Before we begin, there was one thing I didn't point out last chapter: Will and Na-Ti using a Sync Move. Even though Pokemon Masters isn't really canon, I like the idea of the trainer and their Pokemon linking their feelings together and pulling off a powerful super move. Expect me to showcase Sync Moves if the trainer in question is in Pokemon Masters. However, I will only show unique Sync Moves, not the basic Sync Impact or Sync Beam.
Now, onto the chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or the concept of Moemon.
When the gang made it to Goldenrod City, they were amazed by how big it was. "Goldenrod City looks wonderful!" Misty said.
"I can't wait to look around!" Serena exclaimed excitedly.
"Me neither!" Giselle said with equal enthusiasm.
"I don't mind looking around." Ash shrugged.
After resting their Moemon at the Moemon Center, they went to check out the Goldenrod Department Store. Brock was shopping for medicine and food. The girls were shopping for cute Moemon accessories on the third floor. Meanwhile, Ash and his younger siblings went to the fourth floor, where they saw a bunch of different-colored discs on the shelves. "What are these discs?" Glimmer asked.
"Those are Technical Machines, or TMs for short." Laby explained. "They are to help Moemon Trainers teach certain moves to their Moemon quickly."
"Thunder, Fire Blast, Blizzard... These are some powerful moves." Ash said, inspecting the TMs.
"There are some more over here." Molly said, pointing to another shelf.
"I don't think those are TMs, Molly." Ash said, noting the difference in the discs. Whereas TMs have different-colored outsides, these were all mainly black with the insides being different colors.
"I see you've taken interest in our newest items." A store clerk said, walking up to them with a smile.
"Yeah. Do you know what these are, miss?" Ash asked.
"Those were recently shipped here from the Galar region. They are called Technical Records, or TRs for short." The clerk explained. "They work a lot like TMs, in that they help instantly teach a move to a Moemon. However, they are also single-use only, so you need to think carefully which Moemon you want to teach the move to."
"Interesting. So they work like how TMs used to?" Laby asked, forming out of Ash's Moedex.
"That's correct."
Ash looked at the various TRs on display. Some were moves that surprised him, like Superpower and Leaf Storm, however, there was one that caught his interest. "Body Press?" Ash read the name of the move out loud.
"I've never heard of that move before." Es said.
"That's a recently discovered move from the Galar region, and quite an interesting one." The store clerk informed. "It's a Fighting-type move that actually grows stronger the higher the user's defense stat. It's very powerful when used by Moemon with naturally high physical defense, like Steelix for example."
Ash immediately thought of Lexi when he heard that. A move like this would be greatly beneficial to her, and the fact that it's a Fighting move is a bonus, considering the gym he's going to challenge. "I think I'd like to buy one of these." He decided.
"That'll be forty thousand Moe-dollars, please." Ash paid the store clerk the required amount and got the TR.
After the shopping was done and they exited the department store, Ash called out Lexi. He told her about the TR he bought and everything about the move in question. "Well, look no further." Lexi smirked. "Us Steelix are tied with Regirock for having the second highest base defense stat of all Moemon. You won't have a better user of Body Press than me." Ash couldn't help but chuckle at the Iron Snake's prideful attitude, and then used the TR to teach her Body Press. After using it, though, the disc shattered.
"Huh. They weren't kidding about TRs being single-use." Pia said casually.
After everyone was done with shopping, they arrived at the Goldenrod Gym, which was a plain dome building with a pink roof. Standing outside the gym was a pink-haired girl with a Munchlax by her side. The Munchlax wore a blue and yellow shirt and a blue skirt, with yellow boots. She had blue hair down to her neck and black eyes. "So, you're here, Ash Ketchum." The girl smiled. "I'm Whitney, the Gym Leader of Goldenrod City, and don't think you'll beat me as easily as you did Falkner and Bugsy."
Ash blinked. "Um... I can think of a few words to describe my battles against them but 'easy' isn't one of them." He said in reply. "They looked like they were actually trying to beat me."
"Oh, they were. They were just not good at it." Whitney winked cutely. "Our gym battle will be a full team of six, okay?"
Inside, the gym was just a plain battleground; nothing special or decorative. "The gym battle between Gym Leader Whitney and Indigo Champion Ash Ketchum will now begin!" The referee announced. "This will be a full six on six battle, and the battle will be over when all six Moemon on either side are unable to continue! Furthermore, only the challenger is allowed to switch Moemon!" He explained the rules. "Battle begin!"
"Go, Munchy!" Whitney sent out her Munchlax first.
Ash was about to send out his first, but paused and turned to the ref. "Hey, is it okay if I send someone out?" He asked. "I'm not going to use her for this battle because she's too young. She's just going to watch."
"That is acceptable." The referee nodded.
"Thanks." Ash thanked him, and then sent out Cleffy. "Hey, Cleffy, wanna watch your mother fight?"
"Yes!" Cleffy nodded, eager to see her mom battle.
"Aww~ What a cute little Cleffa~!" Whitney squealed, being a sucker for cute Moemon.
"She's the daughter of the Moemon I'm going to send out first." Ash explained, and then took out another Moe Ball. "Pixie, I choose you!" He called out Pixie.
"Let's go!" Pixie smiled, excited to battle again after a long while.
"Munchy, Metronome!" Whitney commanded.
"Uh oh..." Ash winced. "Pixie, you use Metronome too, but be careful! You never know what Metronome can do!"
"I know." Pixie said, and then waggled her finger along with along with Munchy. Their fingertips glowed, and after a while, nothing happened...aside from Munchy flopping around on the floor.
"Splash..." Whitney groaned.
"So, she got Splash..." Pixie said, frowning in confusion. "What did I get?"
"I don't know." Ash shrugged.
"...Anyway, Metronone again!" Whitney commanded.
"Leaving it up to luck, huh?" Pixie asked as Munchy waggled her finger, and then the Munchlax swung her arm around, releasing a shockwave of dark energy across the field.
"Look out!" Ash exclaimed, quickly forming a shield of Aura so that the attack wouldn't hurt his Moe-daughter.
"That attack was Brutal Swing." Laby informed. "It's a Dark-type move that hits everyone on the field, so Pixie won't take that much damage."
Just as Laby said, Pixie was relatively fine. However, she did look pissed. "You know, that could have hurt my daughter." She said in a spine-chilling tone.
"Um...I'm sorry?" Munchy squeaked, her face pale with fear.
"Oh, she's pissed." Pia said, looking a little fearful.
Pixie merely glared at her opponent. "My turn." She said coolly, her body fiercely glowing with cosmic power, which she soon into her hands.
"Wh-What's that?" Munchy asked fearfully.
"A little something I've been working on before I had my daughter." Pixie replied, focusing the energy into a ball. "Cosmic Cannon." She soon fired a powerful bright white beam of cosmic energy at Munchy, which hit her dead-on, resulting in a large explosion.
"Munchy!" Whitney cried out, fearing for her Moemon. When the smoke cleared, it was obvious to everyone that the Munchlax was unconscious.
"Munchy is unable to battle... Pixie is the winner." The referee declared, quite scared by what he just witnessed.
"And that, Molly and Glimmer, is the wrath of a mother." Es said to the two, who nodded fearfully.
"A little overkill, don't you think, Pixie?" Ash asked, chuckling awkwardly.
"Sorry." Pixie apologized, blushing sheepishly. "Motherly instinct took over."
"That was awesome, Mama!" Cleffy cheered. At least the daughter thought it was cool.
"Never mess with a mother Moemon, I guess." Whitney said as she returned Munchy. "Anyway, now my next Moemon. Go, Tuffy!" She sent out a Wigglytuff.
"This should be interesting." Pixie smirked.
"Play Rough!" Tuffy charged at Pixie, and then there was a dust cloud as the Wigglytuff punched and kicked her repeatedly.
"Meteor Mash!" Pixie's fist glowed as she punched Tuffy with the force of a meteor, knocking her back.
"Not bad." Tuffy said, standing up. "But I'm not done-" She was suddenly interrupted by a silver beam of energy striking her from above, causing an explosion.
"Tuffy!" Whitney cried out.
"What happened!?" Pixie exclaimed with surprise. Everyone was caught off-guard by the beam suddenly hitting Tuffy.
"Your first Metronone!" Ash realized. "You must've gotten a move that acts late!"
"So, like Future Sight?"
"Close." Laby answered. "That move was actually Doom Desire. An ancient move known by Jirachi that's basically the Steel-type version of Future Sight." She explained.
"An ancient Steel move." Brock winced. "Against a Fairy Moemon like Tuffy, that had to have hurt a lot." Sure enough, when the smoke cleared, Tuffy was lying on the ground, very hurt and barely conscious.
"Metronome certainly is unpredictable." Pixie chuckled awkwardly.
"Um... I think I'm gonna forfeit Tuffy." Whitney said, worried for her Moemon.
The referee nodded. "Gym Leader Whitney has forfeited Tuffy. Pixie is the winner!" He declared.
"Well, way to go, Pixie. Two in a row." Ash praised.
"Yay, Mommy!" Cleffy cheered.
"Thanks, you two." Pixie smiled.
Whitney returned Tuffy. "Well, you've defeated two of my Moemon, but you still have four left. Next is Kat!" She sent out a Delcatty as her third Moemon. She wore a yellow skirt and a yellow shirt with a violet fur collar, and she had violet hair down to her shoulders, with some hair sticking out as cat ears, and she had a cat tail growing from her back, and violet eyes.
"Why don't you come back, Pixie?" Ash asked.
"Okay." The Clefable nodded, walking off the field over to her trainer's side. Her daughter then hugged her, which she returned sweetly.
"That's adorable, nya~." Kat smiled.
"Lexi, I choose you!" Ash called out Lexi, who smirked.
"Attract!" Whitney commanded.
Ash was no fool of what that move does. "Dodge with Dig!" He quickly commanded. Lexi wasted no time burying underground to dodge the incoming hearts.
"That was close." Serena said with relief.
"Iron Defense!" Ash commanded.
Whitney was confused, wondering what Ash was having Lexi boost her defense for. 'What is he planning?' She thought.
"Now come out and use Body Press!" He commanded.
"Body Press?" His friends and Whitney asked, having not heard of the move. Lexi emerged from the ground and slammed into Kat, the force of the slam knocking her into the wall behind Whitney as she fell to the ground, undoubtedly unconscious.
"Kat is unable to battle! Lexi is the winner!" The referee declared.
Whitney was stunned that her Moemon was defeated in one hit and looked at Ash. "What was that!?" She asked.
"That was Body Press, a new move from the Galar region." Ash explained. "It's a Fighting-type move that is stronger the higher the user defense stat. And when you consider the base defense of a Steelix, and after using Iron Defense at least once..."
Whitney flinched as she connected the dots. At that point, Body Press had the force of a speeding truck and could one-hit KO any Moemon weak to Fighting without Sturdy. 'I should probably tell Jasmine this.' She thought, before finally returning Kat. "Okay. Then I'll just have to beat your Steelix before she could use that move again!" She said, taking out a Moe Ball. "And I have just the one who can do it. Go, Casey!" She sent out her fourth Moemon; a Bibarel. She wore a brown dress with a tan front and dark brown sleeves, with curly brown hair down her back and hazel eyes.
"A Bibarel?" Pia asked, blinking.
"Bibarel are Water types, so she has an advantage over Lexi." Misty commented on the current matchup. "But if she gets hit with Body Press even once, she's pretty much done for."
"A Water type?" Lexi asked, smirking. "I'll just beat you like that Delcatty! Thunder Fang!" Her mouth sparked with electricity as she charged at Casey to bite her.
"Dodge, then use Super Fang!" Whitney commanded. Casey dodged Lexi's lunged and then bit into her with her own teeth.
"Agh!" Lexi cried out in pain, shaking Casey off of her and then glaring at her. "You little... Stone Edge!" She punched the ground hard, sending a chain of glowing blue stone pillars rising from the ground at Casey, but the Bibarel dodged with a surprising show of speed and countered with Ice Beam. "How are you so fast!?" Lexi shouted.
"Because of my ability, of course." Casey smiled.
"Your ability?"
"Yep. Moody."
Ash, Pixie and Lexi immediately paled. "Oh no..." They said weakly in unison.
"...What does Moody do?" Molly asked, a little worried about how frightened her brother looks.
"It's an ability that'll sharply raise one of Casey stats, but lowers a different stat every few seconds, and it's random each time." Brock explained, frowning. "Depending on how the battle plays out, this could turn out very badly for Ash."
Ash, now worried about Casey's stat boosts, picked up his Moedex. "Laby, can you keep track of Casey stat changes?" He asked.
"I can tell you what her stats are at the current moment." Laby said. "Her speed is currently doubled, and the current Moody boost made her tougher against physical attacks," she informed, "however, she's slightly weaker against special attacks, and her moves are slightly inaccurate."
Ash nodded. "Lexi, Dragon Pulse!" He commanded. Lexi nodded and fired an indigo pulse of draconic energy at Casey, who quickly dodged and countered with Water Pulse. The Steelix dodged the attack, but the sphere of water suddenly took a sharp turn and hit her from behind, getting a surprised cry from her.
"...Well, that's unfortunate." Laby sighed. "She just got the accuracy boost in exchange for her speed being lowered."
"You gotta be kidding me!" Lexi growled.
"I can see now why this is worrisome." Wendy said worriedly. "This is starting to get out of hand."
"Blizzard!" Casey breathed out a miniature blizzard at Lexi, who quickly used Protect to block, but noticed the sudden boost in power halfway.
"Her special attacks are now more powerful." Laby informed. "Her speed is back to normal, thankfully."
"That's it! Eat Body Press!" Lexi shouted, charging at Casey, ready to take her out in one hit...only to somehow phase through her, shocking everyone but a smirking Whitney.
"Aaand there's the evasion boost." Laby groaned. "But, she is weaker to special attacks."
"Use Scald!" Whitney commanded. Casey smiled and fired boiling hot water at Lexi, knocking her unconscious.
"Lexi is unable to battle! Casey is the winner!" The referee declared.
"And people wonder why Moody is banned from competitive battling." Misty said matter-of-factly.
"You did good, Lexi." Ash praised, returning Lexi.
"I told you, Ash. Beating me is not gonna be easy." Whitney smirked. "So, who are you gonna send out to battle Casey next?"
Ash frowned, putting some thought into it. "Laby, how are Casey's stats like?" He asked.
"Now or in two minutes?" Laby asked. "Because pretty soon, she's gonna have boosts in everything."
"Let's go with now."
"Defense, special attack and evasion are up two stages, accuracy is up one stage, and special defense is down two stages." Laby listed the current stat changes. "If you use a special attack, you can defeat her, but that's if it even lands."
"Right." Ash nodded, taking it into consideration, before pulling out a Moe Ball. "Rio, I choose you!" He called out Rio.
"My first gym battle." Rio said seriously, taking a battle stance. "I will not let you down, Ash!"
"Thunder!" Casey fired a blast of electricity at Rio, who was able to dodge despite the accuracy boost.
"Her attack was just boosted, while her special defense was lowered further." Laby informed.
Ash nodded. "Rio, Aura Sphere!" He commanded. Rio formed an azure sphere of Aura in her hands and fired it Casey, which she dodged.
"You missed!" Casey taunted.
"Did I really?" Rio asked, smirking, and then the Aura Sphere did a U-turn and struck Casey from behind, not only catching her off-guard, but knocking her unconscious.
"Casey is unable to battle! Rio is the winner!" The referee declared.
"Way to go, Laura!" Ash praised happily.
"Thank you, Ash." Rio smiled.
"Good thing Aura Sphere is a move that hardly ever misses." Laby said thankfully. "Otherwise, things would've gotten pretty messy."
"Good work, Casey." Whitney praised, returning Casey. "Not bad, Ash. Not many have a way to beat Casey after she gets an evasion boost or two." She complimented. "But don't think you've won yet. Go, Millie!" She sent out a Miltank, who smiled warmly. She wore black shorts and a pink shirt with a tan stripe down the center. The shirt left room for her massive cleavage, with a black ring lining it. She had bright blue eyes, a tail coming out of her butt, and black hair down her back, with cow ears and horns growing out of her hair.
"Come back for now, Rio." Ash said, returning Rio for later. He then took out the GS Ball.
"Looks like he's going to use Sakuya now." Pia said, smiling.
"Sakuya, I choose you!" He called out Sakuya.
"Alright!" Sakuya cheered excitedly. "Finally, my first battle!"
'Good thing Bugsy warned me that I would be facing his Celebi.' Whitney thought. "Okay Millie, use Ice Beam!" She commanded. Millie fired a freezing beam at Sakuya, who flew into the air to dodge.
"Energy Ball!" Sakuya formed a sphere of grass energy and fired it at Millie, who just stood there and let it hit, causing an explosion.
"Direct hit!" Molly cheered. Pia and Es frowned, however. Moemon don't simply let attacks hit them without reason. Then all of a sudden, Millie came out of the smoke in a Rollout, slamming into Sakuya hard.
"Agh!" Sakuya cried out in pain as she was sent flying into the wall.
"Sakuya!" Ash cried out worriedly.
"What happened!?" Glimmer asked with shock. "Did Sakuya's attack not do anything!?"
"Protect!" Ash quickly commanded, seeing Millie charging at Sakuya a second time. Sakuya quickly formed a protection barrier without question. Millie slammed into the barrier and was knocked back, her Rollout coming to a halt. This gave Ash time to think. 'Why didn't Energy Ball do anything? Is Whitney's Miltank that tough? Or...' He gasped as he realized the problem. "Sakuya, don't use anymore Grass moves! Millie has Sap Sipper!"
"Sap Sipper!?" Sakuya gasped.
"What does Sap Sipper do?" Molly asked.
"It boosts the Moemon's attack power if they get hit by a Grass-type move." Brock explained.
"So using Energy Ball only made her opponent stronger." Kyuubei frowned.
"Millie, use Fire Punch!" Whitney commanded. Millie ignited her fist in flames and punched Sakuya, who quickly stopped her with Psychic, and then sent her flying into the air and followed up with Shock Wave, but Millie blocked with Iron Tail.
"Sakuya, Future Sight!" Ash commanded via telepathy.
"Right." Sakuya replied, and then her eyes glowed as she activated Future Sight.
"Stomp!" Millie ran at Sakuya to Stomp on her, but the Celebi jumped back to dodge the attack, and then he used Calm Mind to boost her special power before firing a Psychic pulse, knocking her back.
"Not bad." Millie said as she stood up, before firing a Shadow Ball at Sakuya, who countered with her own, causing an explosion.
"Millie, let's show 'em!" Whitney exclaimed. Just then, a plain white aura surrounded her and Millie.
"That aura...!" Es gasped. "The color is different, but it's similar to the one that Will Na-Ti had back at Len Town!"
"Sakuya, look out!" Ash exclaimed, worried about what was gonna come.
"The two of us are all kinds of strong!" Whitney and Millie exclaimed in perfect unison. "Supercute Rolling Tackle!" Pink energy surrounded Millie as she rolled into a ball and charged at Sakuya, tackling hard into her with an explosion of smoke and pink hearts, causing her to scream in pain.
"Sakuya!" Ash cried out.
"Oh no!" Glimmer cried out, worried about the Mythical Moemon. Millie had bounced back to Whitney's side as the smoke cleared, revealing Sakuya on the ground, heavily injured.
"That hurt..." Sakuya groaned, struggling to stand.
'Sakuya took a lot of damage from that attack.' Ash thought grimly. 'However, Future Sight should be striking about now.' He decided to take the risk. "Sakuya, Recover!"
"Oh, no you don't! Finish it, Millie!" Whitney exclaimed. Before Millie could do anything, however, Future Sight struck, the white bolt of energy striking her and making her cry out in pain. "Millie!" Whitney cried out, shocked by the sudden attack.
"Future Sight!" Misty exclaimed, also surprised by the sudden attack.
"Ash must've told Sakuya to use that move via telepathy." Es said, smiling.
The sudden strike had dealt great damage to Millie, and it allowed Sakuya to heal herself with Recover. "Now's our chance, Sakuya!" Ash exclaimed. "Use Aura Sphere!"
'Ash taught Sakuya Aura Sphere!?' His friends all thought with surprise. The Celebi focused her Aura into an azure sphere and fired it at Millie, knocking her unconscious.
"Millie is unable to battle! Sakuya is the winner!" The referee declared.
"I win!" Sakuya cheered happily, fist pumping the air.
"Great work, Sakuya!" Ash praised.
"I'm starting to not like moves that act late." Whitney grumbled as she returned Millie. "Well, I'm down to my last Moemon, but I'm not giving up! Go, Cream!" She sent out her final Moemon; a Lopunny. She wore a brown leotard that revealed some of her cleavage, along with brown elbow-length gloves with puffy cream-coloered wristbands, and cream-colored boots. She had long brown hair down her back, with two long brown and cream rabbit ears sticking out of her head, pink eyes, and a rabbit tail sticking out of her butt. She also wore a necklace that was very familiar to Ash at this point.
"So I'm facing a Mega Lopunny, huh?" Ash asked.
"Yep." Whitney smirked, revealing her Mega Earring in a cutesy fashion. She tapped on the Key Stone, and it began glowing a rainbow light as Cream's Lopunnite reacted to it. "Time to show our true power! Cream, Mega Evolve!"
Cream began glowing the orange-purple of Mega Evolution, and when it faded, she was now a Mega Lopunny. She wore a dark brown bunny outfit, with chocolate brown leggings that had a few tears in them, and cream-colored combat gloves and boots. Her hair was cut short, now ending at her shoulders and held back by a cream-colored butterfly headband, and her rabbit ears were now a bit longer, with two puffy cream-colored braids on each ear. She had pink eyes, a rabbit tail sticking out of her butt, and an expression that showed she was ready to fight.
"Cool!" Molly and Glimmer both said in awe.
"Interesting." Ash said. "Sakuya, Baton Pass!" He commanded.
"Okay." Sakuya nodded, forming a baton made of energy and tossing it into the air, and then she returned to her Moe Ball.
"Rio, I choose you!" Ash called Rio back out. The Lucario saw the baton falling down to her and caught it, taking the stat boosts that Sakuya passed over.
"So my next opponent is a Mega Evolution." Rio said, calmly regarding her opponent.
"Yeah, so we're gonna answer in kind." Ash said, holding up the hand with his Key Stone.
Rio smirked. "Let's do this."
Ash tapped on his Key Stone, which began glowing a rainbow light as Rio's Lucarionite reacted to it. "Let our Auras combine and exceed all expectations!" He chanted. "Rio, Mega Evolve!"
Rio's Aura flared, increasing in power and density until it covered her entire body in an azure pillar. After a few seconds, red eyes glowed from within the pillar before it burst apart, waves of Aura washing over the entire building, forcing everyone to brace themselves as her Mega-Evolved Form was revealed. Her yellow shirt was torn, and her jeans were blue, black and red. Her gloves had turned blue, black and red, and her hair reached down to her waist, and ended in red tips, with her eyes being bright red.
"That felt really powerful." Cream said, smirking. "This'll be fun. Fake Out!" She quickly ran at Rio and palmed her in the face, making her flinch back, and then quickly followed up with Sky Uppercut, sending her flying into the air.
"Flash Cannon!" Ash commanded. Rio quickly recovered and fired a blast of metallic light at Cream, who jumped back to dodge, but there was a powerful explosion from where the attack hit, shocking everybody.
"That looked stronger than normal, and not just because of the Calm Mind boost." Ash said, surprised by the amount of power the move had. "Laby, what's Rio's ability right now?"
"Mega Lucario have Adaptability for their ability, so their Fighting and Steel moves are much stronger." Laby informed. "On a side note, Mega Lopunny become Normal/Fighting types, and their ability becomes Scrappy, allowing them to hit Ghost Moemon with Normal and Fighting moves."
Ash nodded, taking in the info. "Rio, Aura Sphere!" He commanded. Rio formed an azure sphere of Aura and fired it at Cream.
"I don't think so!" Cream smirked, her body glowing an odd pink as the Aura Sphere made contact.
Ash's eyes widened as he immediately recognized the move. "Mirror Coat! Rio, quick, use Protect!" Rio formed the protection barrier without a second thought, shielding herself from her own attack, but the force of the attack, made her lose balance and fall over.
"High Jump Kick now!" Whitney commanded. Cream jumped high into the air and came down at Rio, holding her leg out for a drop kick, but Rio recovered quick enough to dodge to the side and counter with Blaze Kick, knocking her back.
"Damn it!" Cream growled.
"Watch your language! There are kids here!" Pixie scolded.
"Sorry!" Cream apologized. "Anyway, Fire Punch!" She ignited her fist in flames and punched Rio, who tilted her body to the sides to dodge the punches. Dodging another punch, the Aura Moemon quickly retaliated with Force Palm, damaging Cream greatly and knocking her back.
"Focus Punch!" Both trainers commanded. The two Mega-Evolved Moemon concentrated her power into their fists and punched each other, their fists colliding and resulting in a shockwave of sheer power as they were locked in a power struggle.
"Now Rio!" Ash shouted.
"What!?" Whitney gasped.
Rio smirked, charging an Aura Sphere in her free hand and firing it at point-blank, resulting in a powerful explosion that knocked both Moemon back, but while Rio easily recovered and landed on her feet inches from her trainer, Cream had flown into the wall, before falling unconscious and reverting back to normal.
"Cream is unable to battle! Rio is the winner!" The referee declared. "The victor of this gym battle is Ash Ketchum!"
Rio reverted back to normal as Ash ran up to her and gave her a fist pump. "You were awesome, Rio." He praised her.
Whitney returned Cream and walked up to Ash. "Well Ash, that was a very fun battle." She said. "I am proud to present you the Plain Badge for your victory." She handed Ash a yellow badge in the shape of a plain diamond.
Ash took his third badge. "Thanks Whitney, and uh...sorry for wrecking parts of your gym." He said, chuckling nervously with his apology. There were two craters on the floor from Pixie's Cosmic Cannon and Rio's Flash Cannon, and there was a Delcatty-shaped dent on the wall from went Lexi knocked Kat into it with Body Press.
"It's alright. These things happen from time to time." Whitney shrugged.
"That was awesome, big brother!" Molly cheered. "Are gym battles usually this exciting!?"
Ash smiled. "Sure are. And there are more to come."
With the gym battle over, the gang left the Goldenrod City Gym.
After a tough battle with Whitney and Ash obtaining his third badge, the crew were at the Moemon Center, giving the Moemon who fought a good rest. "Man, that battle against Whitney was something." Ash said.
"The beginning of the battle seemed easy," Pia said, "but things got really tough in the latter half."
"Yeah, but that's what makes Moemon Battles so fun." Ash grinned. "You never know what could happen."
"You were amazing, big brother." Molly smiled.
Of course he's amazing." Tomo smiled. "Big bro's one of the strongest people I know."
Ash chuckled. "Thanks, guys."
"I'm curious. Which of Whitney's Moemon would you say was her toughest." Glimmer asked.
Ash put some thought into it before answering. "Her Miltank. She was really strong."
"I would have to agree." Pia nodded. "She almost defeated Sakuya."
"I'm happy you think so." They heard a familiar voice say as they saw Whitney.
"Hey, Whitney." Serena greeted. "Didn't expect you see you."
"I came to see how the Moemon were doing after yesterday's battle." Whitney said.
"Well, we're giving them some rest, and then we plan to sightsee a little more before heading off." Ash told her.
Whitney smiled. "In that case, why don't you come with me?" She suggested. "I have a special place to show you."
They followed her, wondering where she was taking them until she explained what it was. "A Dairy?" Ash said.
"Yep. It belongs to my Uncle Milton. It's a Miltank Dairy." Whitney explained. "There are Miltank Dairies around the hills of Goldenrod and my uncle is the best. The Miltank cream is so delicious, that it can make Moemon feel a bit stronger."
They then see a farm with Miltank around every corner. "Whoa! There must be a million Miltank!" Brock exclaimed with surprise.
'Whitney must've gotten her Miltank here.' Ash thought.
Whitney soon noticed an old man wearing a cow-polk. "Oh, there he is. Hi Uncle Milton! I brought some friends!" She called out.
"Morning Whitney!" Uncle Milton waved.
After they greeted him, Milton offered them some milk, straight from a Miltank. All of them, including Laby, reached forward and grabbed a glass, and when they drank the milk, they had ecstatic looks on their faces.
"This is so great!"
"I've never had milk so delicious!"
"I gotta have more of this!"
"More please!"
Whitney and her uncle smiled, seeing that the milk is a success.
Sitting down, Molly was finishing her second glass while Tomo was on his third. "You guys had enough?" Ash joked.
"Are you kidding!?" The two younger siblings responded.
"This milk is tasty, Papa!" Cleffy said happily after finishing her milk
"I've had my share of food produced by Moemon, but this stuff is a whole different category!" Brock said, amazed by how good the milk was.
"I'm so glad I get to be out again after a hundred years!" Sakuya smiled, gulping down another glass. "This stuff is incredible!"
Whitney blinked at that. "Um, what did she mean by that?" She asked, clearly confused.
Ash had a mental debate with his Psychic Moemon about whether or not he should tell Whitney and her uncle. After deciding they were trustworthy, he showed them the GS Ball. "Sakuya's been trapped in this GS Ball ever since someone caught her with it a hundred years ago." He explained. "It was eventually found by Professor Ivy in the Orange Islands, but she and her assistants couldn't open it."
Whitney couldn't believe that a Moemon was trapped in their Moe Ball for a hundred years. "Couldn't she get out using the inside lock?" Uncle Milton asked.
"No, I couldn't. The GS Ball was purposefully created without one." Sakuya replied. "Whoever caught me originally wanted to make sure that I couldn't escape." Whitney and her uncle didn't like that the Moe Ball was made with such cruel intent.
"So, how are you able to let her out?" Whitney asked Ash.
"The GS Ball was created using the Rainbow Wing of Ho-oh, and the Silver Wing of Lugia." Ash explained. "Only those who have both feathers in their possession can open the GS Ball and let out Sakuya."
"And you have a Ho-oh and a Lugia." Whitney stated. She, like everyone who's seen the Indigo League, knows that Ash had a Ho-oh, and she heard from Falkner that Ash had a Lugia.
"Well, I know that Sakuya is safe in your hands." Uncle Milton said.
The Mythical Moemon smiled warmly. "Of course. He's the best trainer I could've asked for."
"How's everyone doing?" Millie asked as she walked in. Whitney had let her out to play with the other Miltank.
"Doing okay, Millie." Whitney answered. "How are the other Miltank?"
Millie sighed. "Mostly fine, aside from that stubborn one."
"Stubborn one?" Ash asked, sounding confused.
Whitney sighed. "There's a Miltank here that's different from the others. She hates giving milk and prefers to be alone." She explained. "No matter what Uncle Milton and I do, nothing seems to change her mood."
Ash thought about the situation. From what he understood, Miltank are normally docile and like to give their milk to other people, so they help out at Moemon Ranches. But for her to not want to give any milk...
Looking at Millie for a moment, he gave a nod. "I think I know what the problem is."
"Really? What do you think?" Whitney asked.
"I think she's actually like Millie."
His answered the Moemon. "Like me?" Millie asked.
Whitney smacked her head. "Of course! How could I forget!?" She exclaimed. "Millie was also like this when we first got her. She refused to give her milk and always stayed away from the herd. It was when I decided to train at the ranch one time that I realized she was actually more interested in Moemon Battles, because she wanted to take part as well and even battle some of my Moemon."
Millie giggled reminiscently. "Oh yeah, I remember. I was quite the stubborn cow."
"Well, if she's like Millie, then I've got no use for her in the ranch." Uncle Milton said. "Perhaps you could try to catch her, Ash?"
"Sure." Ash agreed to the suggestion. After seeing Millie in battle, it would be nice to have a Miltank of his own.
Whitney and Millie led Ash over to where the stubborn Miltank was. She was a small distance away from the herd, laying down with a bored expression as if she didn't have a care in the world. She had heard them coming, but didn't even bother turning to look at them. "What do you want?" She asked.
"Miltank, we want to ask you something." Whitney said.
"I told you, I'm not giving you my milk." Miltank said in a bored tone that held a bit of irritation. "Leave me alone."
Whitney wasn't fazed by her words, having heard them a lot, and instead asked her question. "Are you actually interested in Moemon Battles?"
That made Miltank pause, before she turned her head to look at them, now noticing that the third person was someone she didn't recognize. "Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"
"Ash here thought that you might be like me, and that you're more interested in battling other Moemon than helping on the ranch." Millie explained, pointing to the capped boy.
The wild Miltank was actually surprised that he figured that out despite not meeting her. Thinking that things might get interesting, she turned to them and sat up straight. "Well, he's right." She confirmed. "I don't want to spend my life giving my milk to random people. I want to fight, and prove my strength."
Whitney smiled, happy to have finally figured out the problem. "In that case, the only thing that we can do is find you a trainer."
Miltank thought about it. "While I'm not against, I won't go with just any trainer." She gave her thoughts.
"That's why we brought Ash." Whitney said. "He's a super strong trainer, so he'll be a suitable trainer for you."
Miltank gave Ash a judging glance. "You do give the feel of a strong trainer." She said, before standing up with a smirk on her face. "However, you'll have to beat me first before I'll let you catch me."
Ash smirked back. "I was expecting you to say that. I accept your challenge, Miltank!"
Ash and Miltank got into position and prepared for their battle. "Elly, I choose you!" Ash called out Elly.
"Ooh! She must be one of those Galar Moemon!" Whitney said excitedly, having not seen one before.
"Rollout!" Miltank started the fight by rolling right at Elly.
"Iron Defense, then counter with Strength!" Ash commanded. Elly solidified her body with steel energy, allowing her to take the Rollout without even budging, and then grabbed Miltank and flung her into the air. Waiting for her to fall back down, she then focused her leg strength and kicked her with High Horsepower, sending her flying a few feet.
"That had to hurt." Millie winced.
"Iron Head!" Elly's head glowed with steel energy as she charged at Miltank headfirst while she was down. Unfortunately, the Milk Cow Moemon recovered faster than she thought and rolled out of the way of the attack countered with Fire Punch, knocking her to the ground.
"Elly, are you okay?" Ash asked.
"I'm fine." Elly assured, standing up.
"Surf!" Water formed in Miltank's hand as she palmed the ground, forming a large wave, which she rode on, that headed towards Elly, but the Cufant countered by using Power Whip, hitting the wave with enough force to destroy it and cause Miltank to fall to the ground. Not wanting to miss her chance this time, Elly charged forward in another Iron Head, this time hitting Miltank directly and knocking her unconscious.
"I won!" Elly cheered.
"Way to go, Elly!" Ash praised her, and then she suddenly glowed a bright light and evolved. "Wow! You evolved, too!"
"Yep." Elly smiled as she stood in her new form. "I'm a Copperajah now."
As a Copperajah, Elly now wore a metallic green with a teal middle and long sleeves that ended in copper orange outlines, and metallic green pants that also ended in copper orange outlines. She also wore a metallic green helmet helmet that held back her metallic green and copper orange hair, the helmet having two bumps on the top as well as tusks on the sides, and she had black eyes.
"Copperajah, huh?" Ash repeated the name of her evolved form. "Laby?"
"On it." Laby said, bringing up a digital screen that showed Elly's updated data.
Moemon: Copperajah
Name: Elly
Species: Copperderm Moemon
Type: Steel
Current Level: 51
Scarcity: Rare
Ability: Heavy Metal
Height: 6'00"
Weight: 150lbs
Cup Size: C
Weaknesses: Fire, Fighting, Ground
Resistances: Steel, Normal, Grass, Flying, Bug, Rock, Psychic, Ice, Dragon, Fairy
Immunities: Poison
Known Moves: Iron Defense, Power Whip, Iron Head, Rock Slide, Bulldoze, Stomp, Dig, Strength, High Horsepower, Heavy Slam, Play Rough
Evolves Into: None
Evolves From: Cufant
Info: Copperajah are very powerful Moemon. They have incredible grip strength, strong enough to crush giant rocks into powder, and it's due to that same strength that they are very powerful battlers. Due to having worked together with humans a long time ago, they are loyal to their masters, and are quite friendly to humans they are on good terms with. They also have very tight pussies compared to some Steel-types Moemon, and they are slightly more resilient to water.
"Cool." Ash smiled. He then walked over to Miltank and used his Aura to help her recover.
"Thank you." Miltank thanked him.
"That was a good battle, you two." Whitney said. "And congratulations on your evolutiuon, Elly."
"Are you satisfied now that you've let loose?" Millie asked the wild Miltank.
"Yes, I am." Miltank gave a satisfied smile, and then looked at Ash. "Now, as per our agreement, I shall join you as your Moemon."
Ash nodded. "Welcome to the group." He said as he took out a Moe Ball, capturing Miltank with it, before sending her back out.
"It's going to be fun training with you." Elly said to the newest team member with a smile.
"Yes, it will." Miltank agreed, and then turned to Ash. "So, what will my name be, Master?"
"How about Minfilia?" Ash suggested.
"Minfilia sounds acceptable." Miltank, now named Minfilia, accepted her name. Everyone then saw the digital screen Laby set up switch to Minfilia's data.
Moemon: Miltank
Name: Minfilia
Species: Milk Cow Moemon
Type: Normal
Current Level: 50
Scarcity: Rare
Ability: Scrappy
Height: 5'08"
Weight: 112.5lbs
Cup Size: G
Weaknesses: Fighting
Resistances: None
Immunities: Ghost
Known Moves: Dizzy Punch, Helping Hand, Seismic Toss, Tackle, Defense Curl, Stomp, Milk Drink, Rollout, Body Slam, Zen Headbutt, Heal Bell, Fire Punch, Surf
Evolves Into: None
Evolves From: None
Info: Miltank are known to have the largest breasts of all Moemon, and they also lactate. Their sweet breast milk are loved by children and adults of all ages, and farmers extract their milk to sell world-wide. They are normally pacifists, but they are also strong battlers and very passionate sex partners. It is said that kids who drink Miltank's milk grow up to be hearty, healthy adults.
"Nice catch, Ash." Whitney said. "I know you'll do a great job raising Minfilia."
As the sun was setting, the gang were now leaving the Miltank farm. "Thanks for having us over, Whitney." Ash thanked her for allowing their visit.
"And thanks again for the jug of Miltank Milk." Tomo gave his thanks, having enjoyed the milk.
"Anytime." Uncle Milton smiled. "You kids are always welcome here if you ever have a craving for more."
"So, Ash, now that you've got your third badge, got a plan where you're heading to?" Whitney asked.
"I was planning on heading to Ecruteak City." Ash replied.
The Normal Gym Leader smiled. "Well, I have a friend over in Ecruteak. He's the Gym Leader, and he makes a hobby of researching Legendary Moemon." She told him. "He knows that you have a Ho-oh, and he's really excited to meet you."
"I see." Ash smiled. His next gym battle is gonna be interesting.
It was currently morning as Ash and co. were having a peaceful breakfast, until a man wearing a red jacket and sunglasses came over to their table. "Excuse me, young man." He politely said, getting their attention. "Are you Ash Ketchum?"
"Yeah." Ash confirmed.
The man smiled. "Excellent. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm the producer of MoeTalk radio." He introduced himself.
Brock's eyebrows widened. "I know that show! That's the one where DJ Mary interviews Moemon Trainers!"
"Yes, that's the one, and I was wondering if your friend here is okay with an interview."
Ash looked at Pia and Es, who both shrugged. "Had to happen sometime." Es said.
Ash had to admit she was right. With his reputation, he was kinda due for an interview. "I guess it's fine." He said to the producer, agreeing to the interview.
The producer led Ash, Pia and Es to the Goldenrod Radio Tower, where Ash would have his interview with DJ Mary. "Okay, Mr. Ketchum." Mary began.
Ash chuckled. "Please, Mr. Ketchum sounds way too serious. Call me Ash."
"Okay." Mary nodded. "Right. Ash, we've got a few questions for you put together. We were wondering if you'd be able to answer them for us."
"How many are we talking about?"
"About half a dozen." Mary estimated. "Okay, first of all...why are you still doing the gym challenges? Given you won the Indigo League, I mean."
Ash shrugged. "I guess.. I enjoy travelling. And meeting more Moemon, too. I mean, Pia, Es and all the other Moemon I already have are great." The two Moemon nodded firmly. "But just in my time in Johto so far, I've already met several more Moemon who are great friends, like my Totodile, Keiko, and my Dunsparce, Parsee. Just because I've already won the Indigo League doesn't mean I don't want to keep adventuring and catch more Moemon."
"A good point." Mary agreed. "Most of us never win any Leagues, of course, so we forget that." She chuckled. "Since we're on the topic of your Moemon, which of the two is your starter? There are many that say your Pikachu is your starter, while others say your starter is your Espeon."
"I'm his starter." Pia answered for Ash. "Es is the very first Moemon that he caught since starting his journey, so the two of us are very close in terms of power."
"That's another one of our questions, actually." Mary quipped. "How do you raise your Moemon? What did you do to allow Pia to be able to beat a Legendary Moemon?"
Ash chuckled. "With Pia, she's actually very special. Her electricity is stronger than her evolved form, Raichu, and because her mother was an Alolan Raichu, she was born with psychic powers, which had awakened early. Since then, I've been working on training Pia to master her electricity and psychic powers. I had also taught her moves that help cover her weak points."
"So, teach Moemon moves that cover their weak points, but also work on their strong points?" Mary summarized.
"Pretty much." Ash nodded. "But know that while a method of training will work for one Moemon, it won't work for every Moemon. Each Moemon has their own strengths and weaknesses that they need to work on. I guess just... be their friend, help them device a training method that will work for them, and everything else works from there."
"Impressive." Mary observed. "So you just think trainers should be friends with their Moemon?"
"Pretty much." Ash agreed.
"A good tip for aspiring trainers. Next question - what's your favorite Moemon type?"
"Think carefully..." Pia and Es said in unison, giggling.
Ash blinked. "That's a tricky one." He admitted. After think about it for several seconds, he frowned. "I don't I've really got a type I prefer, but there is a type I seem to have a lot of - Flying types."
"Flying is actually your most common type amongst all your current Moemon at 14." Laby spoke from the Moedex. "Second place is a tie between Water and Normal at 11."
"Interesting." Ash mused, before shrugging. "That doesn't really mean much, though. I've only got, what, three electric types? And Pia's one of the best Moemon in the world."
The Pikachu pouted. "Only one of? I'm offended, I tell you. Offended."
"You know what he means, Pia." Es chuckled. Ash had also chuckled a bit.
Mary giggled also. "Right, well, next question about Moemon, and this is the one we're most curious about. How is it that you have so many Legendaries?"
Ash sighed. He knew that question was coming. "Well, some of them I had to earn their approval before they decided to join me, some I had helped and they joined me as a token of gratitude, and others had joined me after I became their friend."
Mary nodded. "That's right. You had said during the Indigo League that you had saved your Zapdos from a poacher, and we saw you capture Moltres at the Indigo League opening ceremony." She said. "However, we are curious as to how exactly you met your Legendary Moemon?"
Ash closed his eyes. "I may have to go in chronological order." He took a deep breath before starting. "Okay, so first is my Ho-oh, Hourai. She's the very first Legendary I had ever caught. Believe it or not, I've actually had her since the very beginning of my Moemon Journey."
"Seriously!?" Mary gaped.
Hourai decided that now was a good time to come out of her Moe Ball. "It's true. I've been his Moemon since Day 1." She confirmed.
"People say that seeing a Ho-oh when you begin your adventure is a sign of good luck. Imagine one swooping down in front of you and saying that they are willing to join your team." He said, shaking his head with a chuckle. "Honestly, it's an event that still surprises me to this day."
"Same." Pia and Es agreed.
Hourai giggled.
"It certainly sounds like a humbling experience." Mary couldn't help but agree.
Ash nodded. "Yeah. Anyway, the next two are my Mew, Mea, and my Zygarde, Seira. I met those two around the same time when my friends and I were catching new Moemon at the Safari Zone. Mea was first, and..." He sighed. "Let's just say that she wanted to stay with me so badly, she caught herself."
"She really was acting like a little kid." Pia sighed.
Mary didn't know what to say to that. "Okay... And Seira?"
"Hers was a test of courage." Ash said. "She fired Dragon Pulses at my feet that had barely missed, but the point was to see if I would run away or hide behind my Moemon for safety. However, I had held my ground the entire time, and she let me catch her after giving me her approval."
Mary's eyes were wide. "Wow... Most people would surely run if a Legendary Moemon was attacking them."
"Ash isn't really a normal human." Hourai smiled.
"Well, that's a question for later. Anyway, who's next?"
"My Zapdos, Inabikari, followed by my Moltres, Mokou. You already know about how I met them." Ash said, getting a nod from Mary. "The next three all joined me in one day - my Lugia, Maelstrom, by Tapu Koko, Tokiko, and my Celebi, Sakuya."
Mary's eyes widened again. "Oh my, three at once! That must've been quite a day for you."
"It honestly was." Ash frowned, thinking back to that day. "Do you remember when the weather was all out of control?"
Mary nodded. "I'm sure everyone who's watched the news that day remembers. Professor Oak said that it was due to the harmony between the Bird Trio there being disturbed."
"That's correct. That was due to a man named Lawrence III trying to capture them to add to his 'collection'." Hourai said, disgusted at that man's mindset. "In order to stop the world from ending, Ash had to collect the treasures from Fire Island, Lighting Island and Ice Island and bring them to the shrine on Shamouti, so that the priestess could play the song to tame the Beast of the Sea."
"Tokiko and her sisters, the other Tapus of the Orange Islands, helped as well, along with Mal." Ash said. "After everything was settled, Tokiko and Mal joined me as my Moemon. Tokiko's sisters had also found trainers, but I won't spoil who."
Mary was honestly surprised about hearing what happened at Shamouti in greater detail. "I see. Although, where does Sakuya fit in this?"
"Before I explain that, do you all know about how the original Tin Tower burned down?" Ash asked.
"Yes, it was destroyed by a lightning strike a hundred years ago."
"Well, there's actually more to the story than that." Hourai said, frowning as she begun explaining. "Back then, an evil man stole the Rainbow and Silver Wings from the Ecruteak City Gym and used them to forge a special Moe Ball. He then used that Moe Ball to capture a Celebi, and used her power to bring the destruction of the original Tin Tower."
Mary was shocked by this. "That's...don't tell me. That captured Celebi was Sakuya!?"
"Yes, she was." Ash confirmed. "What's worse is that she couldn't escape due to the special Moe Ball, now dubbed GS Ball, being purposefully made with an inside lock. For those of you who don't know, Moe Balls are made with two locks - an outside lock for the trainer to send out their Moemon, and an inside lock for the Moemon to let themselves out if they wish."
"I take it you had visited Kurt." Mary guessed. "So then, how did you come into possession of her?"
"The man had lost Sakuya's Moe Ball due to a vicious storm." Ash explained. "It was found by Professor Ivy a few months ago, but she couldn't let Sakuya out due to the GS Ball requiring someone having both Wings, which serve as a joint key to unlock the GS Ball."
"I see." Mary said, nodding in understanding. "You already had the Rainbow Wing since you caught Hourai, and with getting the Silver Wing from Maelstrom, you were able to let out Sakuya."
Ash let Sakuya out of the GS Ball, who began floating in the air. "That's right, but we're currently finding a way to free her from the GS Ball." He looked at the Moe Ball and tightened his grip on it. "It feels like a prison to her, and I don't like that at all."
Mary smiled. "You really do care about your Moemon."
"Yeah, I'm really glad he's my trainer." Sakuya smiled.
Ash chuckled. "Anyway, last is my newest Legendary - my Entei, Vulcanus, who I caught at Greenfield."
"Actually, that's another question." Mary interjected. "What happened over at Greenfield?"
"Story time again." Pia said.
"Well, my newly adopted little sister, Molly Hale, had made a connection with a Legendary Moemon called Unown." Ash began explaining. "On their own, Unown aren't very powerful, but when grouped together in hundreds... they can do some very strange things."
"Like turn half the village into a crystal palace?" Mary asked.
"Exactly. In order to put a stop to it, my friends and I invaded the mansion to save Molly while fighting the Moemon she dreamed up. Vulcanus was also there to help, but mostly to defeat the Entei Molly dreamed up." He then looked serious. "However, just because Molly's Moemon were dreamed up didn't mean that they were easy opponents. From what my friends told me, her Dream Moemon were near the level of a League Champion, with the Entei being close to Champion level."
"Wow... That sounded tough." Mary said, surprised.
"It was a truly tough battle." Hourai agreed. "Unfortunately, though, our problems didn't stop there. Even after we managed to defeat the Dream Entei and brought Molly to her senses, the Unown's power had already reached a point where they couldn't stop themselves and thus went out of control. But, thanks to the Dream Entei helping us and wanting to correct his mistakes, everything was back to normal. And yes, I said 'he'. The Unown have enough power to make anything happen, and male Moemon aren't out of the question."
Mary was honestly dumbfounded.
"Three days after the incident, my mom decided to adopt Molly into our family, since she was named Molly's Godmother in case anything happened to her parents. Vulcanus then appeared before us, and I fought and caught her." Ash said, bringing the story to an end.
Mary nodded. "Thank you for telling us about your adventures."
"Any other questions?" Ash asked.
"This is the last question related to Moemon. What Moemon would you like to get next?"
"I won't know until I get them." Ash replied. "I don't really aim to get a particular type of Moemon, and some of the ones I do meet tend to come along with me afterwards. Although, I will admit that I'm interested in the Moemon from the Galar region."
"Aren't we all?" Mary chuckled, and then looked at her notes. "Okay, three more questions. One- which gym is your favorite out of the ones you've fought?"
Ash thought about that for a moment. "I think, of the gyms I've faced so far, some of the best have been in the Orange Islands, since they're more focused on teamwork. There's one gym where you and your Moemon have to build a sled and then race down the mountain on it. There's no actual battle, it just tests teamwork."
"Or in your case, trust in your Moemon that they don't actually melt the slab of ice with a Flamethrower." Sakuya interjected, drawing surprised looks from Ash, Pia and Es. "Hey, I may have been trapped in the GS Ball at the time, but I could still see what was going on."
"Okay." Ash nodded, accepting the answer before going back to the question. "I guess it just... it's something they don't cover a lot in most gyms."
"A good point. Let's see..." Mary looked at her notes again, and then looked up at him with a slightly mischievous cast to her features. "From what we've seen, there are three girls travelling with you. Are you in any romantic relationships with either of them?"
Ash, completely caught off-guard by the question, could only let out a spluttered noises of surprise and embarrassment. His Moemon, though, had different reactions. Pia, Es and Sakuya were laughing out loud, and even Hourai was trying to hold in her laughter.
"I KNEW IT! I knew they would ask you that!" Pia shouted, holding her stomach due to how hard she was laughing.
Es was the first to calm down, so she decided to answer. "Alright, I'll answer for him, if you don't mind. Being psychic, I can read emotions pretty well." She said. "Molly is Ash's adopted sister, so she's out of the question. Misty already has a boyfriend named Rudy, who's one of the Gym Leaders in the Orange Islands. I don't know much about Giselle, but I know for sure that Serena has a crush on him." She smiled. "Ash has a crush on her as well, it's just that need a good push before they become an item."
"ES!" Ash yelled in embarrassment, prompting more laughter from his Moemon, as well as Mary herself.
"Thank you for telling us, Es." Mary giggled as she began calming down.
Ash sighed. "Why do you keep finding this stuff funny... next question?"
"Last question, really." Mary assured. "Is there someone you aspire to battle someday?"
"Wow..." Ash had to seriously think about that one.
"There are certainly many powerful trainers out in the world." Hourai said, before giving Ash a smile. "But no matter who you face, we'll always be ready to fight for you, Ash."
"You bet!" Pia smirked. "Heck, we'll even battle the Regional Champions when that time comes."
Ash smiled. "Thanks, girls. I know I can count on all of you."
"We can tell how strong your bonds are with your Moemon." Mary said in amazement. "Well, thank you for your time, Ash Ketchum. I'm sure I join many of our listeners in wishing you good luck in your Johto league challenge."
"Thanks." Ash said, getting up and shaking her hand.
As Ash left the radio tower, his friends were waiting for him.
"Did you really have to say all of that, Es!?" Serena shouted in embarrassment. "My mom's going to be teasing me about that now!"
Es giggled. "Sorry, but they asked the question."
With their business in Goldenrod City finally finished, the gang left for the next town.
Chapter 41 DONE!
Yes, Steelix are the strongest users of Body Press. Shuckle, despite having a higher base Defense stat, can't learn Body Press and we don't know about Regirock.
Ash's gym battle with Whitney shows that things could turn out very badly if you aren't properly prepared for what Normal types are capable of. Plus, since Whitney and Miltank are in Pokémon Masters, I showed off their Sync Move as well.
Miltank are usually rounded up in farms to extract their breast milk for Moomoo Milk, but their will be those few Miltank that will want to take part in battles instead. And since Ash thought Whitney's Miltank was interesting, I decided to give him one.
With Ash's current fame, an interview was gonna happen someday. The sections was more so a recap of Ash's encounters with his Legendaries.
Now that that's settled, see you all next chapter, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all!