Hello again, my dudes! This is part one plus two minus three plus four times five of my set of stories of Pokeshipping stories that will eventually equal the number of Pokemon in the Kanto Pokedex! In the last section, Ash and Misty exchanged letters between each other while Ash was in the Galar region. And now, it will pay off as Misty is going to visit him! They will meet in Hulbury, where the gym is. Ash will even take on Nessa. Do you think Misty will help him out? Well, you have to wait and find out! Anyways, here we go round the Hulbury bush, the Hulbury bush, the Hulbury bush! Here we go round the Hulbury bush, this beautiful Saturday morning! (Or whatever time you are reading this.)
Ash Ketchum and his friends have just arrived in the city of Hulbury in Galar. It was a portside town famous for its fishing industry, seafood, and it being the home of the second gym in Galar. And given it is a town famous for fishing and seafood, you can bet it is a water type gym. Ash smiled as he headed into the center, thinking about Water-types. After all, it was here he would meet up with an old friend who loved the type. Her name was Misty Waterflower, the first-ever human friend Ash has made. She was by his side for the first three regions he went through. She was there to see him win the Orange Lague. She was there to give him advice when the going got tough. Sure she fought with him a lot, but when you spend so much time in close corners with one another, it is only natural that someone blows up once in a while. When Ash got inside of the Hulbury Pokemon Center, he saw an orange-haired girl sitting in one of the seats. She looked up and smiled.
"Ash!" she said as she got out of her seat. She ran up to Ash and hugged him. Ash smiled and hugged his old friend back.
"Misty!" Ash said, "It is amazing to see you again!"
"Same!" the girl from Cerulean City said, "I read your last letter to me. I have to say the same things to you that you said to me! I love you, Ash Ketchum!"
Ash smiled before kissing his longest friend on the lips. Misty turned a beet-red but kisses back. Gloria and Hop stood there in complete shock.
"Aye ma auntie…" Gloria said as she watched the two Kantonians kiss like nothing was going on around them.
"Uh?" Hop said, "Ash? Mind if you explain who this woman you are kissing is?"
Ash eventually snapped out of it and looked at his friends. "Oh... Gloria, Hop, this is the friend I was telling you about on our travels, Misty Waterflower."
"Hello!" Misty said to the two Galarians, "I'm Misty!"
"Nice tae mak yer acquaintance," Gloria said, "They ca' me Gloria."
Misty looked at Ash and asked him what was up with Gloria's accent.
Ash shrugged, "I am honestly not too sure about that, Misty. It would be best not to ask her about that."
"Alright then," Misty said with a nod before he looked at Hop, "You must be Hop, right?"
The boy with darker skin and purple hair nods, "Yeah. That's me!"
Misty smiled as he shook his hand and smiled, "Nice to meet you, Hop! I heard from Ash that you make amazing curry!"
"Thanks," Hop said, "Although if you want to try it for yourself, you are going to have to wait another day. We plan on going to the city's famed seafood restaurant for dinner tonight."
"Alright," Misty said with a sigh, "How about we head on over there?"
"Okay then, a'm hungert!" Gloria said. Misty got up, and the four went to get some seafood for dinner.
Hours after they finished their dinner, Ash and Misty were in their room at the Pokemon Center with full bellies. Misty was smiling, as the meal she had was the best one that she had in ages! It consisted of fish caught fresh in the ocean, a crisp lettuce salad, piping hot bread, and a warm apple pie for dessert. "Did you enjoy the food as much as I did?" the girl from Cerulean City asked her friend as she sat on her bed.
"I sure did!" Ash said.
"That's great to hear!" she said with a smile.
Ash nods, "Anyways, I want to give something to you that you might like…"
"What is it?" Misty asks the trainer from Pallet Town.
Ash smiled as he pulls out a box and tells her to open it up to see for herself.
Misty looked at the box for a while and nods. She opened up the gift from her friend and looked at it, smiling. Inside the box was a white jersey with orange shoulders. At the center was a blue raindrop. Misty smiled as she took the sweater out of the box. She looked at the back of the jersey in question to see "Misty" written above the number 134 in capital letters. "No way…" she said to Ash, "You managed to get me an official Galar League Water-type Jersey?!"
The black-haired trainer nodded, "Yep! Just for you so that you can take on the gym challenge alongside me!"
Misty smiled as she hugs her friend, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
Ash smiled as he hugged his best human friend and said, "You're welcome. Now let's go get some sleep, as tomorrow I am going to challenge Nessa."
"You mean WE are going to challenge Nessa?" Misty asked Ash.
"Yes," Ash said, "My mistake. WE are going to challenge Nessa."
It was early in the morning in Hulbury. The staff of the farmer's market was getting their stocks ready for the day. The smell of breeze from the sea was drifting into the town. Sailors were leaving the docks in hopes of catching big fish to capture for the restaurant. All in all, a typical morning for people who lived in Hulbury. And for Ash, Misty, Gloria, and Hop, that meant waiting outside of the gym until it started allowing trainers inside for the day. Misty groaned.
"Guys, it is 6:40 in the morning," Misty told the group, "Do we have to be this early to challenge the gym?"
"Dinnae ye ken th' earlie Rookidee catches th' Blipbug?" Gloria asked the orange-haired girl.
"Sorry," she said, "It was just I am not used to waking up this early after being couped up in the gym for so long."
"Perfectly understandable," Hop said. They waited another twenty minutes before a league official unlocked the door to the gym.
"Good morning, challengers!" he said to the quartet, "Are you here to challenge the gym?!"
"Yes!" All four of them said at the same time.
"Very well," the official said, "Come on in." The four nodded as they head into Hulbury gym to challenge the second gym leader, first for Misty. As they were lead into the lobby, the man in charge said, "You know, today is Doubles Day at the gym. Two trainers have to challenge Nessa at once. But they both get the same prize if you win!"
"Really?!" Ash asked, "That's great!" He then looked at Misty and asked if she wanted to be his partner for the gym.
"Of course!" Misty said to Ash with a smile on her face.
"That's great to hear!" Ash said before informing the man that he and Misty would like to start the challenge.
"Very well, then," he said, "Follow me."
The challenge to get the right to challenge Nessa to a battle was a puzzle. You had to make your way through a maze. While doing so, you had to switch switches that control water flow from pipes on or off. It was a little difficult for the duo, but they eventually made it through the maze. Ash and Misty both smiled as they hit the button to show they have finished the challenge.
"Phew!" Ash said, "That sure was tough."
"I agree," Misty said, "At least we can challenge the gym leader now."
The door leading to the main battlefield opened up as Ash and Misty headed through the tunnel.
"Excited for the first gym battle where you are the challenger?" Ash asked Misty.
"Yeah," she said with a light smile, "Kind of nervous, though. What if we lose?"
"Well, you have to remember," Ash said, "Even if you lose, I still can win the battle for the both of us."
"True," Misty said as they head onto the battlefield. When they got there, a lady with dark skin and a revealing uniform walked on. She waved to the crowd, who cheered for her. Her black hair with blue highlights waved in the breeze as the Hulbury Gym Leader made her way to her side of the battlefield. Misty smiled as she looked at her. Nessa was one of her favorite Water-type trainers in the world. Ash looked at Misty.
"You know the gym leader?" Ash asked her.
Misty smiled as she nods, "Yeah. I have been a fan of Nessa for as long as I knew I wanted to be the best Water-trainer ever!"
Ash smiled at his friend's enthusiasm before facing Nessa himself, "Hello. Misty and I are here to battle you!"
Nessa smiled "Very well then," she said. "But my water-types and I will NOT go lightly on either one of you." She stood on the opposite side of the battlefield as the referee explained the rules.
"This will be a two on one battle between the challengers, Ash Ketchum and Misty Waterflower, and the gym Leader, Nessa! Nessa is allowed to use four Pokemon; however, the challengers can only use two of theirs each! And only one of them can Dynamax their Pokemon! None of the trainers are allowed to switch out their Pokemon unless they have fainted! Whatever side knocks out the other's Pokemon will be declared the winner of the battle! Do all of you understand?" The three trainers on the battlefield nod, "Great! Now sent out your Pokemon! Nessa will get the first move! Begin!"
Ash decided to send out his Grookey first, while Misty used her Seaking.
"No way!" Ash said, "Your Goldeen evolved?!"
"She sure did!" Misty said as Nessa sent out her two Pokemon: a Barraskewda and her own Seaking.
"Round one of the battle will now begin!" the referee declared, "As stated earlier, Nessa gets the first move! Fight!"
"Barraskewda, use Drill Run on Seaking! Seaking, use Horn Drill on Grookey!" Nessa commanded her Pokemon.
"Grookey, use your Branch Poke on Barraskewda!" Ash shouted to the green chimp.
"And Seaking, use your Mega Horn on Nessa's Seaking!" Misty requested to her goldfish Pokemon.
All fo the Pokemon used the attacks they were told to use. Nessa's Seaking spun it's horn around and around, but Grookey jumped up to dodge it. He then poked the goldfish in the eye with his stick, doing significant damage to Nessa's Pokemon. Barraskewda got hard and ran his body into the opposing Seaking, but she uses the bug-type attack to get him off her. The Pokemon continued to exchange attacks at the order of their trainers. It was a genuinely intense battle between the Pokemon. None of them wanted to faint for their trainers, as that would put them at a severe disadvantage. Eventually, the first round of the battle finished. When the dust settled, Grookey, Barraskewda, and both Seakings have fainted.
"All four Pokemon are unable to battle!" the referee declared, "Ash, Misty, Nessa, please send out your last Pokemon. Ash and Misty will get the first moves when the Pokemon have been sent out."
"Okay then," Ash said as he looked up to the Pokemon perched upon his shoulder, "Are you ready to battle, Pikachu?" he asked.
The yellow rodent that sat on Ash's shoulder gave the nod. "I sure am," he said, although Ash could only understand bits of his name.
"That's great!" Ash said, "Pikachu, I choose you!" Ash's first partner jumped off Ash and onto the battlefield, ready to fight whatever was coming his way! Ash then looked at Misty and asked which Pokemon she was going to use for the second round.
"I am going to use a Pokemon I told you about in my letters," she said to Ash. She then pulled out a Pokeball with a Cascade Badge pattern on it.
"Alright, Vaporeon!" Misty said, "I choose you!" She then sent out the water-type Eeveelution. The Bubble Jet Pokemon hopped onto the battlefield while saying the first part of her name. Ash smiled.
"So, you caught a Vaporeon, I see…" Ash said.
"I sure have!" Misty said and explained that she found her as an Eevee who was abandoned by her first trainer. Misty took the Eevee to Nurse Joy to get her healed and was allowed to take her in afterward. Eevee quickly bonded with her new trainer, and eventually evolved into a Vaporeon with a Water Stone.
"That's nice to hear," Ash said as Nessa sent out her last two Pokemon. First was a Pokemon both Ash and Misty were somewhat familiar with, Pelipper. The second was a turtle-like Pokemon that Ash just saw for the first time: Drednaw.
"Ready for a giant wave?" Nessa asked Ash and Misty.
"You bet!" they both said. The battle started as Ash and Nessa Dynamaxed their Pikachu and Drednaw, respectively. Pikachu looked mostly the same, except that his tail had a lot more zigs and zags than it usually did. Drednaw seemed completely different, resembling more of a warship, more specifically, the one that shares its name. Misty gasped as the other two people on the battlefield grinned. This is where the battle was getting real!
"Vaporeon!" Misty shouted, "Use your Hyrdo Pump attack!"
"Pikachu, use Max Volt Crash!" Ash commanded.
"Pelipper, use Rain Dance and Drednaw, use Max Stone Surge!" Nessa said to her Pokemon.
Pelipper called upon the rain. It soon started to pour onto the battlefield as Vaporeon fired a pump of water at the bipetal turtle. It barely did any damage to Drednaw as she was so bulky. Drednaw caused a giant wave full of sharp stones to come towards Pikachu and Vaporeon. Vaporeon gasped and asked Pikachu to protect her.
"Of course, my love!" Pikachu said as he helped Vaporeon onto his massive body and took the hit for both of them. Vaporeon blushes at the statement. He was such a charmer. When the wave passed, Vaporeon got off of Pikachu. He then used the powerful electric-type attack on Pelipper. And as it was both a water type AND a flying-type Pokemon, it did double the damage. The Pokemon fainted immediately. That left Nessa with only a single Pokemon left. And it was her best one, so she had to make it count. She wanted to win the battle badly.
"Drednaw, use Max Gyser!" Nessa said to her Drednaw.
"Counter with a Max Volt Crash!" Ash said to his partner. The two giant Pokemon rant towards each other while charging up their attacks. They then unleashed them when they were just centimeters away. The combination of attacks resulted in an explosion that covered the entire stadium in light. When the light faded, everyone could see that every Pokemon on the battlefield has fainted. All of them, except for Vaporeon. And as the rules stated that the battle ends if one side entirely runs out of Pokemon, Ash & Misty won!
"I don't believe it!" Misty said as she smiled, her widest smile, "WE WON!" She threw her arms around her best friend to hug him, and Ash returned the hug. They hugged for several minutes before Nessa interrupted them.
"Congratulations, you two," the black lady said to the two Kantonians, "You were the best battlers that I have seen in a long time. You both deserve these." She then handed the two a piece of gold with a raindrop on it. "This is the official Galar League Water Badge. Badge number two of 10 in the Galar region."
"As well as my first!" Misty said with a smile before explaining that she just started the challenge yesterday as Ash gave her a jersey as a reunion gift.
"Well, be sure to go back to Turfield to battle Milo when you get the chance," Nessa said.
"Alright!" Misty said, "I will!"
Ash smiled, "Now, where were we?"
"Uh, we were in the middle of a kiss," Misty reminded her friend from Pallet Town.
"Oh, yeah," Ash said as they continued to kiss passionately. The continuation of their journey together has just begun, and unlike last time, nothing would ever separate them. After all, they had a lot of things to see and do. They also had to show their love to the entire Galar region!
And that ends my twentieth chapter of this series! I hope you liked it, even though I really couldn't come up with an idea for this chapter and the last one before my Easter special next week. (And yeah, while your plans for Easter might have been sabotaged because of the damn pandemic, I will make sure mine aren't! This damn virus already ruined one of my annual breakfast traditions, and I will NOT let it ruin another one.) Anyway, time for the question of the week. Who would you have for a partner in a double battle? I would probably have one of my most loyal readers fill the role. Anyways, I will see you next time, let's fight this virus alongside our loved ones, and dare to Pokeship!
