Their day was off to a good start. In fact, they'd woken up early, knowing the Celadon Gym was filled with early risers, given that they tended to the garden both within the greenhouse dome and lining it. As they approached, they saw a familiar looking woman outside of the gym. Dawn paused, cocking her head in attempt to figure out who it was.
"Empo?"
"Dawn? What's wrong?" Ash asked.
"Pikaka?"
Their chattering around Dawn drew the attention of the woman tending to the bushes near the entrance of the gym. She turned, wiping her brow of sweat before smiling. "Oh, hello! You're Dawn, right?"
"... Pomme! Oh, wow, I wasn't expecting you here!" Dawn greeted happily, walking over with the boys in tow.
"I'm actually one of Erika's juniors! I do coordinating in my… spare… Why are you here, Ashley?" Pomme spat, changing gears very quickly.
Dawn flinched from the harshness of her tone. "His name is Ash!"
"No, I never forget a face! I was but a lowly entering junior when he was here last, but that is definitely the deceiver, Ashley!"
"Uh, nope, my name is Ash!" he loudly corrected, cheeks burning up. He'd totally forgotten about that incident until now. "You're thinking of someone else!" he insisted. Please, let Pomme have some sense and drop the issue.
"As if I would forget someone who beat the talented and gentle Erika!" Pomme snarled.
Now, Dawn was getting suspicious, too. She crossed her arms, raising a brow. "... What is your full name?"
"You know it's Ash Ketchum," Ash fervently reminded, balling his fists up at his side under all the accusations. "I don't know what this girl's talking about!"
A bead of sweat rolled down Pikachu's forehead at his trainer's attempt at more deceit, his tail subtly patting Ash.
"... I'll just ask your mom," Dawn decided.
"It's not my real name!" Ash fumed, shaking both of his fists now. "Go ahead 'n' ask her, you'll get the same darn answer!"
Pomme frowned. "Hmph. For being deceitful again, I'm going to punish you in a battle!" She whipped out a Pokéball, releasing her Gloom once again.
"I don't know what you're talking about, but I'm here to battle Erika, not you!" Ash barked. His arms were shaking a little with anger.
Dawn noticed this and finally quelled herself, reaching out and putting a hand on Ash's shoulder. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. He looked cornered. She wouldn't keep pushing him into that corner. "Hey, Pomme, we did mean to come to challenge Erika. Is it okay if we just go ahead and do that?" On top of it all, if he was turning down a battle, he wasn't his usual self. It wasn't worth it to prod him like this.
"Are you really okay with him lying to you, Dawn?" Pomme inquired, taken back a bit.
The bluenette smiled. "I know Ash. We all have our bad childhood stories. If it was anything important, he would tell me. I trust him." Removing her hand from his shoulder, the coordinator looked to Ash, waiting to see his response.
He felt a little guilty now for what all he was keeping from her, but now was neither the time nor place to address it. He adjusted his cap, covering his eyes. "Right. I just wanna get this battle over with."
"Well," Pomme mused, "If that's the case, I suppose it's his business. Gloom, return." With her Pokémon back in its Pokéball, she gathered up her gardening supplies. "I'll let Erika know you're here. Please remain in the lounge and entrance area until someone comes for you. We've increased security measures, so visitors aren't allowed to roam freely anymore."
Entering the main lobby of the gym, they saw it was refurbished to look like an outdoor patio area. Empoleon spotted a small pond surrounded by mangrove trees and almost ran to it, diving right in. He nearly took up the whole space, but he looked comfortable enough.
Ash and Dawn went to go sit on one of the benches facing the pond. Pikachu hopped off and sat on the little table before them, standing between magazines.
Noting how sour Ash's mood still was, Dawn tried to think of some way to cheer him up. "I guess I'll have to leaf through these magazines." Hm… No response. Not funny enough, then. "I hope they don't mind me rooting through the pile," she said a little louder.
Ash looked over at her, blinking. Had she really just…?
"There's a 'zine on the League here. After your talks with Bertha, I guess I should branch out and learn something from it!" she joked with a wink.
Ash finally burst out laughing. "I can't be-leaf that you're doing all this!"
She settled down with a fit of giggles herself, finally picking up a magazine. Now that his mood had improved, she could relax while they waited on Erika to get ready for his challenge.
About half an hour later, a girl walked into the lounge area. Ash had resorted to playing games on his Xtransceiver while Dawn was part of the way through the League-centric magazine. Empoleon had fallen asleep in the comfortable warm, shallow pond and Pikachu mimicked him on the coffee table.
"Miss Erika is ready now. You may enter," the girl greeted, opening the small wooden fence to guide them further into the garden-gym. The foursome quickly scrambled after her.
Dawn looked around, thoroughly impressed. Beautiful blossoms and foreign plants were everywhere. She breathed deeply, enjoying the delicious scent of the florals. "It's so beautiful here!" she chimed. "I wouldn't mind being the kind of trainer who stays in a gym if it was somewhere like this!"
Empoleon made an indignant squawk. If she became a grass type specialist, whatever would happen to him? "Oleo!"
"Aw, Empoleon, you know I'm just kidding," she chided.
Soon, they approached a clearly. On the other side of it, under a canopy of pure white lilies, was Erika dressed in a loose, breezy yukata. Her colors had become less vibrant in choice since the last time Ash saw her. She was maturing, it seemed. "Why, if it isn't Ash. It's been quite a while. I'm glad that you have come to me respectfully as yourself this time." She didn't seem malicious if her gentle smile was anything to go by.
Ash tried to stay calmer this time. "Yeah, it's me, alright." He cleared his throat, a bit uncomfortable. "I, uh, came here for the rematch."
Dawn blinked, but declined speaking up on the matter.
Unfortunately, that didn't slip by Erika. "... She looks lost. Ash, have you been honest or dishonest again?"
Ash's patience had finally reached its end. "Ugh, just tell her already, then." Ash pulled his cap down further on his head, turning away from the two girls.
"Very well! Well, you see, when Ash was younger…" Erika began, trailing off into the tale of a young Ash offending a younger Erika. The tale evolved, including Ash's return as Ashley and the involvement of Team Rocket's trio. It ended on a pleasant note, though. "I suppose it isn't all bad. The remodeling turn out nicely, don't you think?"
Meanwhile, Dawn had gone quiet, one hand on her cheek and a thoughtful look on her face. Ash… In a dress… With long hair… That sounded kind of cute, actually. Yeah, she decided, Ash would look cute as a guy or a girl.
"... Are you disappointed in me, too?" Ash finally prompted, confused over why Dawn had grown so quiet.
"Huh?" The bluenette shook her head. "Was that all you were worried about? I mean, it's a little dumb that that all happened, but hm… I guess your pride was what hurt most, huh? For being turned down for an important battle?"
"Yeah," he agreed, none the wiser to Dawn's mind had wandered far from the subject matter. "Anyway, Erika, we've got a battle, don't we?"
"Yes, let us attend to this blossoming lotus! You deserve a proper test of strength. I shall see how far down your roots have grown." Taking on a battling stance, Erika smiled.
"Oh, that's my cue to hit the sidelines. Good luck, Ash!" Dawn chirped.
"Heh, thanks, Dawn." He lifted his cap a little, ready to get this whole mess behind him. "I don't know about lotuses, but I'll give it my best go!"
A smile forming on her lips, Erika made the first move. "Victreebel, let's show our challenger a good battle!" Reaching into her sleeves, she held out a Pokéball, clicking it to release her first contender.
The enormous, carnivorous flower stood upon the field, showing little emotion either way in its appearance. While many Pokémon appeared eager at the start of the battle, this one seemed rather indifferent.
"Well, challenger of mine, what shall it be?"
"Victreebel, huh?" Then Weepinbell must have evolved. 'If I'm gonna beat it, I'll need to start this battle big!' Ash reached for the brim of his cap, flipping it backwards before tossing a Pokéball forward. "Glalie, I choose you!"
The Face Pokémon popped out of its sphere, forming from a flash of light. "Glalie!" It chanted, voice fierce and gravelly as ever.
"Alright! Let's start this battle with Ice Beam!"
Ash's call was heeded without hesitation, the ice type charged a flickering light between his horns, readying himself to fire a freezing beam towards Victreebel.
"I'd gotten the impression you'd cooled your zeal, but your pace remains too quick!" Erika chided. "Sucker Punch."
The behemoth carnivorous plant lunged forward, cleanly avoiding the Ice Beam. The blast of energy surely should've been fast enough, but Sucker Punch's trademark ability of punishing haste and carelessness would come into play.
Victreebel's leafy appendages each spun to get their chance at attacking, slapping the floating orb silly.
For her big talk of keeping calm and steady, Erika was quick to initiate her own moves. "Still… I shall entertain your fiery passions. Sunny day." Time to turn up the heat!
The trainer had grit his teeth in frustration as Glalie was pummeled, sent reeling before spinning to a halt, eager to continue as ever. "Didn't see that coming." Before Ash could call another move, a blinding ball of light was fired toward the gym's ceiling, creating an artificial sunlight that basked the battlefield below.
"That's gotta be for Solarbeam…! Glalie, give it a Headbutt!" This time, if she attempted to use Sucker Punch, then Ash and Glalie would be prepared for it.
The Face Pokémon launched his round body forward, attempting to smash himself into Victreebel.
"Not quite," Erika chided. "Power Whip."
Though skidding backwards with the weight of its opponent, Victreebel all the same began battering the ice type with a barrage of vines, sending the ice type flying off once more.
"Looks like attacking head-on isn't gonna work." Ash remarked, watching his pokémon fly back before correcting itself once more. Though it'd be hit twice, Glalie hung in strong, sturdy as ever. "Alright, Glalie, use Ice Beam again!"
"Glalie!" The Pokémon cried, firing a chilling beam of energy towards Victreebel.
'This time, we'll be ready for Sucker Punch..!'
Time to stop playing with the ice. Though Victreebel hadn't suffered any of those moves yet, those super effective moves would have to catch up with them eventually. "Dodge."
Thank goodness for the sunshine. With surprising agility, the grass type contorted its body, ducking its leafy head under the frozen rays. The attack shot past it, turning a patch of the grassy ground into nothing but ice.
The leader frowned at the disruption to the flora.
"Man, it's fast…!" Ash grit his teeth, watching on in astonishment as the Flycatcher pokémon veered safely out of Ice Beam's range. "Wait… That's it…!" The trainer's eyes widened, realization dawning on him. "Sunny Day's made it faster. That must be Chlorophyll!" He'd encountered that ability once before, while battling Gardenia.
"Now, Solarbeam." Returning fire with a blaze of glory would be suiting.
"Bell!" the plant called, spewing a canon of concentrated light at its opponent.
Before Ash had time to articulate further, a massive way of light was heading their way.
"…Glalie, use Gyro Ball!"
Glalie responded quickly, winding into a full-fledged spin that coated his body in a silver ring. Not a moment too soon, as Solarbeam slammed into his form. Destructive rays of light fired every which way, ricocheting off of Glalie's rotating body. His icy body shot out of the resulting cloud of smoke, spinning closer and closer to Victreebel.
Dawn grinned as she watched, fists unconsciously raised in excitement before her. The glittering beams reflecting from Glalie's body were harmless by the time they made it off the field, and therefore only dazzled the girl.
Empoleon squinted, a little miffed by the brightness.
"That's unfortunate," Erika muttered. Though Ash had repelled it, her own attack had come close to striking a bystander. Perhaps they'd have to be more careful with their attacks going onward.
Though, right now, she had her own worries. Glalie's Gyro Ball had slammed into Victreebel brutally, sending the shrieking plant skidding across the flowery battlefield.
"Poor Victreebel… I know you have more spunk in you than that, right? Let's show them what grass type Pokémon are capable of." The leader commanded in a lulling tone, showing both sympathy and confidence. It seemed not much had changed since the last battle… Aside from the skill level of both trainers, that was.
An irritated grunt answered her, the Flycatcher Pokémon pushing itself back up.
"Good job. Now, let's try Power Whip, then, hm?"
"Bel." At a distance, the partial poison type tried again to knock into its opponent like a bullwhip.
"Aw man… Sorry, guys!" Ash's face fell, his cheeks heating considerably in embarrassment. Before he had time to dwell further over the sprayed Solarbeam, though, Erika had called for another attack. "It's still super fast! We've gotta find a way to beat that."
Furrowed brows lifted as an epiphany struck the trainer. "That's it! Glalie, use Icy Wind, now!"
The floating sphere of ice wasted no time, blowing out a freezing gust of wind from his mouth. With any luck, it would stop Victreebel and its vines in their tracks!
The grass type was not stopped, but heavily slowed. Those grassy tendrils which had gone out to attack faltered, growing brittle and slow.
"Hm. The sun's getting weaker, too." It had been some turns ago, Erika noted. "Sunny Day, once more. Then, use Power Whip!"
The grass type had hissed, quickly retreating its vines under the influence of the cold. Eager to regain the heat Glalie had diminished, it fired a scalding orb from its trap-like mouth towards the ceiling.
The orb basked the room in its pseudo-solar glow once more, granting discomfort at worst, to Glalie, and a luxury to Victreebel. Its bright green appendages reveled in the artificial light, its body overflowing with energy.
With the speed assurance restored, Victreebel finally delivered another blow towards Glalie.
Both of its long tendrils shot out from its mouth, stopping just short of Glalie to wrap snugly around its round, icy form.
"Try and shake free of it, Glalie!" Ash instructed.
Though the Face Pokémon struggled, it was having a hard time escaping the iron grip. It was clear that if Ash didn't act soon, things would only get worse.
"Hold on…" A mischievous smile picked up on Ash's lips. "Glalie, use Gyro Ball to spin your way out!"
Ash's idea had struck him just in the nick of time, rewarding him with quite a devastating solution. Glalie did just as told, turning his body into a fast-paced spin that would make Victreebel regret its grip.
The latter would be thrown for a loop, swung around violently by its wrapped up opponent as long as its vines held. Just how long would it last?
Erika squinted her eyes, wondering if her Victreebel would fatigue first or if the Glalie would tire itself out. Experience told her what she needed to know, and she let out a sigh.
"Victreebel, release your grip."
The plant sailed through the air, tumbling, turning, and thankfully shooting out more of its vines to land safely on the ground. Not without a loss of grace, though; the plant seemed rather dizzy at this point.
"…Let's try Solarbeam, again." Seeing how injured her first choice was, she knew she needed to quickly put an end to this, lest she be forced to bring out her second Pokémon.
The plant pointed its mouth at the opponent before firing the solar beam.
"Hey, it's still hanging in there! Not bad." A smile picked up on Ash's lips. "Glalie, spin out of the way with Gyro Ball!"
Though he had spent plenty of energy, Glalie did just that, turning his entire round body into a spinning top that barreled just past the beam of light.
"Now, keep spinning, and cover yourself with an Icy Wind!"
Still in motion, the ice type spewed frigid air from his maw, quickly coated in ice by the tiny blizzard. Momentum hadn't been lost, his frozen body closing in on Victreebel.
"But of course," Erika chimed. "My Pokémon are bred to be robust–"
Her Victreebel flew by her, disappearing into the foliage. She knew the poor critter was knocked out. After that combined Icy Wind and Gyro Ball, how could it not be?
Returning her Victreebel, some of the chiming quality had slipped out of her voice due to embarrassment. Her lovely eyes even shut a little, a faint pink dusting on her cheeks.
"–and beautiful."
"She'd be a good coordinator," Dawn muttered on the sidelines, joined by a small group of Erika's underlings.
"Bellossom, let's show them a bit more grace!" Erika twirled as she tossed out her next choice.
"Bellossom!" The grass type swayed before the Glalie, looking dainty as a rose.
"Bellossom, huh? Glalie looks pretty tired, right about now." He watched the floating Pokémon, who looked to be short of breath. "If we're gonna beat a Pokémon like Bellossom, I'd better switch." Raising a Pokéball, he spoke up before recalling the Face Pokémon. "You were awesome, Glalie! Return!"
With his first choice absorbed in a flash of light, Ash tossed another Pokéball. "Typhlosion, I choose you!"
The fully evolved starter let out a cry upon appearing, hunching over in a battle-ready stance.
Dawn cooed before reaching around for Quilava's Pokéball. She released the little fire type.
"Alright, pudgy pie, watch and learn."
"Qui!" she squealed, pushing Empoleon out of the way so she could get the good view.
"Alright, use Flamethrower!" Ash ordered.
The Volcano Pokémon drew his head back, filling his maw with hot flames before spewing a roaring stream of heat towards the small grass type.
"Bellossom, use Petal Dance," Erika instructed.
A single foot visible, the small grass type barely twirled out of the way in time, her movements conservative, as well as showy. Not an ounce of excess energy was used. She twirled again, grass skirt flowing around her as a bounty of petals were summoned around here. "Bellooooooossom!" she sing-songed, kicking just so.
The blades went forward; more powerful than a Razor Leaf, they were, and just as sharp.
"It's light on its feet," Dawn muttered. "Don't worry, Ash! You and Typhlosion are gonna bring the heat, I know it!"
Empoleon and Quilava agreed, chirping.
The petals barraged Typhlosion, who had just been occupied with spitting heat towards the agile grass type. It let out a cry as it skidded back, irritated by the sharp projectiles brushing its skin. Luckily, the grass type move could only do so much.
"It's not just a good dancer, it's powerful too! Typhlosion, use Flame Wheel!"
Typhlosion quickly obliged, leaping before surrounding itself in a scarlet ring of fire. The heated sphere tore across the grassy battlefield, intent on hitting Bellossom.
Petal Dance still had a few more steps left. However, her little grass type would be left extremely confused at the end, so Erika had to go ahead and have a plan ready
Twirling out of the way, the spell of the sashays was broken and Bellossom looked as confused as she felt. Yet, Erika had to take a gamble anyway.
"Sludge Bomb!"
The heat was still close, so Bellossom spat blindly, unsure of whether she hit her target or not. She fell over, momentarily dazed. She could only hope that her poison had landed, perhaps blinding her foe. Otherwise, this match was already sealed.
Erika held her breath.
Unfortunately for Ash, Typhlosion had rather impressive aim, and was right on his way towards crashing into Bellossom. The acidic goo hit the Volcanic Pokémon right between the eyes, stopping him in his tracks. Typhlosion let out a cry of pain, finding himself blinded by the sludge.
"Ah, that's no good…!" Ash's face fell, his spirit dampened at the sight of his hindered teammate. "Typhlosion, you gotta trust me! Use Flamethrower, straight ahead!"
The torrent of flames shot forward, unfortunately flying over Bellossom's head.
Erika let out a relieved sigh, still composed. It was through her nose, naturally, and only the fluttering of her lashes gave away her concern. "Alright, let's recover some energy. Giga Drain."
Growing momentarily bold with her opponent being blind, the Bellossom twirled past the Typhlosion, her little hands lightly ghosting over the massive fire type's hide in little hits that sapped away precious energy.
Restored a little, the tiny dancer let out a chirp of approval.
Meanwhile, Dawn had taken to holding her breath. It was clear Typhlosion trusted Ash, so she wasn't worried about them working together. Anyway, even in that case, he still had his third Pokémon and Glalie.
It was then that she realized she hadn't shown her support properly during this match. Perhaps it was because of the official, reserved atmosphere of the gym? Well, the other girls were playing music…
"Keep that fire going!" she decided. She wasn't in uniform, but she struck a pose all the same.
The more graceful crew looked over, a bit confused.
Quilava joined her, hopping on her hind legs.
Empoleon contributed as well, clanging his flippers together.
"Ah, don't do that, you'll distract Typhlosion," Dawn scolded.
Empoleon looked at her and squawked indignantly, offended that her making noise was fine but him making noise was not.
"You know it, Dawn!" Ash flashed a thumbs up to the coordinator. A hearty chuckle was earned at Dawn and Empoleon's bickering, too. "...Oh, right." He had a bad situation on his hands. Focus, Ash, focus!
Meanwhile, Typhlosion winced as energy was sapped from his system, however minute. More irritating than the damage was the lack of visibility. If they were going to turn this around, Ash had better come up with something, and fast.
"Typhlosion, stay calm! Use another Flamethrower, to the left, this time!"
Reassured by his trainer's words, the large mammal turned its head as told, spewing more heat at the retreating grass type. Unlike the last attempt, though, Typhlosion's aim was spot-on.
Bellossom let out a loud cry. Erika's brows flew up beyond her bangs. "Sleep Powder!" They had to shut the behemoth down, now.
Dawn's cheering only increased. They had Erika on the ropes! "Come on crew, fire burn then pull on through!"
"Was that a poem?" asked one of the girls. When Dawn looked over, she realized it was Pomme. When had the other girl joined them?
"… Kinda," Dawn answered, suddenly embarrassed.
"Alright, Typhlosion! You know what to do! Go ahead and use Smokescreen!"
Fortunately, this attack didn't require aim. Not in the way they planned on using it. The Volacano Pokémon spewed black smoke from his pores, surrounding himself in a murky veil. The spores were bounded off from the heated smog, leaving the pokémon inside unaffected. At least, that was what Ash'd planned.
"We can't afford another attack like that… If Bellossom keeps dancing around, Typhlosion might go down before it does. If only there was a way to keep it from moving around so much." As Ash spoke those words, an idea struck, a coy smile picking up on his lips. "…Duh! Typhlosion, use Flamethrower, all over the battlefield!"
Typhlosion did as he was told, spewing fire every which way onto the grass surrounding him. With any luck, then Bellossom's Petal Dance strategy would prove ineffective in blitzing the blinded fire type.
"Alright!" Dawn cheered.
Empoleon joined in with her, bashing his fins together.
Quilava's eyes shimmered brightly. Smokescreen to deflect the spores! How clever! She let out a happy squeal, bouncing in place.
Erika frowned. Fire had always been her least favorite element, and now it was truly proving to be a pain in her side. Though the match was not for a badge—she assumed, as Ash already possessed one of hers—she nonetheless had a ladylike sense of pride and her duty as gym leader to be concerned with; the match had to be tough, regardless of typing issues.
So, seeing that the field was ablaze and all but the most measured steps—something Petal Dance wouldn't allow for right now—would allow them to make it through the match, she pressed her glossed lips together. She could see that her Bellossom was burned by the wide spread blazes.
"Giga Drain," she instructed. It was a desperate ploy. If they could continue to tag the hindered Pokémon, though, perhaps Bellossom would have a shot at wearing it down.
The green translucent ray of energy collided with Typhlosion once more, slowly drawing the strength from the creature's veins. Suffering several attacks in a row, however ineffective due to type, was not proving fun. The Volcano Pokémon let out a hiss of pain, waiting for an order.
"Typhlosion, follow the direction of Giga Drain, and use Aerial Ace!"
Typhlosion did just as told, turning towards the source of the sapping glow before letting out a feral cry, launching his large body off the grassy field into quite an acrobatic stunt. he crashed into Bellossom's smaller form moments later, sending the grass type soaring into the air.
"Now, finish it with Thunderpunch!"
One paw was clenched, furious with electric bolts before being slammed into the opposing Pokémon, surely giving conclusion to the hard-fought round.
Like a pressed flower bouncing upon a floor, Bellossom–fainted, battered–landed heavily before Erika's feet.
The gym leader's lips pressed together briefly before she returned her second Pokémon. "Thank you." Her expression became more serious. It was time to deal with this, severely. It was a friendly match, but her honor as a gym leader…
Well. She couldn't tarnish it. If she lost, she would have to do so knowing she gave it her all.
"Tangrowth! Ancient Power!"
She released the third Pokéball in time with her shout.
The behemoth plant assessed the situation while it was still in the air, sending out a shower of stones to quench the fires where he would land, a platform created.
That said, there was no reason not to try for two birds with one stone, as it were; he spared a few of his smaller arsenal to batter Typhlosion.
Quilava let out a little gasp.
"It's down to the wire, I guess," Dawn muttered, feeling the gathering tension within the room. Even the other girls had grown quiet.
Ash gawked, the intensity of the situation setting in. Rather than another small, fleetly Pokémon, he was faced with the impressive bulk that was Tangrowth. To top it off, they had a rock type move heading their way that spelled bad news for Typhlosion. "Typhlosion, I need you to dodge! Just start running and follow my lead!"
Still short one of his five senses, the large fiery mammal sprinted forward, making use of his admittedly impressive speed. Each call to move left, right, duck, or jump was met with surprising swiftness, leaving him just shy of being struck by the supernatural boulders. As nimble as he was, though, the attacks were getting too close for comfort. Fatigue was starting to set in, and the temporary blindness wasn't making matters any better.
"Now, use Flamethrower! Straight ahead!"
Typhlosion did just as told, spewing a remarkable fire towards Tangrowth.
Erika dared to smirk. "Ancient Power. Once more."
Unfortunately for Typhlosion, the mass of rocks blocked most of the fire from getting onto the outer layers of Tangrowth's mass. Even worse, they were headed straight for the other contender. All the while, the grass type's stats increased, something primal and battle-worthy unlocking thanks to the use of the move.
Quilava cried out, concerned.
Dawn was torn between looking away and keeping faith.
Empoleon did not have such shame and looked off, uninterested in seeing the friend of a friend get hit in the face by a freakin' boulder.
Unfortunately, the large stone flying through the air was the end for Typhlosion. Unable to properly defend itself, the fire type was struck brutally by Ancient Power, skidding across the gym floor before landing nearer to Ash's feet, unconscious.
"You were awesome, Typhlosion… Thanks a lot for all your hard work. Why don't ya rest for a while? I'll take things from here." Ash smiled down upon the unconscious Pokémon, his image fading into a red flash of light that retreated to its respective sphere.
"Alright… I'm counting on you, Meganium!"
"Ganium!" The large plant Pokémon let out a loud cry… But not before turning to ambush her trainer instead, nuzzling her head affectionately against the poor boy.
"That's… Really nice, Meganium..! But we have a match to win!" Ash had done his best to hold his ground and not be knocked over, pointing towards Tangrowth in an effort to regain the Pokémon's focus. Soon enough it returned to the battlefield, a fierce eye set on the cluster of vines.
The coordinator on the sidelines couldn't help but giggle. His Pokémon really did adore him, and it was so precious to watch.
"Grass type moves are gonna be risky against another grass type that's that strong… I guess we're gonna just have to try something else." Ash muttered to himself, thinking briefly before deciding on his next move. "Alright, Meganium, use Body Slam!"
The Herb Pokémon did just as told, stampeding across the grassy field, mindful of the boulders and ashes before launching hers large, heavy body at Tangrowth, aiming to simply overpower it.
Meanwhile, Erika examined the Meganium with a keen eye. Ash Ketchum certainly did have quite the green thumb–two grass type starters! On one person? Incredible.
If only she knew about the others.
"Poison Jab," she called out all the same.
Unfazed, Tangrowth was slammed back some, feet sizzling for a moment on the dying embers. However, while the Meganium was still close, he'd go for a brutal dig between her ribs with his poison-tipped fingers.
With her unofficial big brother out of the match, Quilava's cheers weren't as intense, but Dawn and Empoleon were rooting for Ash loudly as the gym girls pulled for their mentor.
Meganium cringed as the opposing pokémon's hand dug into her rib cage, sending an unsettling surge of venom through her system before forcing her off onto the grass below. She skidded to a halt, overall able to endure the strike. Unfortunately, the attack had left its mark. A sick shade of blue had marked the creature's face, marking her poisoned status. The toxins sapped a bit of her health, dealing out a small amount of pain, to boot.
"She's poisoned!" Ash's teeth grit together, fists clenching tightly in frustration over his Pokémon's condition. "That's no good… I guess we've gotta fix that! Meganium, use Aromatherapy!"
A pink, faint mist began leak from the beautiful petals around Meganium's neck, a sweet, refreshing scent washing over her own ailing form. Toxins began to evaporate and fade, leaving Meganium's body free of its harmful status effect.
The challenger's cheer squad let out a rancorous, glad collective hoop. The home team's section was less enthused; their own advantages were being used against them.
Erika pressed her fan to her lips, considering her moves. They would need to wear down the Meganium before going for the finishing blow, then. She knew they were capable of vine-centric moves, but her question right now was whose vines were stronger and longer? Only one way to find out.
"Power Whip."
Rocketing out of his tangled form, the Tangrowth's vine aimed to slam into the Meganium and send her reeling. A second one would following, aiming to complete the task the first started. That'd be all for now.
"Use your Vine Whip to catch Power Whip!"
Now, whose vines would be stronger was anyone's guess, but Ash wasn't afraid to find out. Meganium launched dual tendrils from the grandiose flower around her neck, each of them lashing out before wrapping around the end of Tangrowth's vine.
"Great! Now, try to reel it in! Don't hold back!"
The quadruped dug her feet into the ground, anchoring her weight before attempting to pull the vine-covered creature in with all of her might.
"Hold your ground," Erika commanded.
Her Tangrowth obeyed, two vines digging into the ruined earth and another joining the first in grappling with the Meganium's. However, if anyone were paying close attention, they'd notice Tangrowth was moving forward.
Vegetation could only measure so well against an herbivore, after all.
"If it get close again, it'll Poison Jab," Dawn muttered. She paused, fluttering her lashes. "Then… why isn't it just letting Meganium pull it in…?" This felt like a trap, either way.
"This is gonna be tougher than I thought," Ash spoke to himself aloud, only catching Pikachu's attention. "Tangrowth's really hanging in there… So much for pulling it in for a Body Slam." Watching the two pull back and forth was a good way to judge their strength, and Meganium seemed to have a slight edge. Still, that wasn't quite enough to catch the creature off-guard.
"Guess we'll have to try something else! Meganium, use Petal Dance!"
The grass type still clung strong, her pride as stake as she continued to pull on Tangrowth's singular vine. Teeth bared, the stubborn Pokémon continued to give it her all, for her sake and Ash's especially. Ash's command didn't go unheard, however, a dense flurry of energized pink petals firing at the trapped Vine Pokémon.
The blossoms rushed on, over, and finally past Tangrowth. The behemoth's own vine-body seemed to react, coiling and moving in a manner like a brood of snakes climbing over each other. It seemed weakened, the vines which had held it firmly in place recoiling from the ground, and even the singular vine which Meganium held onto going limp, allowing it to be tugged closer.
A sure smile spread across the raven-haired boy's face, his attack seemingly going off without a hitch as Tangrowth was barraged with the onslaught of petals. "Awesome. As long as we can keep this up, we'll wear them down!"
But, while Meganium was stronger, Tangrowth was older. It knew this trick. What had appeared as weakness was merely patience.
"Focus Blast," Erika called out, waving the last of the stray petals away from her breathing space.
Tangrowth's vines spread. A place which may have passed for a mouth spread wider and wider, a black abyss forming. It could have swallowed Meganium for how large it grew, its vine-wrapped body either disappearing or fusing; or perhaps it had always been one with its vines, massive by now. All the same, in the pit of darkness, a ball of white and rust colored light formed. Pure fighting energy would soon bubble up from its gut…
And Meganium would suffer for it.
"Meganium!" Unfortunately, the grass type gym leader knew better than to allow Ash's onslaught to continue. A concentrated blast of pure fighting spirit fired out of Tangrowth's core, slamming into Ash's Meganium with explosive force. Her vines retreated from the battlefield, returning back to her neck as she was thrown across the ashen garden, landing on her side.
Direct hit. The magnificent boom of the Focus Blast's collision with Meganium didn't go unnoticed—not by a long shot. Dawn recoiled, raising a hand in passive sympathy. Empoleon let out a clicking noise whilst Quilava's little ears flopped over.
"Are you, alright, Meganium? Can you still keep battling?" Ash balled a hand at his side, perhaps a little too tight. Between Poison Jab and Focus Blast, the quadruped had taken quite a bit of damage, evidenced by her several bruises and burns.
Large, wide-set legs struggled to push the grass type to her feet, trembling before taking sure stance on all fours. Meganium let out a defiant cry, a fierce gaze set on Tangrowth and Erika. "Megaaanium!"
"This root's buried deep," the gym leader hummed, pleased and impressed with Ash's Pokémon… and not just because she was a grass type. "All the same, Tangrowth, use Power Whip to bring Meganium close."
Obeying his trainer, Tangrowth aimed to use one of its massive blue vines was to wrap around Meganium's hind leg and drag her over.
"What an incredible bond," one of the new juniors murmured. "Between him and all his Pokémon."
"That's Ashley - ahem, excuse me, Ash - for you. I don't know if he's matured since then anywhere else, but he's still as crazy about Pokémon now as he was back then," another corrected. He'd been a pain in the butt for them back then, but she remembered how he'd cared about Pokémon.
Dawn grinned at the chatter. "Yeah. If nothing else, he loves them more than anything." Cupping her hands around her mouth, the coordinator shouted out more encouragement. "Heeeeey! Meganium! Keep showing off all that training! You're doing great!"
"Meganium's weight is one o' her biggest advantages… I can't let them pull that off!" Ash bared his teeth, watching as the singular vine approached the Herb Pokémon. "Meganium! Why don't ya show them your Petal Dance Counter Shield!"
The quadruped let out a piercing cry, the rosy petals around her neck unleashing a torrent of scarlet petals that spun around her body like a vicious cyclone, batting the Power Whip away with stunning ferocity, intent on protecting the host inside.
"Now, let's wrap this up! Give Tangrowth a full-on Body Slam!"
In the meantime, Dawn paused in her cheering. "… That was a pun, wasn't it?" she rhetorically asked Empoleon. She already knew the answer. He was snickering. It was a pun. An obvious one. "I can't Bayleef this." Empoleon's cackling grew louder, turning into an ugly cawing sound.
Meganium stampeded forward, seemingly making the gym floor quake with every move. Still shrouded in petals, the grass type quickly closed in on Tangrowth to make her final bid for victory.
No matter how intent the Tangrowth was—and it was very, as evidenced by the fact the original vine was joined by multiple others, all writhing before the cyclone of petals like snakes before a charmer—it simply could not press through the blossom barrier.
"Poison Jab!" Erika called out. Again, it was no use. The vines could not penetrate the petal shield. Individuals and clusters of pink blossoms withered and turned brown, but the grass type herself remained untouched. In fact, contact was not made until Meganium slammed into Tangrowth. For a moment, the huge vine tangle merely collapsed under her weight, injured, but still capable of fighting.
"Now, use Petal Dance close-up at full power!"
Ash's Pokémon did just as told. An energized flurry of natural power barraged the amalgamation of vines at point-blank range, hopefully putting an end to the match.
"Vine Whip!"
If it were not for the close range execution of Petal Dance, Meganium would have been met with a face full of rapidly fired vines. As it were, the petals danced over Tangrowth's body like bats through the mouth of a cave. The teal of its body blurred with the petals, the royal purple of the attack's execution marking victory.
And, as the blossoms disappeared, Tangrowth's eyes were nowhere to be seen. The creature had fainted, receding deep inside the shell of protective vines.
Black hues watched intently as the barrage was unleashed, fingers crossed until the verdict was made clear. A smile spread wide across the trainer's face, pride shining through his visage. "Way to go, Meganium! That was totally awesome!"
The gym leader, meanwhile, fanned herself, short hair dancing around her. "It seems I've lost," she murmured, eyes shut. She returned Tangrowth before looking over at Ash. "Congratulations."
Dawn picked up Quilava, waiting a moment before making her way over.
Empoleon, however, didn't possess such good sense.
The bluenette merely sighed. "If Ash doesn't return Meganium, Empoleon's gonna get a one way ticket aboard the green bodied express all the way to slam town, too."
Needless to say, Ash didn't possess such good sense, either. He was quick to run and congratulate his pokémon, throwing an arm around the large grass type… Only to be tackled to the petal-covered ground. Laughter escaped him as the affectionate pokémon rubbed her cheek against his, letting out happy cheers in response to his praise. To be the one to secure victory in such a hard-fought battle, she was definitely proud!
Dawn giggled as Empoleon span, blown away by Meganium's surprise burst of speed. She walked over, clapping a hand on her starter's shoulder. "It's okay, buddy. We'll get time to celebrate later."
"Ahah…! Alright, Meganium! Jeez!"
Ash soon managed to wriggle his way out, calling back Meganium. Of course, not without thanking it first. "Thanks a lot for the match, Erika! That was a lot of fun! Your grass types are tougher than I remember!" Now, he was one step closer to being prepared for the league!
The grass type gym leader grinned, fanning herself. "They always are," she insisted. Even the well-mannered princess of petals had a bit of pride. "It was a pleasure doing battle with you again, Ash. After all the bravado from your letter, I wasn't disappointed… Now, if you'll excuse me." Erika concluded, headed to the inner quarters of her gym with her gang of girls following her. It was time to rest and recover…
And, perhaps, for this group, as well.
After leaving the gym and returning all their Pokémon except Empoleon and Pikachu, our heroes enjoyed the midday sun.
"Well, you did good back there! Great, actually! Wanna grab some lunch before heading out this afternoon?" Dawn suggested. "I think I remember seeing a map back at the Pokémon Center. We should be crossing a river or something like that soon!"
"Thanks!" Ash wore a wide, victorious grin. As for lunch… Ash's stomach answered for him! "Yeah… Let's take a break for some chow. We'll need our energy! Cycling Road is the bridge over the water, and after that is the Fuschia Gym!"
Pikachu chirped up as well, eyes gleaming. "Pi-ka?!" Could they go back to that organic place? He wanted more apple chips with ketchup!
Knowing what Pikachu meant, Empoleon let out a trill caw of agreement.
"Well, these two seem to know what they want. Wanna let the Pokémon be our guides, Ash?" Dawn asked.
He paused before grinning. "Sure, why not?"
With that, Pikachu hopped down, running down the street with Empoleon trying his best to keep up. Dawn and Ash pursued them, giggling happily. After an exciting few days, they deserved a break!