Upon arriving in Glutera City, our heroes met Aaroniero. Not only is he food critic, but he is also the gym leader. So Ichigo has decided to challenge him and earn his seventh gym badge.

"Welcome, Ichigo." Aaroniero said. Ichigo and the others arrived at the gym and the time has come for his seventh gym battle. "I hope you are ready for a tough gym battle."

"I am and I'll be winning that seventh badge." Ichigo said.

"I can't wait to see what kind of gym battle this is going to be." Orihime said.

"We'll see if Aaroniero is a good gym leader as he is with a food critic." Rukia said.

"The gym battle between Ichigo, the challenge, and Aaroniero, the gym leader, is about to begin." The referee said. "Each side is allowed to use three pokemon. The battle will be over when all three of one side's pokemon can no longer battle. Only the challenger is allowed to substitute pokemon."

"Let's get started, Go, Skuntank!" Aaroniero said as he released his first pokemon.

"Skun!"

Pokemon

Every trainer has a choice

To listen to that voice inside

I know the battles maybe long

Winners may have come and gone

I will carry on

Yeah, this dream will last forever

This dream will never die

We will rise to meet the challenge every time

(Advance challenge)

Yeah, this dream keeps us together

This shows that you and I

Will be the best that the world's ever seen

Cause we will always follow this dream

Pokemon

(Ichigo's voice): Poisonous Course Meal

"Skuntank. That's a poison-type, but it's also a dark-type. So should I use against it?" Ichigo questioned.

"Absol!" Absol was volunteering to go first.

"Okay. If you really want to. Let's go, Absol." Ichigo said. Absol ran out on the field and was ready for a battle. "Let's get started. Absol, start out with Razor Wind!" Absol pulled his head back and used the slash attack with it hitting Skuntank and Skuntank being pushed back.

"Starting out strong? You should always start with an appetizer." Aaroniero said. "Skuntank, Night Slash!"

"Counter that with your Night Slash!" Ichigo said. Both pokemon used the same attack as they jumped at each other and cancelled each other out. "You'll have to do better than that if you want to beat my Absol."

"In that case, let's add a little spice to it. Skuntank, Flamethrower!" Aaroniero said. Skuntank breathed out some flames and Absol got hit by that attack and was being pushed back. "Now use Night Slash again!" Skuntank went at Absol and slashed against him.

"Absol, Razor Wind!" Ichigo said, but Absol wasn't moving. "Absol, what's wrong?"

"Why isn't Absol moving?" Orihime said. Absol actually looked a bit scared.

"It's Skuntank's ability." Aaroniero said. "It's called Stench. When Skuntank deals damage, there's a chance our opponent will flinch."

"Are you serious? Absol, you've got to try and shake it off." Ichigo said. Absol heard him that time and was able to shake it off.

"Skuntank, Flamethrower!" Aaroniero said. Skuntank breathed out his flames again, but Ichigo was ready this time.

"Swords Dance!" Ichigo said. Absol formed swords around him and used them to block the attack and increased Absol's power.

"Not bad. I think it's time we moved to the first course." Aaroniero said. "Skuntank, Toxic!" Skuntank stood on his front legs and shot out liquid poison. It landed around Absol and became a poisonous cloud that he got caught in.

"Absol, no!" Ichigo called as he was concerned what happened to him. The cloud cleared away and Absol was poisoned. "No. He's been poisoned. Absol, you've got to fight through it." Absol was doing his best to stay strong, but it wasn't looking that good.

"Absol might be tough, but he won't be able to hold out through this entire battle." Rukia said.

"So what are they going to do?" Chad questioned.

"Now use Venoshock!" Aaroniero said. Skuntank unleashed more poison and it splashed against Absol and Absol was being damaged even more. "There's the added effects of Venoshock. It deals more damage when the opponent is poisoned."

"Can you keep going, Absol?" Ichigo said and Absol was still able to go.

"I believe it's time we finished this first meal. Skuntank, Flamethrower!" Aaroniero said.

"I don't think so. Absol, Razor Wind!" Ichigo said. Both pokemon launched their attacks and they collided. It seemed even, but Razor Wind pushed through and it blasted Skuntank.

"Skuntank!" Aaroniero called as he feared the worst and he was right. Skuntank was knocked out.

"Skuntank is unable to battle. Absol is the winner." The referee said.

"Way to go, Absol. That's our first win." Ichigo said. Absol felt good, but Absol couldn't hold on and collapsed. It was a shock to Ichigo and the others.

"Absol is unable to battle." The referee said.

"Absol was taken out already?" Orihime questioned as she couldn't believe it.

"Those attacks did some real damage. I guess the poison was a little more potent than he thought." Rukia said. Ichigo carried Absol back over and let him rest.

"Don't worry, Absol. I can handle the rest." Ichigo said.

"That was a good way to start. Now let's move to the next course, shall we?" Aaroniero said as he pulled out his next chose. "Come on out, Toxicroak!"

"Toxicroak!"

"Toxicroak? That pokemon actually looks a little scary." Orihime said as she was getting the creeps from it.

"It might be a poison-type, but it's a fighting-type as well. I wonder who Ichigo is going to go with this one." Chad said.

"Swoobat, I choose you!" Ichigo said.

"Swoobat!"

"Swoobat! Perfect!" Rukia said. "Swoobat's flying-type attacks will deal lots of damage and Toxicroak's fighting-type moves won't do much."

"Swoobat, time to use Gust!" Ichigo said. Swoobat flapped his wings and created a strong wind and it hit against Toxicroak and tried to push him back.

"Now use Sludge Bomb!" Aaroniero said. Toxicroak shot sludge from the mouth and blasted against Swoobat with them exploding. "Now use Mega Punch!" Toxicroak had power course through its fist and went to attack.

"Dodge it with Acrobatics and attack!" Ichigo said. Swoobat moved fast and was able to avoid the attack with Swoobat bashing against Toxicroak. "Good work. Now use Air Cutter!" Swoobat used the attack and it blasted against Toxicroak, but Toxicroak wouldn't go down. "It won't go down. That Toxicroak is strong."

"I raised Toxicroak's defenses very well." Aaroniero said. "Toxicroak, Poison Jab!" Poison flowed into Toxicroak's stingers and kept trying to stab Swoobat, but Swoobat was staying out of Toxicroak's reach.

"That's it, Swoobat! You're doing good!" Ichigo said. "Now use Gust!" Swoobat flapped its wings again and created a strong gust of wind with it hitting Toxicroak. "Now use Acrobatics!" Swoobat flew right in as Toxicroak was distracted. Swoobat smashed right into Toxicroak and Toxicroak was knocked right down and couldn't handle all those flying-type attacks.

"Toxicroak is unable to battle. Swoobat is the winner." The referee said.

"Yes. That's two wins. One more and Ichigo will get his seventh badge." Orihime said.

"Yeah, but it won't be easy." Rukia said. All of them knew who Aaroniero's last pokemon would be. He brought Toxicroak back in its pokeball and waited for him to make his last choice.

"Very impressive, Ichigo." Aaroniero said. "You really know how to bring out the best of your pokemon. So let's see how you deal with the final course of this battling meal."

"Bring it on." Ichigo said.

"Swalot, let's go!" Aaroniero said.

"Swalot!"

"So his final pokemon really is Swalot." Chad said.

"All that time we were with them the other day and we haven't really seen what Swalot can do." Rukia said.

"It doesn't matter. Ichigo is going to win either way. Go, Ichigo!" Orihime said.

"Swoobat, are you ready?" Ichigo said and Swoobat was ready to battle. "Now use Air Cutter!" Swoobat used its attack, but Aaroniero and Swoobat didn't seem worried.

"Do it. Eat up." Aaroniero said. Swalot opened his mouth nice and wide and the attack flew inside. Ichigo and the others couldn't really believe it.

"Did I really just see that?!" Rukia said.

"It….ate it!" Chad said.

"What the heck?! How did it do that?" Ichigo said.

"I trained Swalot to do that. It's a good way for defend against attacks." Aaroniero said. "Now use Sludge Bomb!" Swalot opened his mouth again and fired a barrage of sludge attacks.

"Dodge it!" Ichigo said. Swoobat was doing its best to avoid the explosive sludge. "Now use Acrobatics!" Swoobat flew in and went at Swalot, but Swalot opened its mouth again and was able to swallow Swoobat as well. None of them could believe what Swalot just did. Swoobat tried to get out of there, but Swalot wasn't letting go.

"Good work, Swalot. Now let's add the finishing touch. Now use Hyper Beam!" Aaroniero said.

"While Swoobat is still inside?!" Ichigo said. Swalot opened its mouth as it fired the beam and Swoobat got blasted at point-blank range. Swoobat was blown back from the beam and hit the wall. Swoobat fell off the wall and was knocked right out of the battle.

"Swoobat is unable to battle. Swalot is the winner." The referee said. Swoobat was beaten and now both sides have only one pokemon left.

"That Swalot is tricky. Talk about having a big mouth." Ichigo said as he had to figure out how to get around that. "If Swalot swallows just about anything, maybe we should try something too big for him to swallow. Gyarados, let's go!"

"Rrraaaarrgh!"

"Gyarados… Certainly an interesting choice." Aaroniero said.

"Wait till you see what we can do. Try and swallow this! Gyarados, Hydro Pump!" Ichigo said. Gyarados unleashed a powerful blast of water.

"Swalot, drink up!" Aaroniero said. Swalot opened its mouth and tried to take in the attack, but it was a little too much for Swalot to handle and was being pushed back.

"Yes. I knew Swalot couldn't handle Gyarados' size. Now use Ice Fang!" Ichigo said. Gyarados had cold energy run through his teeth and went to attack.

"Swalot, Bullet Seed!" Aaroniero said. Swalot shot a barrage of seeds from its mouth and hit Gyarados right in the face and was keeping Gyarados back.

"That won't stop you. Gyarados use Thunder!" Ichigo said. Gyarados used its new attack and Swalot got zapped from the attack and was hard for Swalot to withhold against it.

"So Gyarados can use Thunder. That's good to know." Aaroniero said. "It's always nice to share ingredients. Swalot, Mimic!" Swalot's body glowed and it used the same attack with Gyarados getting blasted.

"Swalot can use Mimic?!" Ichigo said as all of them were surprised by what just happened.

"What's Mimic? Didn't Swalot just used Thunder like Gyarados?" Orihime said.

"Mimic is a move that copies the last attack your opponent used." Rukia said. "Aaroniero kept an ace up his sleeve until he found the right attack to use." Gyarados was able to withstood the attack, but took a lot of damage.

"Gyarados, can you keep going?" Ichigo asked. Gyarados may have taken a lot of damage, but he refused to give up the fight.

"Impressive, but it won't be enough. Swalot, Sludge Bomb!" Aaroniero said. Swalot launched a barrage of sludge and it all exploded against Gyarados.

"Not good. Gyarados won't be able to take much more. We've got to end this fast." Ichigo said.

"I'm afraid this IS where the battle ends. Swalot, Hyper Beam!" Aaroniero said. Swalot was powering the attack and Ichigo needed to think fast.

"Gyarados, Hydro Pump. It's all we've got that might be able to hold that off." Ichigo said. Both pokemon used the attack and they collided against each other. "Hold. Hold!" Ichigo was hoping that the Hydro Pump won't break. Both attacks kept trying to push the other back and the results ended with an explosion. "Now's our chance. Hydro Pump again!"

"Already?!" Aaroniero said as he wasn't expecting that. Gyarados used the attack again, but Swalot opened its mouth and took in all that water. "That's it, Swalot. Hold on!" Gyarados kept the attack going, but Swalot was holding against it.

"Now might be our only chance." Ichigo said. Aaroniero was confused with what he meant. "Thunder, let's go!" Gyarados used the attack while still using Hydro Pump. The electricity came right through the water and Swalot was being hit by both attacks. Swalot was blown across the field and slammed into the wall. All of them looked to see what the results were. When the dust cleared…..Swalot was down.

"Swalot is unable to battle. Gyarados is the winner and that means that victory goes to Ichigo!" The referee said.

"Yeah!" Ichigo cheered with his pokemon.

"He did it!" Orihime said as she and the others were happy for him.

"Ingenious. While Swalot was stuck like that, he used an electric attack travel through the water and both those attacks together dealt a lot of damage." Rukia said. "Ichigo might be a little thick headed, but when it comes to battle, his real genius shows." The battle was over with both sides shaking hands.

"Very well done, Ichigo. That was an exceptional battle." Aaroniero said. He pulled out the badge and it looked similar to a purple skull. "Here is proof that you won here. This is the poison badge."

"Thanks a lot, Aaroniero." Ichigo said as he gladly took his badge. "We did it, Absol. We got our seventh badge."

"Absol."

"Seventh, you say. So that means you only need one more." Aaroniero said. "Do you know where your next gym battle will be at?"

"No. Not yet." Ichigo said.

"In that case, why don't you head over to Ira City?" Aaroniero said. "The gym leader there is a tough one. Perhaps he'll be your cup of tea."

"Ira City? Sounds good to me. Just one more badge to go and I'll be able to enter the Johto League." Ichigo said as he can't wait.

Ichigo has succeeded in winning his seventh gym badge. Only one more to go now. After that, it will be off to the Johto League. So stay tune.

To Be Continued…..