"Gary Oak?" Damian asked incredulously.
"Yeah that's me. So why don't you take it from all of us and leave." Gary grabbed a chair and sat near the table. "You'll be doing us a large service to not only us, but the entire pokemon center."
The air between Gary and Damian was so tense, a Karate Chop would have split the air in two. With Damian growing more frustrated by the second and Gary fueling his anger, the outcome will only lead to violence.
"Ho ho! What seems to be the problem here?" A booming voice entered the fray. It was Alder. And one look at his expression would make a Beartic melt.
Noticing the severity of his childish actions, Damian pushed through the crowd and stormed out of the pokemon center. Once he exited the pokemon center, the crowd dissipated as the drama came to an end.
"I'll go talk to Damian to make sure he's okay." Alder eyed the group sitting at the table one last time, staring a bit too long at the shiny Charmander before leaving.
"You would think people would want to meet Alder but I guess he's just not that popular in Kanto." Brock was the first to speak.
"Yeah well, he's been champion of Unova for so long, people just see him as an old man nowadays." Gary said.
"So you're Gary Oak? I've heard uh, many things about you from Ash." Serena said. She remembered the one time Ash was cursing Gary when they made it out of Mt. Moon.
"Oh have you? I wonder what you said about me, Ashy-boy." Gary taunted Ash.
"Can you quit it with the names? It's getting real old." Ash said.
"Sorry Ashy, you're still too young to change your name." Gary continued picking fun at Ash.
"We're nearly the same age!" Ash pointed out in blasphemy.
"So how does it make you feel that I already have four badges huh?" Gary flexed. He pulled out a case and unclipped it to show off four badges glinting in the light. "How many do you have, Ashy?"
"Uh… enough to still beat you in a pokemon battle!" Ash fired back, not wanting to lose to Gary.
"You sure about that? Sounds like to me you only have one and you got from Brock here didn't you." Gary smirked at Ash's defeat. Ash turned his head to the side and grumbled in discontent. "But you are travelling with some really high level people Ash. I'm surprised you lumped yourself in with them."
"Ash has proven to be just as high level as the rest of us." Serena said in Ash's defense. Brock nodded agreeing with her statement.
"Well… maybe…" Gary thought out loud. "But nowhere near my level. Which is why, you should be travelling with me, Serena."
Ash, Brock and Serena all looked at Gary as if he just did a backflip. "You see, we elitists should stick together so we could bounce ideas off each other. We'll continue to grow by feeding each other different ideas. I have other qualified people in my circle that could also help in stronger performances and insightful tips." Gary convincingly offered. "If you stayed with Ash, the only one helping you out is Brock. Ash is basically a blind block head."
"Yeah right, all you have is a squad of cheerleaders and a car." Ash spoke out.
"Oh and did I mention, we have a car?" Gary added to his lists of benefits to Serena. "By the way Ashy, what you think is just a group of cheerleaders are actually future candidates of Ace Trainers."
"I mean. It sounds—" Serena began.
"Ah, hold your answer for a moment. You should think about your answer before giving it to me." Gary reasoned. "If you take some time to think about it, then you'll see how big of an opportunity this is."
Gary stood up from his seat and plucked a pokeball off his belt. "I should get going. Here's my number also. When you want to join me, I'm always open to bright minded people." Gary chuckled. "Oh and Ashy, another thing. I know you're half blind but you might want to keep a closer eye on that Charmander. Not all Charmanders come in that color." With nothing left to say, he exited the building and released his Pidgeotto. Together, they took to the sky.
"What a weird sequence of events after a pokemon showcase." Serena smiled.
"Tell me about it. I thought I was going to have to get physical with Damian for a second." Brock said.
"I'm gonna go and train for a bit." Ash told his friends.
"It's getting a bit late, you want us to go with you?" Brock noticed the change of heart in Ash's voice.
"No it's okay." Ash picked up Homura and his fallen hat. Like his childhood friend, he too left the building.
"He looks pretty down." Serena frowned. She was not sure what was upsetting Ash. It only made her want to go out and cheer him up.
"We should leave him be. He was just accused of stealing and verbally insulted by an old friend." Brock said. "He probably just wants to be alone."
"Char?" Homura looked at Ash with curious eyes. His tail swished back and forth, wondering what Ash was doing.
The rest of Ash's pokemon were also out and about. Aura was running around with Luna, but more often than not, he would trip over himself or accidentally run into her. He was still working on getting used to his blind eye, but slowly yet surely, Aura was growing more accustomed to his new vision.
Dusty and Pikachu were playing tag, where Dusty was surprisingly fast enough to keep up with Pikachu. They were slowly tiring themselves out, evident in Dusty's shaky breathing and Pikachu's twitching becoming more uncontrollable.
"So your name is Homura." Ash looked at Charmander. He handed Charmander another berry to eat. "No wonder you didn't like the names I gave you. You already had one."
Ash smiled at Charmander and raised his pokedex to scan him once more.
Charmander, the lizard pokemon. Type(s): Fire
The fire on the tip of its tail is a measure of its life. If healthy, its tail burns intensely.
Moves of the Current Pokemon:
Scratch, Ember and Smokescreen
After listening to the pokedex's information, Ash's sole eye peeked at Homura. He was happily chomping away at the berry. When finished, small, dark blue flames escaped his mouth as he belched.
"Hm, you won't be able to do too much in the upcoming gym." Ash deduced. He grimaced as ideas and strategies to Tackle the next gym were not coming to him.
Everything about Cerulean City's gym was stacked against him. Water types were type advantages against Dusty and Homura. The playing ground was mostly water which reduced all of Ash's current team's mobility and to top it off, water pokemon were notorious for their special attacks. His strongest special attacker was Pikachu, and although he had the type advantage, Pikachu's endurance was left to be desired. Ash would be lucky if Pikachu found a way to beat one water pokemon.
Ash groaned in hopelessness. He had also heard from trainers in the pokemon center that the gym leader had a knack for surprise attacks. If Ash did not have a pokemon that could counter aquatic combat, then he would surely fall victim and be picked away to defeat. Especially with Aura still adapting to fighting with one eye, winning was a lost cause.
Ash looked at his pokemon and watched as Pikachu tried to Thunder Shock Dusty but to no avail. The thought of challenging the Vermillion Gym crossed his mind, but Ash figured he would have to battle this gym one day. Getting it over now would save him and his friends time.
The thought of his friends immediately led to Serena and Brock. Specifically Serena. He hated to admit it, but Serena joining Gary would actually help Serena become a stronger performer. Knowing Gary for so long, everything he said was most likely true also.
"Man… what do I even have to offer. I'm a rookie trainer. She's basically a top notch performer. She's been out in the world for over three years! I've been cottled since I got a dead eye!" Ash threw himself against the grass and squinted at the beaming sun. Logically, if he was in Serena's shoes and he was not. well… if he was not himself, Ash would take that offer and join Gary. The name Gary Oak itself would entice most trainers. Any connection to Professor Oak paved only a path to success.
"I guess I'm lucky in that aspect. I have Professor Oak's number." Ash said out loud. He was still basking in the sun, using his arm to shield his other eye from also going blind.
"That Old Coot is no better of a resource than a musty textbook!" A hearty voice boomed above Ash. "I'd count yourself unlucky if you ask me."
Surprised at the sudden voice, Ash quickly sat up and faced none other than the former Champion of Unova, Alder.
"Oh Champion Alder… I d-didn't notice you..." Ash fumbled across his words.
"Former Champion." Alder corrected. "You can drop the honorifics. Alder is more than enough."
"Uh, Alder. What brings you here?" Ash asked nervously, not used to talking to someone like Alder so casually.
"Oh well, after speaking some sense into that kid Damian," Alder winked at Ash. It was at this point, most of Ash's pokemon had already surrounded Alder and were receiving pats on the heads. Except Charmander, he decided to stick by Ash. "I came to visit some old friends. They're old and run a daycare not far from here. I'm sure you've seen their house."
Alder pointed further down south and described the blue house that was fenced off. It was the same house Ash was trying to keep a fair distance away to not disturb whoever lived there.
"And I noticed a kid, you by the way, beating himself up over his girlfriend." Alder goofily smiled.
"She's not my girlfriend." Ash said matter of factly.
"Ahh… to be young again." Alder gave Ash a knowing look. "Don't need to act so cold. She's not your girlfriend… yet!"
"Uh-huh…" Ash gave a sheepish look. The more he spoke to Alder, the more he realized how much of a kid he acted. At least it made it easier on Ash to talk to him.
"But that's besides the point. What's your name? I already know the girl is Serena." Alder asked.
"Ash Ketchum."
"Hm. Funny last name." Alder commented. "Anyways. Ash, you should be counting your blessings. Not your failures."
Ash sat on the advice given to him by the former champion. He had a feeling Alder was implying his eye but did not want to directly bring it up.
"I'll keep that in mind." Ash answered, still deeply troubled with everything going around him.
"What's troubling you?" Alder took a more serious stance. Being a veteran trainer, Alder felt more inclined to help those who were just beginning their journey.
"A few things—" Ash began.
"Lay it on me. All of it." Alder encouraged. And so Ash explained the many things going through his mind. His lack of confidence in the upcoming gym battle and the thought of pursuing his journey with one less friend was making Ash pessimistic.
"If it makes you feel better, she'll be sticking with you and not go with that Oak boy." Alder gave his two cents.
"How do you know?" Ash eyed Alder suspiciously.
"It's hard to explain, but when you're on a pokemon journey, you quickly learn that it's more fun to travel with people you're comfortable with." Alder simply stated the truth but his eyes held a mischievous glint.
"I guess." Ash did not quite understand Alder completely but he decided to take his answer anyways.
"As for your gym battle. It doesn't look like it's in your favour, which you already know." Alder just noticed the blind eye in Aura and looked back and forth between him and Ash. "But uh… well, I don't want to impose my teachings on you or anything."
"Oh no really! It's okay. Words from a former champion is more than welcome to a rookie like me." Ash insisted. Although he was not resonating with Alder's advice, there was no way Ash would turn down a chance to talk with a trainer of Alder's caliber.
"No, I shouldn't, you probably want an old geezer like me to go away." Alder continued to knowingly degrade himself.
"No, not at all where did this come from?" Ash said. He noted Alder's bizarre attitude and grew desperate when the former champion slowly began to walk away.
"W-wait!" Ash called back. "I want to hear what you have to say about my next gym battle."
"Oh so you see value in my words?" Alder said. "What's in it for me if I help you?"
"Huh? Uh… well what do you want?" Ash asked at the sudden shift of weight in the conversation.
"I'm glad you ask!" Alder beamed at Ash's question as if the entire time he was gaslighting Ash just for this single moment. "As you may know, I am part of the Pokemon League. You know, the international government that basically watches over everything."
"Sounds fantastic, I didn't know." Ash said sarcastically.
"Haha!" Alder boomed. "Good one. That only makes me want you to join even more!"
"Join?" Ash questioned.
"You see, Ace Trainers are very strong trainers. They have to go through rigorous studies and be recommended by higher ups in the League to even be considered an Ace Trainer." Alder explained. "That means there aren't a lot of Ace Trainers to begin with. And unfortunately, the League depends greatly on Ace trainers as there just isn't enough of us."
"So you want me to train to become an Ace Trainer!" Ash smiled as he jumped to conclusions.
"Ahem, uh no." Alder did not even flinch at Ash's now mixed expression. "Ace Trainers help with a lot of crime related scenes. Usually Team Rocket in the Kanto region or Team Plasma in the Unova region. That's just to name a few, there're many other groups in other regions."
"So what's the catch?" Ash asked.
"While Ace Trainers and League take care of crime in general, who is there for the other things? Deforestation. Protection of wildlife. Pollution. Wrongdoing goes much further than just crime organization." Alder lectured to the now intrigued Ash. "Which is why I started an affiliate organization, with much lower requirements, anyone can be a ranger. Zero cost too!"
"Ranger Organization… How many people are in it?" Ash asked.
"Err, well at the moment, not very many." Alder rubbed the back of his. "Maybe a few."
"Oh yeah, you probably just started huh?" Ash assumed. "There's probably only like a dozen of you guys."
"Uhm, hehe uh, but are you perhaps interested?" Alder quickly offered.
"What is expected of me if I join?" Ash pushed ahead with more questions. "Would I be a ranger right away? Or a trainee?"
"I'm glad you asked! What will happen if you join is you immediately become a trainee. All that we ask of you is to study the material we provide. And when you're ready, let us know and we can schedule a test." Alder gave a quick rundown. "That's all you have to know and worry about for now."
Ash took a minute to ponder about this. There really were no drawbacks to joining. Alder even seemed flexible with everything too.
"So, if I join… You'll help me with pokemon battles too?" Ash clarified.
"Comes with the job doesn't it?" Alder said as he pulled out a contract from his sleeveless shirt dress.
Too eager to receive some insight from a former Champion, Ash's tunnel vision led him to signing the contract without reading a single word of it.
"Okay I signed it! I hope to meet many other rangers on my pokemon journey." Ash said happily. He shook Alder's hand to solidify their agreement. "So when will I be able to meet the first ranger?"
"Haha! Yes about that. I am the only ranger in the organization currently." Alder informed.
"Oh, then I look forward to meeting other Ranger Trainees." Ash corrected himself.
"Hehe, uh about that…" Alder shifted his attention to Luna who was running laps around him.
"Is there something wrong?" Ash said.
"Well, you're our first recruit! Congratulations!" Alder said quickly.
"Oh. That's cool I guess." Ash looked slightly disappointed. He felt cheated as Alder made it seem there were plenty of people fighting for the same cause. Instead he entered alone, not really knowing what to expect like most of his life.
"Uh… I know it looks bad now but I'll promise you, once I get the word out about it, there's going to be plenty of trainers joining you." Alder reassured. Genuine sincerity was laced in his words. "It's just hard getting the word out. A lot of people don't really know me despite being a Champion for so long."
As self entitled Ash may have felt for wanting to be a part of something more profound, he still recognized that he was building connections to a Champion.
"Here, as thanks for helping me with my goal." Alder pulled out a small disk. "Consider it a welcoming gift. As for how to beat the water gym. Your best bet is Pikachu but…"
Alder offered his wisdom but soon left Ash to ponder on what the former champion said. To an extent, he understood everything Alder passed to him but he did not think it was good advice. Not until he was in bed with Pikachu gently snoring by his side did Ash realize that pokemon battles were not a testament of strength.
It was an assessment of power. Which one of these two trainers have more power. And it just so happened to be that knowledge is power.
The following days were brutal. For Ash and his team at least. In general, the days in Cerulean City were graced with warm weather. Clear skies and a refreshing breeze swept through the town. Perfect conditions for training.
The days consisted of Ash pushing his pokemons to their limits. Under Brock's care incase of any injuries, Ash encouraged his pokemon to uptake proper conditioning. A lot of his pokemon lacked solid stamina that would prove vital in the upcoming gym battle. Considering Water-types knack for special attacks, Ash will need his pokemon to be somewhat comfortable in a battle of attrition.
Ash's team's lack of special attacks was also a weakness surely to be taken advantage of. Due to this, Ash's main priorities for the gym were Aura and Pikachu. With Alder's TM and suggestions, Ash continued to push his team into newer heights. Making the most of the knowledge of an old Champion.
Occasionally, Ash would ask Serena or Brock as sparring partners. Only so much can be achieved with battling team members, growth was often spurred when facing an unmovable wall. These matches not only triggered improvements in the well being of Ash's pokemon, but it also made Ash aware of the unsettling feeling of losing. Overall, most of Ash's team slowly became stronger.
Aura and his sight were coming around. Though not nearly as perfect as Ash wanted it to be, but enough to understand the flow of battle and when or where to dodge. Simply polishing his battle instincts were more than anything Ash could ever ask.
Pikachu's stamina has made large steps but they were still much shorter compared to the average Pikachu. Previously, Pikachu would struggle with repetitive movements such as walking or running and even struggle with simple compound movements such as jumping. A combination of these movements would usually lead to Pikachu uncontrollably twitching from muscle soreness. Although it may not seem like much, Pikachu learned to control his sporadic twitchings to a certain degree and found it easier to jog a certain distance. It was honest work and it was enough for the battle ahead.
The rest of Ash's pokemon were also progressing well. Luna and Homura continue to exceed Ash's expectations. Luna with her stronger kicks and sturdier body. It seemed she was able to carry her own weight in battle and considering her large size, it was a lot of weight to carry. Similarly, Homura was at the cusp of learning a new move but has not quite gotten the hang of it. Even with Homura being so close to learning a new move, Ash does not know what the move was. If only the shiny Charmander was not so tentative and shy around other pokemon, Homura would prove to be a real force to be reckoned with in the future.
Everyone was putting in one hundred percent effort to train. Even Ash who had to be constantly reminded to take breaks. His studying and research of the Cerulean Gym was reaching unhealthy levels of normalcy. They were approaching obsession almost, going as far as to even learn how the gym was first built. Everyone but one was taking this seriously.
Dusty.
His laid back attitude and nonchalant behaviour made the lack of effort evident in his training. No matter how hard Ash would try to entice Dusty, whether it was with Serena's treats or Brock's sand baths, courtesy of Geodude and Onix, Dusty did not exude the same interests in battling like his teammates. But when asked if he wanted to battle, he adamantly nodded his head and still participated in training. It is just his efforts were not as strongly fueled like the others. More often than not, he would give up on most of the conditioning and fake being fainted just to stop practicing. Dusty's progress was slow. Extremely slow.
But Ash knew he could not forcefully change Dusty's mentality. He was just happy Dusty was still willing to be a part of the team. Albeit slow improvement, improvement was improvement.
"How are you feeling about the gym battle Ash?" Brock said in between bites of his sandwich. Although he was present for most of the training, a trainer's confidence played a large role in an outcome of a battle.
"I feel ready, somewhat." Ash replied.
"But you put in so much hard work, I'm sure you'll do great!" Serena cheered. Ever since she won her first showcase, she has been oozing off positivity.
"Yeah. Try to take a small breather. You're going to battle soon anyways. Save your hard thinking till then." Brock smiled at Ash. Trying to release the pent up anxiety in his shoulders, Ash enjoyed a meal with his friends.
After a satisfying lunch, the trio made their way to the Cerulean Gym, passing the multiple trainers sprinting to the pokemon center. Ash took a deep breath to calm his pounding heart as he mentally reviewed all the public information on the gym.
The Cerulean Gym was run by four sisters. Daisy, Violet, Lily and Misty. They were all strong trainers in their own right but Ash dreaded one trainer more than the rest.
Misty.
Although she was the youngest, Misty was the most capable of the sisters. From what Ash has heard from other trainers in the pokemon center, her starfish pokemons have more than just water attacks to look out for. Apparently her temper is another story too.
"Hm. Another challenger I suppose. Nice to see you Brock. I heard you were travelling again." A pokemon official greeted the trio as they entered the gym.
"Yeah, I'm on my feet again. Just one challenger by the way." Brock said.
"It's me. One badge." Ash pitched in. He gently scratched Pikachu's ears out of nervousness but held his ground.
"Kyaaaa…" Pikachu leaned in to Ash's touch. He rested his head on Ash's shoulder, enjoying the feeling.
"Right, follow me. I'll need to check with the sisters on who is available to battle." The official turned on his heel and began walking toward glass double doors.
Following the official through the door, the sound of water was prominent. The doors led to a large pool of water with dozens of swimmers at one end of the pool swimming. The majority of the pool was used as battlegrounds. There were a total of four separate battlefields, all identical to one another. Two platforms on either side of the pool for every battlefield with swim lines to distinguish different battlefields. At the bottom of the pool, large numbers from one to four can be seen that numbered the different fields.
"Whoa. The gym looks a lot bigger on the inside than the outside." Serena noted. She observed the pool closely and noticed thick, tempered glass between each battlefield.
"Yeah… ooooh." Brock suddenly slurred his words. The sound of Brock's tone immediately alerted Serena and Ash as they knew it too well.
"I'll go get him. Just get ready for your battle." Serena quickly told Ash before running after a lovestruck Brock. Ash mentally facepalmed as Brock began 'smooth talking' the girls in the pool.
Ash looked around the gym and noticed two of the gym leaders already battling other trainers. It seemed as though Daisy and Violet were currently battling other trainers which only left Misty or Lily left. Ash silently prayed Lily was available.
As if his prayers were just answered.
"Ah, Lily! We have a new challenger. He has one badge." The official said. "I can referee also, so we can start as soon as possible."
"Oh uh… I'm kind of like, busy right now." Lily faked a smile. She looked at Ash and seemed to be judging him toe to head. She stopped to stare at Ash's eyepatch before rudely plucking it off Ash's eye. "You got 8th grade syndrome? What's with the— oh."
Ash quickly covered his milky white eye and averted his attention to the pool. It was embarrassing to hear the comments about his eye. In Ash's opinion, it was more of a hindrance in his life that he wished to ignore.
"It's a condition." Ash made an excuse. He thrusted his hand out expecting the eyepatch back.
"Sorry about that. I didn't mean any harm. Honest." Lily said apologetically. She handed Ash his eyepatch back and pulled out a metallic badge the shape of a blue teardrop. "How about this. I'll give you this badge on my behalf for pulling out your eyepatch."
"Lily, I don't think—" The official started but Lily just glared at the official until he took the hint. But before Ash could reject the offer, an angry shout called out to Lily.
"Lily! What are you doing!" An orange haired girl with an overly boisterous personality appeared. She was wearing short shorts and a yellow crop top as she came storming closer to Lily.
"Oh Misty! I thought you were on break." Lily asked. Her fingers began to fidget as Misty was sending daggers her way.
"Are you trying to bribe the challengers again?" Misty accurately accused.
"Err… no?" Lily said unsurely.
"It looks like you are! I'll handle this challenger then. I swear, you guys are so useless sometimes." Misty complained. "I'll be your opponent… uh…?"
"Ash."
"Ash. I'll be your opponent." Misty declared. Ash inwardly groaned. This was the worst person he could battle. But despite this, Ash was far from being demoralized. It just meant the battle was going to be harder, not impossible to win.
Ash took his place at the fourth battlefield across Misty and waited for her to get ready. Serena and a battered Brock took their seats on the stands behind Ash. The swimmers off to the side also decided to watch the battle.
"Ash's got this." Serena said confidently.
"The Sensational Sisters are strong trainers. It'll be interesting how this battle turns out." Brock commented.
"The Sensational Sisters? Is that what they call them?" Serena asked Brock.
"Yeah, it's because the sisters are known for their water shows with pokemon and all." Brock said dreamily as if he himself has watched them perform over and over.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah…" Serena regretted she even asked.
"This is an official battle between Gym Leader Misty and the challenger, Ash Ketchum." The referee announced. He looked at Misty and nodded his head, allowing her to now release her pokemon.
"Staryu, I choose you!" Misty released her pokeball into the air, and out came forth the starfish pokemon. It's red gem glimmered from the artificial light while its golden body stood threateningly on the platform.
"Pikachu, you're up buddy." Ash tapped Pikachu's pokeball, recalling him back into his ball. Without a second thought, Ash threw the pokeball into the air to save Pikachu from jumping onto the platform himself.
"Begin!" The referee commenced.
"Pikachu Thundershock!" Ash pounced at the first turn. He nearly interrupted the referee with how fast he gave the command. But with fast commands came fast response.
"Staryu, into the water!" Misty reacted to Ash. Staryu cartwheeled to the side and slid into the water without a Splash. Pikachu's attack harmlessly licked the platform, missing its target.
"Pikachu, lay flat!" Ash shouted. Pikachu dropped down and laid as flat as possible against the buoyant platform. He faced Misty and stared intently at her, almost as if he was anticipating Misty's next move rather than Staryu's.
Misty grit her teeth and observed the current battlefield. Her gut was telling her Ash had something up his sleeves but she could not figure it out. To make things worse, Pikachu was not attacking her how a normal Pikachu would attack. Most trainers would attempt to force a win through sheer fire power with Pikachu's type advantage and speed but Ash seemed to be biding his time.
"Are you just going to lay there and do nothing?" Misty tried to provoke Ash.
"Are you just going to swim and waste my time?" Ash rejected the bait and fired his own insults.
"That's a bit harsh." Serena said.
"It's just banter." Brock reassured.
Knitting her eyebrows together, Misty watched Ash closely. A few moments of silent warfare passed before impatience got the better of Misty. "Staryu! Water Gun!"
At the sound of Misty's voice, Staryu emerged from the water in a golden flash, faster than Ash can keep track of. The gem at its center faintly glowed as it arched it's top appendage forward. A blue swirl of water formed at its tip before unleashing a pressurized stream of water at Pikachu.
What may have seemed like an attack utilizing the element of surprise was actually a welcoming assault that would allow Staryu to fall into the trap Pikachu and Ash laid. Although Ash was not able to notify Pikachu of the incoming attack, Pikachu's sensitive ears were capable of hearing the disturbance of the water a second before Staryu's appearance. With preemptive knowledge of this simple attack, a second was all Pikachu needed to dodge the attack. So was the way of learning, adapting and overcoming.
"Pikachu! Thunder Wave!" Ash jumped on this opportunity. Pikachu made use of his upper body to roll around the platform, successfully dodging Water Gun that would surely have knocked him into the water. On his back, Pikachu watched the helpless Staryu in the air as gravity slowly pulled it back down. Charging the attack, sparks of electricity danced across his body as a bolt of lightning wrapped around Staryu. It tightened its grip and disappeared. Yellow sparks appeared around Staryu as a sign of it being inflicted with a status effect.
"Staryu!" Misty called out. Staryu dropped into the water, lacking its prior elegance and creating large ripples of water as it resubmerged. Bubbles was all that was left after it disappeared below. "Staryu, stay in the water! Pikachu can't get you from there!"
"That was quite the victory for Ash!" Serena ecstatically pointed out. "Having Pikachu rolling and moving with his arms was a clever idea."
"It's too soon to declare a winner." Brock reminded Serena. "Paralysis doesn't mean the pokemon is out for the count." Although Brock stood by his words, it was hard not to cheer on Ash for his smaller wins.
Even the swimmers on the side were becoming more intrigued at the battle happening next to them. Many stopped their exercise to bear witness of the battle.
"But someone else can." Ash whispered to himself. "Pikachu, return!"
A red light recalled Pikachu back to his ball. In replacement, Ash threw another pokeball in the air. A brilliant white light revealed Dusty taking a stance on the platform.
"Ash has recalled Pikachu." The official announced.
"Dusty?" Brock spoke out loud.
"Isn't Dusty a bit uh… lazy?" Serena chose her words carefully.
"Yeah, I'm not too sure about this." Brock said.
"Dusty, this is a super serious gym battle! Please take this seriously." Ash somewhat pleaded Dusty. "Let's use the new move you learned! Swift!"
Dusty turned to face Misty and formed a bright light around him. He lethargically looked around for Staryu in the water before letting loose a single star at it.
Ash physically shook his head and closed his eye in Dusty's idleness. The attack sliced into the water and dove straight for Staryu. Staryu attempted to move but was unable to and was hit by a single star.
"Uh… Dusty." Ash made eye contact with Dusty who turned to face Ash. He pointed at the Staryu and back at Ash, expecting a complement of some sort. The swimmers on the side can be seen giggling at Dusty's antics while both Brock and Serena simply smiled as if they expected this to happen.
"Staryu! Bubblebeam!" Misty took advantage of Dusty's lack of motivation to continue fighting. In the fleeting seconds Ash dedicated to feeling embarrassed, Staryu managed to climb back onto the platform.
"Dusty behind you!" Ash shouted in alarm. A flurry of bubbles approached Dusty at an explosive speed. Dusty reacted to Ash's voice but it was too late for the pangolin pokemon. He took large amounts of direct damage and was pushed near the edge of the platform. "Dusty, hang in there! I'll switch you out."
The sweat forming around Ash's hand made him fumble with Dusty's pokeball. Before he could call him back, Dusty angrily growled at Ash to let him stay. Without Ash's consent, Dusty charged up an attack and fired an onslaught of Swift at Staryu.
"Dusty…!" Ash cried out at Dusty's rebellious behavior.
"Staryu, Bubblebeam!" Misty glared at Dusty like it was a delinquent. Staryu countered with its own attack causing a huge plume of smoke between the two opponents. Dusty stood his ground breathing hard.
When the smoke cleared, the referee was waving a red flag. "After observing recent events, based on Sandshrew, better known as Dusty, I have deemed Ash's second pokemon to be unable to battle based on its volatile nature and its intent to harm. This is a warning Ash. If this happens again you will be disqualified from this match. Please send out your next pokemon."
Initially feeling disbelief, Ash understood the referee's call to stop Dusty. Disappointed in his own pokemon, Ash looked at Dusty's guilty expression before it disappeared in a red light.
"Wow, I didn't know Dusty had such a temper." Serena noted.
"It was hard to tell because Ash was so lenient with his training that we never saw Dusty pushed around like that." Brock hypothesized. Serena nodded and worriedly looked on at the battle before them.
"You need to keep your pokemon in check. Things could have taken a sour turn if the referee did not interfere." Misty warned. Her annoyed expression was set in display to show her obvious anger towards Ash.
"I'm sorry. It won't happen again." Ash bowed his head in shame as he made a mental note about Dusty. Pushing the thought for a later time, Ash had to think on who to send next. Due to Dusty's mishap, his original plans were no longer going to work. He had to think of another plan on the whim.
Homura was an overall bad option. He lacked battle experience and would be cornered at everything he did. Pikachu was not a bad idea, but Ash needed Pikachu for Misty's next pokemon. Luna was too slow to react to any incoming attacks. With the small platform restricting her movement, Luna would be picked away.
"Aura! I choose you." Ash finally decided. Aura materialized in front of Ash
"Begin!" The referee shouted. This time, Misty beat Ash to the punch.
"Staryu! Water Gun!" Misty ordered.
"Aura, dodge by leaping to their platform!" Nodding in understanding, Aura leapt into the air. "Thunder Punch!" Ash silently thanked Alder for the TM as the attack was about to prove useful in the match.
"Staryu, stop attacking! Back into the water!" Misty changed her command, afraid of having a close quarter fight with a Fighting type pokemon. Although Staryu was able to move, Paralysis perfectly took effect and dramatically slowed its movements. After a rough landing on Staryu's platform, Aura managed to stumble towards Staryu and hit it directly at its center.
To say Staryu went back into the water was an understatement. The starfish pokemon was shot into the water like a shooting star across the blue sky.
"Staryu!" Misty cried out. But the only response she received was Staryu's unconscious figure floating in the water.
"Staryu is unable to battle. The winner of this round goes to Ash Ketchum." The referee ended the round. Whispers can be heard from the swimmers as they were now all part of the audience. Aura leapt back to his platform and looked back at Ash giving him the thumbs up.
"Nice going Ash!" Serena called out.
"Keep it up Ash!" Brock joined in.
Misty cursed under breath before recalling her pokemon. She showed her gratitude by kissing the Staryu's pokeball and whispering sweet words that nobody can hear but her and hopefully Staryu.
"I hope you're ready for my next pokemon. It'll only get harder from here." Misty threw up a second pokemon into the air. The white light that escaped from it revealed a pokemon similar to Staryu. But instead of the golden color, it was dyed a light purple with the same red gem at its center. It also consisted of ten appendages in comparison to Staryu who retained only five.
If there was one word Ash had to describe Starmie as an enemy, it would have to be terrifying. Pictures can only go so far to describing a pokemon. Seeing Misty's Starmie in person made Ash realize just how large it was. Standing at nearly three and a half feet tall and 176 pounds, Starmie was intimidating.
"Hey is it just me or is Starmie a pretty big pokemon?" Serena asked Brock.
"I think it's just you." Brock confirmed as he thought about Onix.
"Hm okay… " Serena muttered. "Ash's style of fighting seems different also."
"It's completely different from how he fought me." Brock contemplated. Certain ideas came to mind about Ash but Brock shrugged it off as nothing more.
Feeling the rising tension and anxiety, Ash held it together by keeping a level head. "Aura, return." Ash pulled out Pikachu's pokeball and chose Pikachu to battle. Misty narrowed her eyes as she recalled Staryu's defeat. Pikachu was mostly to blame for its downfall.
"Ash has recalled Riolu also known as Aura." The referee made clear of Ash's actions. "Begin!"
"Pikachu, Thunder Shock!" Ash shouted. Pikachu energized his body and shot a streak of lightning towards Starmie.
"Starmie! Light Screen." Misty smirked. Starmie's central red gem glowed as an opaque wall stood in front of Starmie. It absorbed the Thunder Shock and left no trace that it ever existed.
"Pikachu… get ready. You're going to have to use your legs." Ash gave Pikachu a warning.
"Pika…" Pikachu said grimly. He shook his legs as if he was trying to warm up.
"Starmie use—" Misty was going to steal a turn from Ash like she did prior with Dusty but Ash was aware of this.
"Pikachu go!" Ash quickly interjected. Without given the proper command, Pikachu understood what Ash meant to say. Getting on all fours, Pikachu extended his legs back and lowered his head. He glared at Starmie's looming figure and with a deep breath, Pikachu used Quick Attack.
The speed of Pikachu using Quick Attack allowed him to literally run on water. Although Misty knew of this tactic from prior battles, what she was not expecting was Pikachu to latch on to Starmie instead of attacking it.
Pikachu's explosive exertion of his legs caused him to slightly drift off course but nonetheless, Pikachu managed to pass through Starmie's Light Screen to tightly grip it's left appendage.
"Starmie, use Psychic to peel Pikachu off of you now!" Misty urgently commanded. She was afraid of Pikachu using a physical thunder type attack.
"Pikachu! Thunder Wave!" Ash gave the order. Pikachu shut his eyes as he focused on the best Thunder Wave he has ever inflicted. He could feel his legs burning in soreness. His calves were beginning to cramp up but all that was ignored and momentarily subsided as electric sparks seeped its way to Starmie's body.
Noticing Starmie already under paralysis, Ash watched as Pikachu was effortlessly pulled off. Starmie's grip on Pikachu was so tight, that even his uncontrollable twitches were being subdued by Starmie's mental prowess.
"We concede the round!" Ash blurted out as fast as he could. "We concede! Stop please. The round is yours."
The referee looked at Misty and nodded. Starmie gently let Pikachu rest on the other platform. His breathing was uneven and the muscles on his legs could be seen continuously flexing.
"Pika…" Pikachu groaned from the soreness and cramps. Despite the suffering, Pikachu looked back at Ash and gave him a large smile.
"Return Pikachu. Leave the rest to us." Ash recalled Pikachu to the safety of his pokeball.
Serena held her hand to her mouth. She knew Pikachu was slowly regaining his strength but to see his progress made Serena proud.
"Gee, seeing Pikachu run like that. Although he lost the round, it really sheds some hope for him." Brock smiled.
"I know it was short Aura, but breaks over." Ash chose Aura to battle.
"You know, I think I'm starting to understand your plan." Misty remarked as she began piecing things together. "Your Pikachu and Sandshrew was the real ticket to your victory. But Sandshrew messed it up with his tantrum. And your Riolu was supposed to finish it off but now he has to fill in the role for Sandshrew."
"I'm glad you're beginning to understand. Took you long enough." Ash said with much wit.
"Don't get too ahead of yourself. Your plan is ruined." Misty snickered. Ash silently lamented at the truth behind Misty's words. If Dusty was still here, Swift would have finished off Staryu without much of a Scratch and Starmie would be hurt enough for Aura to compete with.
"Are you ready Ash?" The referee asked. Ash simply nodded accordingly. "Begin!"
"Starmie! Into the water!" Misty shouted.
"Aura, try to catch it with Quick Attack!" Ash cried out. Starmie slowly cartwheeled towards the water but due to its paralysis, it was painfully slow to Misty's eye. Yet it successfully slipped into the water, dodging Aura's attack.
"Starmie! I'll leave it up to you. Whenever you're ready, use Bubblebeam." Misty smiled coyly. She wanted to see how Ash would counter the next attack if he can. Unfortunately for Misty, her confidence may have cost her the battle.
"Plan B Aura. Smoke it out!" Ash decided on a different course of action. His next move depended on the water of the playing field. "With everything you got, Thunder Punch the water!"
Aura's fist arced with concentrated electricity so bright, it hurt to look at. With a small grunt, Aura forced his hand into the water, allowing the water to naturally conduct the electricity. Ash's grin only grew as the bubbles began to form in the pool.
Researching the gym's source of water was random information Ash came across merely by chance. But it worked in his favor knowing that the water was rich with minerals from the nearby lake north from Cerulean City. This only made the water drastically increase in conductivity the stronger the electric attack was. The environment changed from a water pokemon's home to an electric shocker. The pain to swimming in the pool was comparable to humans walking in a house full of Legos.
Unable to hold out in the water, Starmie rose from the water, sparks of electricity dancing across its body. But before it could fire its Bubblebeam, paralysis took in effect and prevented its attack.
"Starmie!" Misty screamed out. Her pokemon was defenseless in the air and nothing came to mind on how to recoup from Ash and Aura's attacks. The temporary electric terrain and paralysis hitting at the absolute worst moment led Misty and Starmie straight into a pincer.
"Aura, you can stop the Thunder Punch. Get in close and use Metal Claw!" Ash urged his friend. Stopping the flow of electricity, Aura took a few steps to catch his breath from constant exertion of Thunder Punch. He focused on hardening his Claws until they shined with a metallic glint. Taking a few steps back, Aura leapt from his platform to meet with the falling Starmie.
"Starmie! Rapid Spin!" Misty saw an opportunity. Starmie began to rotate at high velocities. Unable to stop himself, Aura crashed into Starmie's attack, which sent him straight into the water near the lane lines. His body bounced off the water with how fast he was thrown but Aura shook it off and glared at Starmie who was now on the platform near Ash. "Starmie, Recover!"
Ash's eye widened as he forgot Starmie was capable of learning the move Recover. He was so caught up in the battle that he forgot Starmie's moveset. "Aura! Don't give it the chance! Use the lane lines to run!"
Ash felt uncertain of his commands. It was true, Aura was becoming better with one eye with every passing day, but asking him to balance on a lane line at top speeds after Starmie might be asking for too much. But Ash had to trust in Aura's abilities.
"Just like the pacers we did before! Take it steady and at your own pace!" Ash encouraged. If Aura fell now, he would never make it in time.
Aura quickly balanced on the lane with all fours before running. His hands and feet slipped with each step he took but he held on tightly. His eye was focused on the step ahead of him which helped lead to every successful step. That was until he glanced at Starmie. The starfish pokemon was emanating a white glow. It's injuries were slowly receding as it gradually regained its strength.
Not wanting Starmie to recover, Aura made the fatal mistake of not watching his next steps. Slipping with his hands, only his legs awkwardly clung onto the lane line.
"Quick Attack!" Ash yelled in desperation. Aura scrambled in the water in a position where his foot was up against the lane lines. Flexing his leg muscles, Aura pushed off the lane lines, causing it to bounce horizontally in the water as Aura zipped through the water. Unable to control his speed and the new feeling of skipping on water, Aura was slightly off mark. Instead of reaching his target, Aura slammed into the edge of the platform and into the air directly above. At the cost of self harm, the sudden shift in the platform stopped Starmie from a complete Recover.
Body in the air, Aura flailed about not knowing what to do. His back was sore from taking most of the impact against the platform and his legs hurt from attempting to run on water. But not wanting to give up, Aura caught Ash's eye, expecting one final attack.
Ash's mind raced a million miles per second. Potential strategies and actions ran through his brain but none other appeared more brightly than having Aura finish off strong. "Aura! Thunder Punch!" Ash shouted. Aura twisted in the air and prepared a Thunder Punch with whatever strength he could muster.
"Starmie, dodge! Don't let him touch you!" Misty worriedly shouted. This fight was getting too close for comfort and she too was getting desperate. Starmie began to edge near the side of the platform but paralysis greatly reduced its speed. As the two pokemon drew closer, both trainers were shaking in anticipation. Both wanting to win this single round more than ever and wishing the worst for each other.
Aura came at the speed gravity allowed him to. At the last second Starmie fell into the water but its appendages were still exposed. Eyes on the star, Aura landed on the platform, barely nicking one of Starmie's appendages before it disappeared into the water.
Silence overcame the entire gym. Even the other sisters, Daisy and Violet came to oversee the battle. The entire gym was watching the fight. And they all saw when Aura crumpled to the ground unconscious.
"Aura is unable to battle. This round goes to Misty." the referee announced.
Ash clenched his teeth as he recalled Aura. He was out of options but he was so close. He could taste victory but everything about the battle pointed towards defeat.
"Holy Arceus. Even after Pikachu and Aura and all that just happened, Starmie is still able to fight?" Serena said in amazement.
"Starmie is quite the pokemon if given the right environment. Its higher than average special attack, special defense and high speed allows it to trump even electric types." Brock informed. He observed Ash and wondered what Ash's next move was going to be.
Ash stood there deep in thought. He had two options. Homura who would surely lose or Luna who would get picked away and of course, surely lose. Homura, although not very effective, knew Ember so it was possible to harm Starmie. But he lacked battle experience and confidence.
Luna on the other hand was one of Ash's more battle driven pokemon. She had the guts and spirit to Tackle any challenge head on but she would be nothing more than a large punching bag.
Ash was stumped. If only things went according to plan, maybe the outcome would be different. Ash second doubted himself as he thought about spending more time on training. Maybe Homura would have had enough time to learn the new move he was trying to learn…
Then it clicked. Dark blue flames. Ash has seen dark blue flames before. Plenty of times actually. He saw blue flames when he was facing Brock for the Boulder Badge. Blue flames were a characteristic of Dragon type moves.
"Homura! I choose you!" Ash threw Homura's pokeball in the air and out came a golden Charmander. He looked a bit timid, but ready to battle. "I know what you've been trying to learn these past few days Homura. If you want to do it, you need to let it all out. No holding back. Lose control."
"Homura?!" Serena spoke in shock. "What is Ash thinking?"
"I'm not too sure…" Brock scrutinized. He was never present when Ash was with Homura. Ash usually asked Brock to help with his other pokemon.
"Oh poor Homura. Things are taking a turn for the worse." Serena said. Her previous confidence in Ash disappeared as she deduced the current situation. Even the swimmers off to the side looked on in confusion.
"I don't think a Charmander is the right choice." Misty gave a suggestion to Ash but Ash simply kept to himself. The second Homura was in danger, Ash would gladly lose and take Homura out of the battle.
The referee looked at both trainer and Gym Leader before raising his flag for the final time. "Begin!"
"Starmie, use Recover!" Starmie swam to its respective platform and silently began rejuvenating.
"Homura. I know this sounds like a lot. But I need you to let everything loose. There's no need to hold back." Ash tried to hype Homura up. But nothing seemed to be working. Then Ash said something that he knew Karma would come back to bite him one day. "They hurt Dusty."
Homura stiffened up at Ash's words. The thought of his friend getting hurt made Homura angry. Smoke began seething out of Homura's nostrils as blue flames licked the side of his mouth.
"Wha—" Misty managed to say.
"Homura! They hurt Dusty! They took out Aura! And Pikachu is in pain again!" Ash fueled Homura's rage. "Homura do it now! Dragon Rage!"
Misty tilted her head in surprise. She was hoping she heard Ash incorrectly but there before her was a golden Charmander with dark blue flames in its mouth.
Serena and Brock both did a double take before going back to being fully engrossed in the battle. Some of the swimmers even had a few of their mouths hanging because of how unexpected it was.
The dark blue flames were beginning to spill out of Homura's mouth and slide into the water. Even in the water, the flames burned for a second longer before sizzling out. Pulling his head back, Homura shot an inferno of flames towards Starmie. The massive column of fire instantly surrounded the starfish pokemon, submerging it in the Dragon's Rage.
"Starmie, get out of there!" Misty commanded. But her voice could not be heard over the flickering flames.
Giving it all he had, Homura stopped his attack and began panting. This was the first time he used Dragon Rage and it was straining his body. But regardless, the attack was a success.
Everyone sat in wait for the blue flames but everyone had a hunch on what was the outcome. The blue flames slowly tempered down to reveal Starmie laying on its back. Its red gem lost its cherry glow and its purple skin was darker than usual from burn marks.
"Starmie is unable to battle! The winner of this match goes to the challenger, Ash Ketchum!"
Sorry for any mistakes. This was a long chapter for me and I may not have gotten all the mistake in here.
Man this chapter was really long. I wanted to fit a lot of things in this chapter and before I knew it, my Google Doc was nearly twenty pages! Holy moly. That aside, the fight for this gym it not up to par with the previous one in my opinion. Mainly because I want to set the a different premise on how I go about gym battles. With Brock, it felt a lot like a normal pokemon battle where I wasn't really adding new things to it despite Ash's team being extremely handicapped. It should be expected for pokemon with trouble to come up with different ways to fight. That's just my opinion of course. So with this gym battle, I tried to change it up a bit but I know it may have degraded my writing in some parts.
Another thing. I did not know how I should have gone with the training. I didn't want to write about the training too much because then it would just seem very boring. And again, the chapter was just getting disgustingly long in my opinion. Uh but yeah, that's all I really have to say for this chapter.
As for the story as a whole, this is my tenth chapter! (Woo!). I applaud you if you are reading this. It is quite a large milestone for me. I don't usually do this cause quite honestly I do feel shameful asking for this. But tell me what I can do to improve the story or something you like about it. It is always nice to read feedback from other people, no matter how mean it may be.
Last but not least. Thank you for reading. I hope you have a badass life.
P.S. Takt of Heroes from Re:zero is one of the best epic OSTs i have ever listened too. May the power of anime be on your side.