Enjoy! Thank you for all those who have stood by during my absence. It means a lot. And someone said on a WAWL review that Ash sounds too formal and I agree that I've made him too mature in this fanfic. I will try to make him a bit more childish while retaining his higher level of knowledge.
Ash was at lost with words as to what was going to happen now. If either Gyarados or Dragonair lost, the entire battle was over, but they together had to beat Flareon and Nidoqueen. The fact that the poisonous ground-type Pokemon was still capable of remaining submerged for this extended period was honestly a bit unnerving for both of them, more so Erika in particular since she did not want Gyarados to get hurt. Ash was still beyond fathoming Erika possessing the courage to handle such a mighty Pokemon, but apparently she was able to exceed his expectations due to how well Gyarados obeyed her.
Now Ash had to focus on how to beat Flareon. He was hoping that the earth twister would engulf Flareon and would be hit by the rocks during the attack, but now it was completely worthless to proceed his strategy since now ahead of everyone stood a glass column with rocks in it. Ash would not lie; he thought it was pretty cool to look at, but there was also something else he didn't like about it. Using it may not be the wising decision because colliding with the column may cause too much damage to Flareon and cut the fire type badly. Plus, the deafening sound of it shattered into thousands of little pieces. He couldn't even begin to think of how difficult it would be to clear up the mess!
Flareon's attack all the sudden was starting to come through. His body was beginning to glow a purple hue and then became engulfed in energy that looked tremendous.
Ash gulped. "What's going on?"
"I...I don't recognize that move," commented Erika. "But all that energy that Flareon is storing...It's gotta be immensely powerful!"
Ash wasn't entirely sure what immensely meant, but it sounded like it would be bad news unless he did something. "Well, let's just use bubble beam before Flareon hits us!" said Ash without giving his command a second thought. "Go, Dragonair!"
"This is Flareon's most powerful move, giga impact!" commented Caroline. "Do you honestly think you can stop it with your water attack?"
"I'm gonna try!" said Ash. He figured the easiest thing to do was get Dragonair to position herself by the glass column, but now Ash wasn't entirely sure if he wanted to get Flareon to collide with the column or not. He feared that Caroline would start yelling at Erika or something, but Ash was not entirely sure what to do now. Perhaps...Perhaps...
"Dragonair, go ahead and use bubble beam!" ordered Ash. Ash was going along based on what he was thinking and was a bit under pressure since he had to make sure that he did not fail on behalf of Erika. One thing that surprised Ash was how well he was doing at this point; he hadn't lost a single gym battle and he was wondering if his strength was a bit unrealistic for a trainer for his age, or were his opponents taking it easy on him?
Flareon was not messing around and got hit by the bubbles, groaning in pain in the process, but nonetheless proceeded with the most powerful normal physical move. He was moving so fast that it was impossible for Dragonair to move out of the way in time and was launched high into the air, landing in the water.
It was amazing that all of this was happening while Flareon was still asleep; definitely surreal beyond any doubt if one were to really think about it.
"Dragonair!" gasped both Erika and Ash. Ash was now worried even more, but he was not giving in just yet.
"Good job, Flareon!" praised Caroline. "We still have a great chance to win!"
"Oh, Dragonair!" gasped Ash as he saw the struggling Dragon. He was quite sure that Dragonair probably had about a quarter of her health left, maybe a little bit less. "I believe in you, Dragonair! You can do it!" Dragonair looked at Ash and nodded, and she began to head to the shore, but that did not happen as she was being dragged underwater by Nidoqueen!
"Gyarados! If you can hear me, stop Nidoqueen with your ice beam!" ordered Erika as she brought her hand to her mouth and began to nibble her nails out of nervousness. Ash noticed this and this is really the only time that he has seen the girl so pressured besides the time that they were attacked by Team Rocket in Mt. Moon. That was also an interesting thing, too; whatever happened to them after the Mt. Moon incident after the police took them? This was kind of annoying for Ash.
All three humans looked at the water and noticed that it started moving a lot. The waves were splashing onto the ground and all the sudden, a large figure emerged from the water so quick that it was almost blinding.
"No!" shouted Caroline as she saw what it was, which also earned gasps from Ash and Erika. A loud crash echoed throughout the entire gym and the thud sent out a large wave of sand that knocked over Flareon. What caused of this was Nidoqueen who was encased in a have layer of eyes and had swirls in her eyes that showed her defeat.
"Amazing!" cheered Ash as he and Erika exchanged a high five over their victory. Caroline merely sighed with frustration and called back Nidoqueen. Maybe saying that she wasn't going to use items was a big mistake, but this has been her policy for a while since she has lost only two battles out of around fifty. It was because her competitors were so weak and she knew she could rely on her strength and her tactics. But to think her little sister may actually best her in this battle? Unspeakable!
"Hmph!" scowled Caroline as she displayed her gruff side. No way was she about to forfeit the match just because the battle was against her favor. But she knew that she was backed into a corner and the only option was to focus on taking out Dragonair who looked the weaker of the two Pokemon. That would ensure her victory.
"Flareon, use sleep talk again on Dragonair!" ordered Caroline with fire in her eyes. There was no telling what to expect next because sleep talk allowed any move that Flareon used to be utilized. Flareon's body began to glow a bluish hint, but it looked different from giga impact. Ash was honestly quite worried about what was gonna happen next.
An aura was beginning to exude from Flareon and then...he started to dance and cheer! Caroline facepalmed so hard at the embarrassment.
"What is that?" asked Ash with confusion.
"Helping hand," sighed Caroline. "Should've used it when Nidoqueen was out to boost her attack."
Ash and Erika both looked at each other. This was honestly a bit strange, but it left Ash open to attack, unless Erika was planning on doing so first.
"Ash, you make the next move," she suggested. "I already took out Nidoqueen."
"Alright! Dragonair, use thunderbolt! Now!" ordered Ash with a high level of optimism. He was quite convinced that this would be the last blow to defeat Flareon.
Dragonair didn't need to be told a second time and obeyed Ash's command. Her body began to glow with an electric blue sparkle and constricted her body as she aimed a powerful blast of electricity directly towards the fire canine-like Pokemon. Flareon couldn't dodge the move and his body collapsed and he fell to the ground after being damaged by the electricity. It must have been an extremely powerful bolt of lightning, but then Ash remembered that Flareon was covered with water from the bubblebeam. But Ash saw how that large wave of sand knocked over Flareon some and it must've done a fair amount of damage to it, as well.
"Flareon!" gasped Caroline as she waited for the other to respond.
"Fla...on..." said the other as swirls took over where his eyes were.
"Does this mean that we won?" asked Ash who was still not entirely sure what to make of the situation.
"Yes!" said Erika as she jumped up in down. "How does it feel to lose to your little sister, Caroline?! Not so weak am I, huh?! Or are you just gonna throw out an insult and say that I cheated?!" Erika had tears coming out of her eyes and she got on her knees. "You don't even care about mother. Sure, it's just a broken hip, but you're too damn engrossed in your trainer to pay her any mind."
Erika generally never exhibited a side of her that aggressive, but at times she displayed what one would call a "mirror personality"; she had a neutral personality of a humble and well-mannered being, but she was not afraid to defend herself against someone who was behaving like an uncultured swine. Erika learned how to defend herself and stand up for her principles fairly recently; before, it was possible to even say that a pushover was the best word to describe her, but sometimes she allowed others had their way if she let her guard down for a prolonged period of time.
"That is not true. I care a lot about our mother and I was wrong for ignoring her when she spent days on end in that hospital. It was very wrong of me, I admit."
"Do you really mean that?" Asked Erika as she wiped the tears away.
Caroline said yes and withdrew Flareon and looked at her Pokeball. "You did an excellent job and I'm very proud of you. Now get a good rest." She then looked straight ahead at Erika while approaching her and said, "I'm more than surprised at you, Erika. In fact, I'm utterly shocked, to say the absolute least. I would never have guessed that you had trained so hard. It was a pleasure to battle you. Both of you. I shall give you the rainbow badge, Ash, since you are the challenger."
Ash was a bit skeptical when he heard those words from Caroline's mouth. But at the same time, it sounded like she really meant it, so he went forward and she took it out of her pocket.
Ash laughed as he examined it and showed it to Erika. "Yes! I-I mean, we earned the rainbow badge together, Erika!"
"Though it was a joint effort, the badge is yours, Ash, since I don't plan to enter the Pokemon League," said Erika with a gentle smile as she returned Gyarados to the Pokeball. Ash did the same and called back a tired Dragonair. Erika then turned towards Caroline and said, "So, what do you plan to do with that glass column?"
"I'm thinking about giving this gym to someone who is a lot more responsible and compassionate as I am," she admitted. "Let them carry out the legacy that is Celadon City's gym and let it become a grass-type Pokemon gym as it was before. I will agree. I just wanted to be the best around, but then I started to lose sight of what was most important. I'm really sorry that we've grown so far apart and that I've been so hostile towards you. You don't deserve it, and one of the reasons why I have acted like this is because...I've been jealous of you. You've always been the kind to keep friends while it seems like everyone seems to distant themselves from me. I don't know. Mom and Dad have always favored you when you were born. I've always loved you, Erika."
Caroline started to get a few tears to her eyes but immediately wiped them away; she didn't want her sister, and especially a challenger, to see her in a moment of weakness. After all, she was 18 years old and had to act her age since she was adult now.
"I forgive you, Caroline," said Erika as the two of them approached one another. Erika wrapped her arms around the other and the two of them shared a long hug. "I have always cared for you. All of us have, no matter what you did."
"I'm gonna go see mom in the hospital and I'm gonna stay here in Celadon until she recovers. And afterwards, I'm gonna move on to new areas. Like Hoenn. Meet some new people and Pokemon. Then, one day in the future, we will see how our strengths compare."
"Maybe we can have another tag team battle," suggested Erika.
"That'd be awesome," she said as she began heading out the door. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot!" Caroline stopped in front of Ash and handed him something from her pocket. "This contains TM 19, Giga Drain! It's a very powerful grass-type move that steals life from the enemy and heals your Pokemon that uses it. Hopefully you can use it on several grass or bug types that can use this move."
"Thank you so much!" said Ash as he put the TM into his backpack and turned towards Erika. "That was a really close battle. You did very well, Erika."
"I'm equally as surprised," said Caroline. "I'm gonna go to the hospital and check out mom. Do you wanna go with me?"
"Yeah, I'll head with you. What are you going to do in the meanwhile, Ash?" asked Erika as she turned to look at her friend.
"I'm just gonna walk around the city, look at the scenery," said Ash. "And go to the Pokemon Center."
"I think we all could stand to go get our Pokemon healed," suggested Caroline as she smiled at the other two. "C'mon, let's get going."
The three humans left the gym and then there was a loud crash.
"Uhhh," Caroline said with hesitance as she looked back towards the gym. "I can't wait to explain that to the contractor."
"It'll be okay, Caroline," reassured Erika as the three of them kept moving onward. Ash began to turn this way and that as he was taking in more of the scenery of the city. It was a sight to behold and he wanted to tell his mom of the progress he has made so far in his journey.
In about ten minutes, the three of them arrived to the Pokemon Center. Ash allowed the two girls to go ahead of him as he used the phone to contact his mother and they had a nice chat for about ten minutes before she had to leave to get groceries. Ash then went up to the desk and gave Nurse Joy his Pokeballs and waited for her to finish and then put them back into his backpack.
"So what are you going to do while we visit our mom in the hospital, Ash?" asked Erika as she turned to look at the other. She had already asked him this question but was curious if his opinion changed. Maybe he would like to see what her mother looked like, but she wouldn't be offended in the least bit if he declined.
"I'm probably going to a park, or maybe look at the skyscrapers," he suggested. "I don't want to interrupt your family matter."
"Very well, how about we meet back here in...two hours?" suggested Erika as she looked at the other. "We can figure out what to do from there."
"That sounds good to me," replied Ash. "I'll see you later."
"Please be careful when exploring the city, Ash!" chimed in Caroline as she looked at him go out the door and he waved back as the sliding door separated them. Ash walked forward. He kept walking forward with no set destination in mind, but he did not want to be by Erika at the moment. He was glad to win the battle, of course, but he was just unsure of exactly how to react to her after he saw her harboring Gyarados, and the one who cut his foot, nonetheless, at least that was the utmost logical assumption. Or maybe she captured it when he heard that distant roar in Cerulean City. Raising a Gyarados was so not like her, at least he did not truly know the real Erika. Many people had a character than from what their image reflected, and boy, was her character a lot different. Then again, Caroline wasn't acting rational; siblings rivalry: a thing that Ash couldn't understand.
"He's known to be a little bit stubborn," chuckled Erika. "Much like myself."
"And me. I think we got it from dad," agreed Caroline. "Have you been taking your medicine like you should be?"
"Yes, I have," said Erika. "The problem seems to be going away a bit, although I can assure you that it is nowhere near as severe as it was a few months ago."
"That's good. Has Ash seen it happen to you?"
"Luckily, no, but I feel like I should tell him one day," said Erika as she looked at her sister. "Let's go see mom."
The two girls walked out of the building and were greeted by the rays of the later summer sun. It contrasted with the abundance of people who seemed to be exuded a cold aura all around them, but maybe it was just because they were too busy trying to reach their destination. Such was the way of life in Kanto's largest city. Erika was used to living in a large city and merely just shrugged off the other people who may have given her odd glances.
In about fifteen minutes, the girls finally reached the hospital and Erika asked for the nurse.
"Ah, you're looking for Natalie Warriner?" she asked sweetly as she looked at the two girls who replied with a nod. "Yes, she just returned from her physical therapy. Follow me, please."
The two girls followed the nurse and were soon brought up to room where their mother was resting in the bed, but she had some weights and was busy exercising just so she wouldn't be stuck in there watching some boring television program.
"Erika! And Caroline! What a nice surprise to see you, Caroline!" she said as she smiled at her older daughter. "Why haven't you visited me? I've been so worried about you and have felt that you have abandoned us."
"I know, Mom, and I'm sorry," sighed Caroline with disappointment. "I guess that-no, I knew that the only thing I wanted was to be unstoppable, so as a result I lost track of what mattered the most."
"All is forgiven," said Natalie as she looked at her daughter. "It's nice to see you two acting so civil, although we are in a public place. So what happened at the gym?"
"Ash and I won against Caroline," said Erika with pride in her voice. "And it wasn't an easy battle, either. I thought we were going to lose."
"Mom, you should've seen the way Erika battled. She had a Gyarados of all things and it knew earthquake and flamethrower, and even ice beam!" Caroline's voice was picking up with excitement as she remembered the battle as if it were happening just now; it was definitely something she would always remember since it was the day that showed her that love was an aspect that she was missing from her training, and an iron fist was not the right method.
"That must've been some battle!" answered Natalie with astonishment. "Do you still have plans for running the gym, Caroline?"
Caroline looked away with embarrassment and said shyly and a bit of embarrassment: "No, ma'am, I'm very certain that I am going to step down from the title and allow someone else to run it as it was meant to be: a grass-type gym. And I have plans of staying here with you, mom, until you can get back to work. Then I will go and travel in Hoenn or Sinnoh."
"Sounds like a very good plan," responded her mother. "I guess you are still planning on traveling with your friend Ash, Erika?"
"Yes, ma'am," responded Erika politely. "Even though he is capable of handling himself."
Meanwhile...
Ash was wandering the streets of Celadon and was amazed at all the skyscrapers. It was making him feel rather claustrophobic to be surrounded by so many buildings, but at the same time, it was astonishing to see the amount that could achieved from man-made heights. He was still wondering if Erika was doing okay with her sister since over an hour and a half have passed decided to show Erika a little something in appreciation for her hard work in the battle and just in general for being a good friend. But then he thought, would she think it was weird for someone about four years younger than she to give her something, even if it was a mere token of gratitude? Probably not; Erika knew that Ash was too young to feel such things and even she herself more than likely if they were the same age.
Ash was getting hungry as well. Maybe this wasn't exactly the best thought plan to wander off so far away from the rendezvous point, but as he kept walking, his mind was becoming increasingly clear of the fact that he did not need to harbor any sort of grudge towards Erika. What was the point?
Ash finally got to the Pokemon Center and waited for Erika. In about twenty minutes, she got there and looked at Ash witha calm look on her face.
"Ready to go?" she asked as she looked at him.
"Yes, I am," said Ash with enthusiasm as he looked at her. "But can we find somewhere to eat? I'm pretty hungry right about now."
Erika was about to speak, but then a voice spoke before she did. "Hey, kid, they are about to have an eating contest at this restaurant right next to the Rainbow Valley Hotel. Winner gets all the food free as well as a rare TM!"
Erika looked at Ash who appeared quite interested in what this man was saying. Erika, on the other hand, thought that this was a money-making scam and felt that it was the right thing to coax Ash not to.
"That's sounds awesome! Let's try to wind that prize, Erika!" exclaimed Ash as he turned to her and they began to run out.
"Ash, hold on a second!" exclaimed Erika as she followed after him as he began to head towards the hotel. He remembered seeing the hotel and they soon reached the outside of the restaurant.
Btw, Ash will not always win each battle. Just a spoiler. Also, if any of the characters come off as Mary Sues, I apologize as it is not my intention. I feel like that I'm kinda poor at making interesting characters, tbh.
I'm also trying to add some things that were in the game but weren't in the anime and fillers. I'm trying to find something to make the plot more interesting so it won't become a standard "Ash traveling through Kanto just to get the badges" fanfic. I really am trying, but it's kinda hard atm with all I'm dealing with.
