take what you say the wrong way."
Ash furrowed his brow in confusion, but soon after, realization dawned on him and he blushed. He threw a deadpan scowl at the lightly giggling 13 year-old girl "You know what I mean."
"Yeah and I accept your challenge," she answered, deciding to take pity on him.
The boy gave a small smile of relief, his cheeks returning to their normal hue and followed her as she walked down the long hallway. Finally, the two of them would have a real, official match. No one could blame either of them for being excited, the eagerness apparent even in their calm expression. A right turn and less than a minute later, they reached a large double door, which the young Gym Leader pushed open.
Ash inspected the room he and his carrot-top companion were going to battle in. It was a very large pool with circular platforms spread around the surface. Interestingly enough, the platforms on the challenger's side were connected with passages, probably to allow the challenger's Pokemon more mobility. The platforms on the Gym Leader's side were fewer and unconnected, unnecessary due to the Cerulean City Gym's usage of Water-type Pokemon.
"Brock, would you mind being the referee for this battle?" Misty asked, to which he nodded. Ash was a bit surprised, figuring her sister should do it as a hostess of the Gym. She was most likely still a bit bitter towards Lily due to recent events, so he dwelt no further on it.
After asking Lily about the Gym's rules, the brunette stood on the ref's podium and spoke loudly "This is a three-on-three battle between Misty Waterflower of the Cerulean City Gym and Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town! Only the challenger may substitute! By the local Gym's rules, the Gym Leader will be the first to choose a Pokemon! Now, begin!"
"Staryu, let's rock this boat!" she yelled, releasing her first Pokemon.
Ash smirked slightly, but kept his mind focused. While she may use only her recent captures, except for Starmie, he knew it didn't actually mean she would make it easy for him. He'd be insulted otherwise.
"I choose you, Squirtle!" he shouted while throwing his pokeball.
"Squirtle!"the Tiny Turtle Pokemon cried, elated for the new battle.
The rookie trainer figured that Chinchou would be her next Pokemon and he'd rather not have Squirtle fighting against him in a predominantly aquatic battlefield. Pikachu's Lightning Rod ability was a perfect match for it, so he was saving the electric rodent for the next battle.
"Challenger has the first move!" Misty called out.
Ash nodded "Squirtle, use Brine!"
Squirtle's mouth bloated and he fired a powerful jet of water at his opponent.
"Use Water Pulse, Staryu!" the Gym Leader commanded.
The Starfish Pokemon created an orb of water in front of its top tentacle and fired it at the incoming attack. The two met in the middle of the field, creating an explosion of water.
"Use Skull Bash!"
A white energy-coated form suddenly plowed through the water and headed straight for Staryu.
Misty smirked "Use Flash!"
The orb on the Water-type Pokemon's body released a powerful, bright glow, blinding the Tiny Turtle Pokemon and changing the trajectory of his attack. Ash gritted his teeth slightly at the failed move.
"Quickly, Rapid Spin while he's still blind, Staryu!" Misty shouted.
Staryu began spinning like a super-powered windmill, heading for Squirtle. The move hit him head on, causing Squirtle to cry out in pain.
"Water Propulsion! Come back to this side of the field, Squirtle!" Ash quickly commanded.
Despite the pain, his Pokemon heard him and retracted his head and limbs. He used Water Gun from inside the shell, propelling himself towards his Trainer's side of the field, landing on his feet on one of the platforms.
"Are you ok?" Ash asked a bit worriedly.
"Squirt Squirtle!" the Pokemon nodded.
"Not Bad, Ash! That was good reaction time!" the orange-haired girl praised him. The raven-haired boy just nodded with a grateful smile.
"Squirtle, Water Gun!" he yelled.
"Dodge into the water, Staryu!" Misty ordered.
Staryu jumped into the water, dodging the high-powered blast of water. Ash thought about his next move before he settled for Squirtle to follow it into the pool. As long as he was above the surface, Staryu would have a greater chance of landing a surprise hit.
"You dive too, Squirtle!" he ordered.
His Pokemon dived into the pool enthusiastically, glad to be in his element. As soon as he did, he saw his opponent about eight to ten meters in front of him.
Suddenly, the screen that was situated above the stands on Ash's right (and Misty's left) lit up and showed several shots of their Pokemon under the water at different angles. From what he could see, the cameras were attached to the underside of the platforms in the pool. They were obviously installed in the case two Water-type Pokemon were fighting under the water's surface.
"Staryu, use Gyro Ball!" Misty shouted.
Like before, the Starfish Pokemon started spinning, but much more rapidly this time with a light blue ring of energy surrounding it. The rotation generated fast moving foam around its form before heading straight for its opponent with a trail of foam and distorted water behind it, looking very much like a torpedo. Hopefully, it won't hurt like one.
"Dodge it, Squirtle!" the raven-haired Trainer yelled.
Ash's Water-type followed through, avoiding the Steel-type move. However, to their surprise, Staryu circled around like a boomerang and charged back at Squirtle, successfully scoring a hit this time.
"Damn it!" Ash growled. He then understood how tough of an adversary his traveling companion was going to be. He had to think of something.
"One more time!" the Gym Leader commanded confidently.
"We'll see about that! Stay where you are, Squirtle, and use Rapid Spin! Full power!" Ash yelled.
As the Starfish Pokemon went for another go, Squirtle started spinning in place as fast as he could, creating a miniature vortex. When Staryu struck it, what Ash hoped would happen did. It changed Staryu's trajectory, disrupted the Gyro Ball and it became trapped in the vortex. He then was glad more than ever for all the practice they did with that move.
"Get out of there, Staryu!" Misty yelled worriedly.
As much as her Pokemon tried to, all the practice of using Rapid Spin as a defense move while outside the water, made it that much stronger while in the water, his element, making it practically impossible for Staryu to escape.
"Awesome job, buddy! Use Skull Bash!" the raven-haired Trainer shouted confidently.
His Pokemon stopped mid-spin, stuck his head out, aimed and fired. White energy surrounded him as he propelled himself faster than ever before. The move struck, causing Staryu significant damage, with the momentum causing both of them to break the water's surface.
"Ice Beam, while it's in the air!" he quickly commanded, Squirtle responding by manifesting an orb of Ice-type energy in front his mouth.
"Staryu, boomerang out of the way and back into the water!"
To Ash's momentary surprise, the starfish used Rapid Spin to spin like a, you guessed it, boomerang. It swiveled in mid-air and rose higher, effectively dodging the Ice Beam that its opponent unleashed before aiming for the pool.
The raven-haired Trainer knew that Misty had a distinct advantage in underwater combat, due to her specializing and superior experience. Trying to fight her that way was equivalent to waving a white flag.
Dear God, he was even starting to use her metaphors.
"Squirtle, aim your Ice Beam at the water on Misty's side! Don't let Staryu submerge!"
"What?! Staryu, lighten your fall with Water Gun!" the orange-haired girl quickly ordered.
The Tiny Turtle's attack managed to freeze most of the surface on Misty's side by the time her Pokemon stopped and followed through with her orders. Unfortunately, while the Water Gun managed to slow it down some, the boomerang maneuver caused it to come in too hot and it crashed painfully on its side of the pool. To Misty's consolation, Staryu at least didn't crash hard enough to break the ice.
"Staryu, are you ok?" the Gym Leader asked worriedly. Her answer was her Pokemon steadily getting to its 'feet', a few scratches on her form, but otherwise fine.
"Let's wrap this up, Squirtle! Use Iron Tackle!" Ash shouted confidently.
Squirtle retracted his limbs before using the Water Propulsion maneuver to blast himself towards his opponent, glowing a distinct silver sheen while doing it. Brock and Misty immediately recognized it as the same move that Ash used against the former's Onix.
"Staryu, Surf!" Misty yelled sternly.
The Starfish Pokemon swiftly obliged, manifesting great volumes of water and forming a wave. It rode on top of it, effectively dodging the attack to Ash and Squirtle's misfortune, causing the latter to collide with the large wave of water.
While it didn't force him back, nor stop him, it slowed him down considerably and disrupted the Water Propulsion, ending with Squirtle skidding on the ice.
"Slam him with Gyro Ball!"
Staryu leaped from the wave and started spinning rapidly, the distinct light blue circle surrounding its body as it raced down with the intention of smashing the defenseless Water-type.
"Iron Defense! Quickly!" Ash yelled near-frantically.
But it was too late. The move slammed down on his Pokemon from above, breaking through the ice. After a few seconds, Staryu jumped from the water and unto one of the platforms. Squirtle, on the other hand, just floated to the surface with swirls in his eyes.
"Squirtle is unable to battle! The winner of this round is Staryu!" Brock announced.
"Good job, Staryu! You showed him!" Misty said proudly.
Ash sighed in slight disappointment, but gave his downed Pokemon a proud glance "You did great, Squirtle. Take a rest." He returned the knocked out Pokemon and looked down at Pikachu standing next to him.
"You're up, buddy."
"Pika!" he cried out excitedly and jumped onto one of the platforms, cheeks sparking.
"The round between Staryu and Pikachu begin!" Brock yelled.
"Give him a round of Bubble Beam!" the carrot-top girl ordered.
The Water-type fired a barrage of high-powered bubbles at its adversary.
"Jump above it and use Thunder Wave, Pikachu!"
The yellow rodent easily leaped above the attack and released a wave of electricity towards Staryu.
"Dodge it!" Misty shouted. However, Ash smirked.
Her Pokemon moved to the side, but, to its and its Trainer's astonishment and horror, when the Thunder Wave hit the surface of the platform she was once standing on, it spread throughout that side of the field and hit Staryu, paralyzing it.
"How?" Misty asked loudly, looking at her challenger.
He kept smirking before gesturing beneath her "Look at your side of the battlefield!"
She looked down and it took her a few moments to notice it. The ice and the platforms were covered in water.
"The water form the Surf attack Staryu used," she said.
He smiled "Exactly, and water conducts electricity! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"
Pikachu obeyed, firing a powerful blast of electricity at his opponent, who was unable to dodge both due to the paralysis and the water spread out along the side of the field.
After a few seconds, the attack halted and Staryu fell backwards, the orb on its body glowing on and off.
"Staryu is unable to battle! The winner is Pikachu!" Brock announced loudly.
Misty recalled her Pokemon while her challenger and his Pokemon seemed to stand a little taller. She smirked internally. Naive fool. She took out another pokeball and threw it "Time to shine, Chinchou!"
The Angler Pokemon appeared on top of the ice with a smile on his face, ready for battle.
"The round Between Chinchou and Pikachu begin!"
"Give her a Signal Beam, Pikachu!" Ash yelled out first.
A multi-colored orb appeared in front of the Mouse Pokemon's mouth before firing it at Chinchou.
"Dodge it and use Hydro Pump!" Misty ordered.
Her Pokemon jumped to the side, evading the attack, and unleashed a powerful torrent of water at her opponent.
"Dodge with Quick Attack, get in close and use Iron Tail!" Ash shouted.
Pikachu followed through, dodging the move while simultaneously getting closer to the Angler Pokemon, his tail glowing a bright silver in preparation.
"We'll see about that! Spark Sock 'em, Chinchou!" the Gym Leader commanded.
Ash was confused by her order, but nevertheless prepared himself for something unorthodox... which was exactly what he got. The lantern-like ends of Chinchou's antennas glowed a bright yellow, electrical sparks emanating from them for a few seconds. He easily recognized the move as Spark. Chinchou got in a ready position.
Pikachu brought the Iron Tail upon his opponent, but, he used one of the brightly glowing antennas to block his attack, rearing up the other one at the same time before bringing it forward and smacking him painfully across his face, causing him to fly back.
"Try and land on one of the platforms, Pikachu!" Ash yelled out worriedly.
Thankfully, the electric mouse succeeded, righting himself and landing safely.
The Trainer didn't hesitate to admit that that was a most interesting tactic. But it just made the battle all that more fun. Besides, it wasn't like he didn't have a few of his own tricks up his sleeve.
"Now, get in close and use Iron Tail again, but combine with Agility this time! Dodge her attacks and hit whenever you can!" he ordered.
"You do that too, Chinchou! Use Spark Sock 'em with Agility!" Misty shouted.
The two got in close to each other and traded blows in what looked like a coordinated battle dance. Dodging, parrying, blocking and occasionally scoring a hit, the two were evenly matched.
"Hmmm," Brock mused, gaining Lily's attention, standing right behind him "Misty's risking it a little, but it's a good combo nonetheless."
"How so?" She asked confusedly.
"Normally, Pikachu only has the ability Static, but Ash's has also unlocked the hidden ability Lightning Rod, which renders him immune to Electric attacks and powers up his own energy based moves." he explained, surprising her.
"If that's true, then, like, why is she using Spark to fight against his Pikachu, assuming she knows about the unlocked hidden ability?" Lily voiced her confusion.
"Oh, she's fully aware of it, but I think it's because Spark is concentrated to only enforce the antennas and raise their physical power, keeping the electrical output to a minimum, therefore rendering Lightning Rod virtually useless against that attack. Not only that, but since the electrical energy is concentrated internally, it seems to be shielding Chinchou from the effects of Pikachu's Static." the brunette said, a smile appearing on his face "Impressive, to say the least."
His girlfriend just whistled in appreciation.
Ash managed to remain calm as he thought his situation through. Figuring that remaining close was useless, he called out his next command "Jump back, Pikachu, and use Signal Beam again!"
The yellow rodent jumped back onto one of the platforms on Ash's side and fired the Bug-type attack at his opponent.
"Match him, Chinchou! Use Signal Beam too!" Misty ordered.
The Angler Pokemon duplicated Pikachu's actions, releasing his own Signal Beam. The two met in the middle, colliding against one another, neither giving in for a few moments before exploding at the point of impact.
Misty tried to see Pikachu through the smoke, but eventually settled for waiting for it to clear, figuring Ash wouldn't be able to do anything until then as well.
She was understandably caught off guard when he shouted "Now, Pikachu! Signal Beam!"
The attack came from where she least expected: underwater quite close to her Pokemon. It gave her no time to react. The multi-colored beam struck Chinchou, eliciting a cry of pain and causing him to fly back closer to Misty, swirls in his eyes. Pikachu leaped from the water and landed on a platform.
"How?" Misty asked calmly, regaining her composure.
"I commanded Pikachu to go underwater right after the explosion, so you wouldn't hear me!" he said proudly.
She nodded, though only partially satisfied "That still doesn't explain how Pikachu answered to your command while underwater!"
"It was a risky move, really! Water-type Pokemon can hear clearly while underwater because they're,.. well, Water-type Pokemon, but I relied on the fact that the Pikachu species has one of the most acute senses of hearing among all Pokemon and the fact that water conducts sound waves! In all honesty, it was mostly luck that he heard me!" he said the last part with a seemingly nonchalant shrug.
The other people in the room just sweat-dropped at his comment.
Misty sighed and returned her Pokemon "You did great, Chinchou. Thanks." She then pulled out another pokeball and threw it high, releasing her last Pokemon "Let's go, Starmie!"
The rookie trainer looked at Misty's starter with apprehension before looking at his own. Pikachu was panting slightly and had a few small bruises from the Close Combat-like exchange with Chinchou. If Pikachu lost, and Ash felt he most likely would, that left only Beldum to fight Starmie. Despite having trained relentlessly in the past two weeks, he still had a very limited moveset and very limited movement.
The best strategy, at the moment, seemed to be for Pikachu to wound Starmie as much as possible and then hope that the unorthodox attack combinations he taught the Iron Ball Pokemon would provide enough unpredictability to ensure victory.
"The round between Starmie and Pikachu begin!" Brock announced.
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded.
"PikaCHUUU!" he cried out, unleashing a powerful blast of electricity.
"Dodge and use Bubble Beam!" the orange-haired girl shouted.
The Mysterious Pokemon evaded the attack before firing a barrage of high-powered bubbles.
"Destroy them with Iron Tail!" Ash yelled.
The electric mouse retaliated by skillfully smacking them all into oblivion with the Steel-type move. However, just as he destroyed the last one he was enveloped in blue light that prevented him from moving. Both Trainer and Pokemon turned to look at Starmie, whose jewel core was glowing in the same color.
It's using Psychic, Ash thought, recognizing the move.
"Now, give 'em a Water Pulse!" Misty shouted confidently.
An orb of water appeared on the peak of the dual Water/Psychic-type's uppermost 'arm' before it fired, successfully hitting Pikachu and evoking a cry of pain.
"Pikachu, you alright?" the raven-haired boy asked worriedly.
"P-Pika," said his Pokemon somewhat shakily, slowly but steadily getting to his feet.
"Okay! It's time to put practice into action, Pikachu! Use Laser Circus!" he ordered.
Next to Pikachu, three additional copies appeared, signifying the use of Double Team, before they all charged at Starmie at great speed, letting off white streaks behind them. Immediately after, they all started moved in zigzag motions, the white streaks crisscrossing each other. To the two spectators, it appeared as if four different beams of light were headed towards Misty's Pokemon.
"He's combined Double Team with Quick Attack and Agility. The zigzagging and crisscrossing makes it impossible to determine which is the real one," Brock said out loud, impressed once again with the Trainers ingenuity.
"Starmie, use Rapid Spin to destroy them all!" the Gym Leader commanded.
The Pokemon started spinning swiftly, dissipating the three that tried to strike it, proving them to be the copies.
"Stop the Rapid Spin with Iron Tail, Pikachu!" Ash shouted.
Thanks to the speed and momentum of the Quick Attack/Agility combination, he managed to halt Starmie's spinning when he struck one of its 'arms'.
"Now, use Thunderbolt!"
"Use Rapid Spin in the other direction to knock him off!"
Unfortunately, though it managed to knock the yellow mouse away, the Mysterious Pokemon wasn't fast enough to do it before being struck by the powerful Electric-type attack and suffering noticeable damage, the Iron Tail having functioned as an efficient conductor.
Even if Chinchou's Spark Sock 'em attack had minimal electric output, it wasn't nonexistent, thus it had still raised the power of Pikachu's energy based attacks, even if only by little. Ash figured that was why Chinchou was knocked out after just one Signal Beam.
"Now, use the Ice Prison Combo!" Misty ordered.
"What's with these two and their pretty combinations?" Lily asked sarcastically.
Brock chuckled "Apparently, they share the trait of creating unique combinations, using attacks in more ways than one and then giving them original names. It's not a bad thing either way. It gives them a vital trait and highly valued virtue in battle." He turned to look at them with a small smile/smirk.
"Unpredictability."
Just as Pikachu landed onto a platform, Starmie's jewel glowed blue again, but instead of capturing Pikachu in the Psychic attack, as he and Ash had expected, it took hold and raised a noticeable volume of water from the pool. It enveloped he Electric-type Pokemon in it, trapping him in a large orb of the liquid.
"Pikachu!" the raven-haired Trainer yelled worriedly.
The Water-type Pokemon then fired an Ice Beam at the orb, freezing both the water and Pikachu inside it. Ash could only look on in a mixture of awe and horror, the reason behind the name of the combo finally dawning upon him.
"Power Gem, Starmie!"
The jewel core part of its body glowed bright pink before unleashing a white-and-pink energy beam at the 'ice prison', cleanly cutting through it before exploding. After the smoke cleared, Pikachu was seen lying on the platform with swirls in his eyes.
"Pikachu is unable to battle! The winner of this round is Starmie!"
Ash walked onto the platform, picked his starter up and walked back to the challenger's podium while reassuring Pikachu that he did an awesome job. After putting him in his backpack, but keeping it open so that he could see the upcoming battle, Ash pulled out Beldum's pokeball.
"Go, Beldum!" he shouted.
The Iron Ball Pokemon appeared on its side of the field, levitating above the platforms.
"The final round between Starmie and Beldum begin!"
"Water Pulse, Starmie!" Misty ordered.
The starfish fired the orb of water at its opponent.
"Take Down Maneuver!" Ash shouted.
Beldum coated itself in a yellow and white energy and, to the astonishment of Brock and the Waterflower sisters, dodged the move with far more speed than a Pokemon of its weight and form should have been able to.
Misty quickly composed herself "Water Pulse again! Rapid fire!"
"Keep dodging them, Beldum!" Ash commanded.
Starmie unleashed several high-powered orbs, one after another, but the Steel-type Pokemon just evaded them all with the same speed as before.
Brock suddenly shifted in understanding "I see."
The Sensational Sister turned to him with a questioning look "How's it doing that?" Lily asked incredulously.
"Take Down is almost the exact same as Tackle, but uses the Normal-type energy coating to significantly increase the speed and power of the attack. It seems Ash taught Beldum to use that energy to increase its speed and only its speed. Since Beldum isn't hitting anything, there is no recoil damage," he elaborated, causing her to look back at Beldum and its Trainer with no little awe and admiration.
As the Steel-type got closer to the Water-type, the rookie Trainer gave his next order "Now, use Boomerang Take Down!"
Without losing much, if any, momentum, Beldum started spinning around its axis, the speed causing the yellow-white energy to shine brighter and struck Starmie in a painful tackle. It sent its opponent back skidding across the ice, nearly falling into one of the holes made in the previous battles.
"Again, Beldum!" Ash shouted.
"Not this time! Surf, Starmie!" the carrot-top girl commanded.
Despite the power of the Boomerang Take Down, Beldum did not manage to penetrate through the large wave of water and was instead swept back painfully, its attack dissipated. Fortunately, it managed to right itself in the air and remain levitating, though it required a lot of effort.
"Starmie, use Thunderbolt on the ice, then use Psychic to send the shards at Beldum!"
The Mysterious Pokemon did as ordered, destroying a large part of the ice that still remained with Thunderbolt and using Psychic to launch the shards at its adversary.
"Destroy them with Take Down!" Ash quickly shouted.
Beldum moved left and right, both dodging and destroying the ice shards while using its move, when it was suddenly struck on its left side. The Iron Ball Pokemon and its Trainer quickly saw that it was Starmie using Rapid Spin, moving through the air like a boomerang, just like Beldum did not a minute ago.
"Use Hydro Pump, Starmie!" Misty ordered.
Starmie instantly stopped spinning and aimed a powerful torrent of water at Beldum.
"Iron Defense, Beldum!" Ash ordered frantically, knowing that a direct hit would end it all.
It was partially successful as the Pokemon managed to glow a bright silver, but got struck before it could finish the status move completely. The result was Beldum lying on one of the platforms, soaking wet and cracks underneath it on the concrete surface, heavily injured but not out and its eye shut in pain and exhaustion.
"Beldum," Ash said quietly, looking at his Pokemon with pain in his eyes.
The Gym Leader looked at them stoically for a few moments, eventually speaking up "It's over, Ash! There is no need for Beldum to get more hurt! I admire your determination... but it's also good to know when you're beaten and cut your losses!"
He looked at her angrily at first, but his eyes soon softened and he sighed rather despondently, knowing she was right. He was about to give up when Beldum suddenly opened its eye, determination as visible as the moon in the night sky. It slowly and shakily levitated.
"B-Beldum." it said.
Ash was looking at his Pokemon, flabbergasted, but he shook his head and spoke sternly "That's enough, Beldum!" He then switched to a gentler tone "You did a great job, but there is nothing more we can do. We will train and come back stronger and then we'll be able to defeat her."
To his confusion, Beldum shook its head, still looking at him with the same determination. The raven-haired Trainer was about to insist they quit when the Iron Ball Pokemon's form was suddenly cloaked in a powerful white light, surprising all of the spectators. Beldum's shape was visibly changing in front of them, expanding, and the white light dissolved, the newly-evolved Pokemon revealing itself.
"Metang!"
Ash, like the rest of the people in the room, just looked wide-eyed at his Metang "I stand corrected," he said, his face breaking into a large smile.
He pulled out his Pokedex and pointed it at the newly-evolved Pokemon.
Metang, the Iron Claw Pokemon and the evolved form of Beldum. The claws tipping its arms pack the destructive power to tear through thick iron sheets as if they were silk. It flies at over 60 miles per hour. It has learned the moves Metal Claw, Confusion, Magnet Rise and Zen Headbutt.
The raven-haired boy toned down his joy somewhat, but kept a small grin on his face as he put the device back into his pocket. With his Pokemon having evolved, Metang was mostly healed. On the other hand, Starmie was still injured and exhausted, so the odds were quite likely now on his side.
Misty narrowed her eyes at his expression, internally scoffing at his audacity "Wipe that disgusting grin off your face, skippy! As far as I'm concerned, this ain't over yet! Starmie, use Hydro Pump!"
"Dodge and use Zen Headbutt, Metang!" the challenger ordered.
It easily dodged the incoming Hydro Pump before charging at its opponent with its head glowing blue.
"Protect!" the Gym Leader shouted.
A green, dome-shaped force field appeared around the starfish Pokemon, efficiently deflecting from Metang's attack. After the failed attempt, the Iron Claw Pokemon immediately flew back at the orders of its Trainer. Ash narrowed his eyes in thought.
"Starmie, hit 'em with a Thunderbolt!"
Misty's Pokemon obeyed, unleashing a powerful bolt of electricity at Metang.
"Cut through it with Metal Claw and strike Starmie with it!"
The dual Steel/Psychic-type charged at Starmie, moving to the left to evade the Thunderbolt, but allowing the glowing claws on its right hand to cut through it. When it got close, the Pokemon swung the electrified Metal Claw at the Water-type Pokemon, dealing a painful blow, electrical sparks coming off its body.
"Starmie!" Misty yelled concernedly.
"That's paralysis!" Lily said, shocked at the turn of events.
Her boyfriend nodded "It used Metal Claw to transfer the electricity, since metal is a conductor. That was pretty much an improvised Thunder Punch."
"One more and it's all over! Metang, use Boomerang Take Down!" Ash commanded.
Metang stretched out its arms on each side of its body, coating itself in the distinctive Normal-type energy before revolving rapidly, rushing at Starmie.
Misty looked on dispassionately for a moment before a small smile broke out "Use Gyro Ball, Starmie."
The Mysterious Pokemon started spinning as well and then headed for a collision course with Metang's Boomerang Take Down. The two met in the middle of the battlefield, the collision generating sparks and a small shockwave. They were seemingly in a stalemate, but Metang won out a mere two seconds later, sending Starmie flying back. It landed beyond the battlefield and almost impacted the wall of the room.
Its jewel core was glowing on and off.
"Starmie is unable to battle! The winner of this round is Metang! Since the Gym Leader has used up all of her Pokemon, the victor of this match is the challenger Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!"Brock announced loudly.
Ash breathed a sigh of relief and smiled "We won! Good job, Metang. I'm proud of you," he said to his recently-evolved Pokemon, putting a hand on its head, who simply eye smiled in happiness and pride.
They heard a slow clap and turned to look at Misty who was approaching them. She was smiling a them while clapping her hands "Awesomely done, y'all. Ash, for the exemplary display of teamwork, strategy and improvisation, you and your Pokemon have rightfully earned the Cascade Badge."
She inserted her hand into her bag and pulled it out a few seconds later, the badge between her index finger and thumb. He took it and put it in his badge case that he pulled out from his rucksack.
"Thanks. That was an awesome battle, even though you held back," the raven-haired boy said.
Misty raised an eyebrow "You wouldn't have had any chance of winning otherwise. I used a level I deemed was enough to test you and you came out on top. If I had used Starmie with all the capability I could, I would have breezed through your entire team. No offense."
Ash nodded "Yeah, I know. I figured that when you told it to used Protect against Metang. You could have used it multiple times during the battle, but you didn't. Not only that, I bet Starmie also knows moves like Recover."
She smirked cheekily "Yeah, it does. Starmie also consciously held back on her attacks during the battle. Otherwise, that Hydro Pump would have finished Beldum even with Iron Defense. By the way, it wasn't really knocked out, it merely pretended because we deemed that you've done enough to pass the test."
He felt his spirits deflate a little at that "Oh."
"Wanna see something cool?" she smirked as Brock patted the boy on the back consolingly.
Ash gave her a bewildered look before nodding. He followed her as she lead them out of the room and into another corridor, wondering what she would show him. After pushing through a double door, the rookie Trainer saw that they were in another room with a pool, only this one was somewhat bigger. The orange-haired girl walked over to the edge and leaned over to look down.
Just as he thought that she was about to jump in while wearing her casual clothes, a massive shape suddenly rose from the water. After the water receded, they could all see that it was a massive, terror-inspiring Gyarados. Instead of attacking, which its scowl made it look like it wanted to do, it swam closer to the youngest Cerulean City Gym Leader and let her rub its snout.
"Hey, big guy. I've missed you. Can you please call the rest of the gang up here?" she said gentler than her two companions had ever heard her.
The Atrocious Pokemon nodded happily and dived back into the pool. Less than a minute later, several more Pokemon rose from the water alongside Gyarados. From left to right, Ash recognized them as a Tentacruel, Dewgong, Crawdaunt, Poliwrath, Lapras, Jellicent and... an Omastar.
"Wow," he said, an unusual rush of giddy excitement coursing through him "You've even got a fossil Pokemon."
"Yep. All of them are my little barnacles. I came here to take them with me when we leave," she said with a proud smile.
"Is this the team you used when you attended the Regional Championship?" asked Brock, inspecting the Pokemon with a Breeder's eye.
"Yeah. All of them, except Poliwrath, Jellicent and Lapras. I hadn't caught them then yet," Misty responded.
"If I may ask, how far did you get in the Indigo Conference?" Ash asked, interest visible in his eyes. He had thought about asking her multiple times during their journey, but it always seemed to slip his mind.
She smiled at him innocently as she rubbed her Dewgong's head "The top 4."
...
What?!
No one could blame the two males for being dumbfounded by the statement. It was an extraordinary achievement, and even that might be an understatement. Reaching the top 16 on your first try was praise-worthy, but to reach the top 4 with a predominant type took prodigious skill and talent. Lance, the Kanto/Johto Champion himself, had reached the top 4 on his first try about 19 years ago.
At that moment, they both wondered if they were looking at the future Kan-Joh Champion.
Unbeknown to them, Lily was smiling proudly at her baby sister.
"I also came in second at the Silver Conference a year later. Only because I lost to that little barbie, Karen. Granted, she is Agatha's apprentice and over 3 years my senior," Misty muttered, pouting slightly.
Though a great achievement as well, the blow was mostly lessened by the previous revelation. "I've heard of her. She is expected to take over Agatha's position in the Elite Four. A Dark-type Master, right?" The raven-haired Trainer inquired.
She nodded "With a secondary proclivity for Ghost-types. They'll have an all-out match this November and if Karen wins, she'll become the youngest Elite Four member ever at 17 years old. My next goal on the road to becoming the greatest Water-type Master ever is to beat that record."
"You want to become one of the Elite Four?" Ash was rather caught off guard by the declaration, though he really shouldn't have. Many Trainers desire to become members of the prestigious group.
She shrugged "Seems like a good goal to me. I might not be as... enthusiastic about it as some other Pokemon Trainers, but that's because it's a milestone in the grand scheme of my plan. There are greater treasures to unbury."
Ash could understand that, taking into account his own exorbitant goal. There is no clear definition of what a Pokemon Master is - some say it's catching every known Pokemon and others say it's defeating all the six Champions* - but it's far greater than being an Elite Four member.
"You seem to have a preference for Water-type Pokemon with dual typing," Brock noted.
"It's always good to have variety, and knowing how to use their other types makes it easier for me to counter them in battle. That's one of my secrets to success. You wanna specialize? Start out with dual types and get some experience and training done before moving on to single ones," Misty said, back straight with her index finger in the air in the classic teacher's pose.
Ash full-heartedly agreed with that. Dual type Pokemon could usually learn a greater variety of moves. Not just of their two respective types, but of other types too. Many types shared elemental similarities with one or two other types and Pokemon were thus highly capable of learning the moves of those with such similar characteristics.
Best examples, virtually all Water-type Pokemon were able to learn Ice Beam and Blizzard, most Ghost-types had an inclination towards Psychic and Dark-type attacks and Ground-types usually didn't have a too hard time learning moves like Rock Slide, Rock Tomb or Stone Edge.
"Hey, Brock!" The three companions turned to stare at Lily, who was approaching her boyfriend's position, having stayed behind in the duration of their conversation. She stopped in front of him with a large smile and her hands clasped behind her back "Did you bring it?"
Brock looked confused for a moment before recognition seemed to show on his expression. He took his backpack and fished something out. Ash and Misty took a closer look at it. It looked like a oddly-shaped metal... thing. However, he soon realized what it was when he inspected it more closely.
It was a love lock. A gold-colored, heart-shaped lock.
"Ugh," the young teenager groaned in exasperated disgust "I can't believe you two are going through with that landlubber, lovey-dovey tradition."
Lily retorted by sticking her tongue at her.
Said lovey-dovey tradition involved a couple affixing a love lock to the railing of Valentine's Bridge. The bridge was situated over a long, wide, but rather shallow ravine, north of Cerulean City. With the latest advancements in public transportation, it was easily accessible from the city. As far as Ash knew, it only became a thing fairly recently.
Either way, he was indifferent towards it. The Trainer saw no need to feel any bias when it had no effect on him whatsoever. It was their relationship, therefore the couple decided their little romantic idiosyncrasies, though that word might not be the most suitable one, considering that the railings of Valentine's Bridge were riddled with love padlocks.
Misty turned to him, pointing her thumb at the pair "You think we're gonna be hearing wedding vows from them?"
"Possibly." Ash shrugged "They've been together a while and seem happy enough. Ever since Team Rocket's founding, the age at which people got married in Kanto and Johto has decreased. My mom said something about tragedies and dark times causing people to realize how short life is."
The girl rolled her eyes "Not an excuse for them to tie the knot too early. Marriage is a wonderful institution, but seriously, who wants to live in an institution?"
The dark-haired boy chuckled in response.
Not bad, if I do say so myself. Over 13k!
Sorry for the delay. Had a bit of writer's block, while also writing my new story Thinking Things Through. I'll try and post sooner than before.
And now, story recommendations:
On The Wings Of Death (Pokemon and Harry Potter crossover) by dreamingthroughstarlight
On The Road, Far From Home (Pokemon and Frozen crossover) by OrangeGalen
A Guide to Writing Pokemon Fanfiction by iggychan89
Legacy Ascending (Naruto) by The Epic Pen