I was contacted by Ldrago master who suggested an idea for this chapter, so I decided to incorporate it. Thank you for helping out, Ldrago master!

Disclaimer: I do not own any Pokémon characters! I only own my OCs!

Chapter 19: Pokémon Scent-sation

After a week of hiking and camping, we made it to Celadon City. Not much happened in the timespan between Saffron and Celadon; Ash and I practiced a lot with the Pokémon we were going to use at the Gym, and we did the morning warmup every day to strengthen our muscles and endurance.

Celadon City was just as big as Saffron City, so it was a little difficult navigating through the streets to find the Gym. I read on the pamphlet Celadon City was famously known for its skyscrapers, the huge shopping mall, the Game Corner, and the Gym Leader's perfume shop.

"We'll have a lot to see while staying here", I told the others.

"I can't wait to visit the shopping mall and get some nice new clothes and maybe buy a perfume bottle", Misty said with a tone as if she was in Heaven.

"Perfume, huh? Not my kind of thing", Ash shook his head.

"I think perfumes should be just for adults", I nodded. "Some perfume scents are too much for my nose. When Mom found out I hated the smell of her perfume, she bought a mild one that smelled lovely."

"Your mother is such a nice and considerate person", Misty giggled.

"I don't mean to break the moment, but I've got some business to do here in Celadon City", Brock spoke up.

"Are you going stock up on supplies again?" Ash asked.

"No, I'm going to the beauty salon my biggest idol owns!" Brock replied excitedly. "Her name is Suzie and is known for being one of the best Pokémon Breeders in the world! Her salon is focusing on improving Pokémon's skills and abilities, so I want to learn everything she knows!"

"Are you sure it's just that and not something else?" Misty asked with an unamused expression.

Brock grinned creepily with pink cheeks. "W-Well, you never know what else might develop! Anyways, good luck with the Gym battles, Ash, Ashley! I'll see you guys at the Pokémon Center!"

With that said, Brock ran off like a love-struck Growlithe, if that was the correct phrase.

"And there he runs off", Misty shrugged.

"Well, that's okay", Ash smiled. "If he gets to learn more about Pokémon Breeding, it's just a plus for him."

"Yeah", I nodded. "We all have much to learn about Pokémon to achieve our goals."

"Well, I want to go and do some shopping right away!" Misty exclaimed excitedly.

"Shopping? But we're heading to the Gym now!" Ash argued. "I want to battle here to make up for missing the Saffron Gym!"

"How about this?" I spoke up. "Let's go with Misty and shop for one hour, and then we can go to the Gym. The Gym won't go anywhere and we still have hours left to visit it."

Ash crossed his arms and pondered for a moment before nodding. "Okay. Just one hour, and then the Gym."

"Alright! Thank you, Ash, Ashley!" Misty smiled excitedly and grabbed my brother's arm. "Let's go shopping!"

"Calm down, Misty!" Ash shouted as he was pulled along.

"Although I have one tiny request…", I said hesitantly.

"Yes?" Misty said.

"Can we…visit small shops while we go with you, Misty?"

"Oh… Because of the crowds, right? Sure we can! I saw small shops down this street we can visit. Let's visit those and then I'll hit the shopping mall alone!"

XXXXXXXXXX

I kind of regretted my idea. Ash looked bored out of his mind while Misty browsed through the small boutique to find clothes for herself. I walked around and tried to look like I was interested, but this was actually pretty boring. I didn't know a lot about fashion and nothing stood out that made me feel like I wanted to buy it. Was it because of my autism or my tomboy side that I disliked fashion? Or was I simply not mature yet for it?

The only thing I ended up buying was a bunch of blue ribbons I was going to tie on my Pokémon like what I did with Honey before she left with her shiny mate. Blue was my favorite color and I didn't want to accidently mix up my Pokémon, especially now that Ash and I had two Pokémon of the same species each.

Misty was delighted and happy while she carried two shopping bags from the boutique. I held my own small paper bag containing the ribbons in my arms. They were at a low price, so I bought twenty of them for just in case I had to replace an old ribbon or I would catch more Pokémon, the later alternative being quite obvious since I needed a more balanced team with at least one Pokémon of each type.

"Can we go to the Gym now?" Ash asked a bit irritably.

"Just one more place", Misty chirped. "There's still ten minutes left according to the deal."

Ash grunted in defeat. "Why did you have to suggest this, Ashley?"

"Sorry…", I mumbled sheepishly. "I just thought it would be the best for all of us…"

"I know, but still…", Ash mumbled.

I stopped walking when I suddenly smelled a nice scent in the air. It wasn't as strong as the perfumes I smelled before. It smelled sweet and fresh.

"Something smells good…", I mumbled as I kept sniffing the air.

"Huh?" Ash said.

Misty stopped walking too and smelled the air. "It smells like a lovely perfume."

"Oh no…", Ash mumbled in defeat.

I looked up and saw a sign of a perfume shop. Garden Princess. I think I saw that name on the Celadon City pamphlet so I pulled it out of my pocket to check it.

"Oh! Garden Princess is the shop that Gym Leader Erika owns", I told my brother and friend. "Maybe I should buy a bottle for Mom."

"The Gym Leader?" Ash repeated.

"Let's go in there and see what kind of perfumes they have!" Misty shouted excitedly.

"Um… I want to visit, but I'm afraid the shop might have too much scent, so I'll wait outside", I said nervously.

"I can go in and see if the air is good and then you can come in", Misty suggested.

"That would be much appreciated", I nodded.

The red-head went into the shop and came out ten seconds later. "The air is good in here! They have great ventilation!"

"Oh, okay", I nodded before turning to my brother. "Can you hold this for a moment, Ash?" I pushed the paper bag onto his hands.

"Huh… It's unlike you to be so interested in perfume, Ashley", Ash commented.

"Only when the scents are endurable for my nose", I giggled softly before hurrying inside the shop.

The air in the shop was really fresh and clean. There were so many different bottles of perfume on the shelves and by the front desk. Three young women were assisting Misty and showed her different bottles. They didn't have flashy looks like Gary's cheerleading squad, which I had first imagined before entering the shop. I felt a little nervous to interact with the employees, but I swallowed the saliva in my mouth and walked to them.

"H-Hello…", I greeted.

The woman with purple hair turned to me and gave me a sweet smile. "Hi! Welcome to Garden Princess. How may I help you?"

"U-Um… I want to buy perfume…for my mother", I replied slowly.

"Oh, for your mother? That's so sweet of you", the employee smiled warmly. "I'll help you find the best perfume. What kind of scents does your mother like?"

"Umm… She likes flowers", I replied. "B-But because I'm sensitive to really strong scents she's using mild perfumes."

"Oh, that's eau de toilette", the employee explained. "Don't worry, we have those as well."

She led me to the other side of the shop where they had the eau de toilette bottles. She showed me a few bottles and sprayed cut paper sheets so I could smell them. The eau de toilette had the perfect amount of scent for my nose to handle.

"I like all of these…", I said as I looked at each bottle. "It's so hard to choose…"

"Hey, Ashley! Time's up!" Ash yelled from the threshold. "Are you done yet?"

"Almost, Ash!" I replied before I got an idea. "Hey, Ash, want to help me pick an eau de toilette for Mom?"

"A what-toilet?" Ash repeated confusedly.

"Is that your brother, dear customer?" the purple-haired employee asked me.

"Yes", I nodded before I grabbed the top two candidate bottles. "Ash, which one would Mom like? Rose or violet?"

"Dunno", Ash shrugged. "What's the difference between each bottle, except for the smell?"

"A lot, young man", a new feminine voice spoke up.

I turned to the front desk and felt my eyes widen in awe. A tall woman dressed in a Johtonian kimono and a Geisha wig walked over to us. Her face had the right amount of makeup that made her look beautiful.

"Manager Erika!" the three female employees exclaimed.

"Erika… As in Gym Leader Erika?" Ash asked.

"The procedure for each fragrance is different because of the ingredients we use straight from my garden in my Gym", Erika explained. "Like my best-selling perfume; it contains a certain ingredient that none of my other perfumes have."

"Really… But why would someone want to wear perfume in the first place?" Ash wondered. "I think they stink."

The three employees gasped loudly in shock, including Misty. The corner of Erika's mouth twitched slightly along with her left eyebrow.

"Ash, how can you say such a thing?!" Misty exclaimed angrily.

"What? I just said what I think about perfumes", Ash shrugged.

"You didn't have to say it like that…", I laughed sheepishly.

"Young man, I take your comment as an insult to my shop!" Erika said with a strict voice. "I'm the one creating each perfume there is here, so this is a personal insult!"

"Uh, sorry, but I was being honest with my opinion", Ash said nervously, probably sensing the bad atmosphere. "C-Can we have a Gym battle as to make up for it?"

"Oh, so you're a Trainer? Well, I won't accept your challenge!" Erika declared.

"What?! Are you serious?!" Ash exclaimed in disbelief.

"Anyone who insults my shop and my perfumes are not worthy of challenging me!" Erika explained. "I'll inform the Gym Trainers not to give you entrance to the Gym! Girls!"

"Yes, manager!" the three employees nodded.

I watched how the employee with dark blonde hair grabbed Ash by the collar on the back and dragged him out of the shop. "You're no longer welcome to Garden Princess!" she yelled before she locked the door.

I was in shock for a second before I shook my head to snap out of it. Ash really got kicked out before he could help me pick an eau de toilette for Mom. Which one should I choose?

"I apologize for the commotion, dear customers", Erika smiled sweetly. "Let me help you instead of your disrespectful brother."

"Oh… Okay", I nodded slowly. "But… Is it really true Ash is no longer allowed to challenge your Gym?"

Erika giggled softly. "Oh, I was just teasing him. He's allowed to challenge me tomorrow."

"Huh?" I said confusedly.

"I'm used to hear all kinds of insults, so this isn't new to me", Erika explained. "I like to tease the Trainers who dare to insult my products, but I let them challenge me the next day. It's like a routine for me."

"Aha…", I nodded slowly, now getting it.

Erika leaned close, which made me blush and moved back a bit. She was a beautiful woman; of course anyone would blush if they were close to a lovely person, right? To me, it felt a little embarrassing.

"What kind of woman is your mother?" Erika asked.

"U-Um… She's very kind and a little strict, but always has a smile no matter what my brother and I do…", I said quietly.

"Then I believe the violet scent is best for her", Erika smiled.

I looked at the bottle with violet scent and nodded. "Okay. I want to buy this."

"Most certainly", Erika grabbed the bottle before walking over to the cash register.

I followed her after placing down the bottle with rose scent and grabbed my wallet. "How much does it cost to ship it to Pallet Town?"

"Oh, the postage is free for Trainers", Erika explained while she took the money and the purple-haired employee carefully packed the eau de toilette bottle in a box.

"Free…?" I repeated.

Erika nodded, "You can repay it by challenging me to a Gym battle. You are a Trainer, right?"

"Yes… My brother and I were actually going to challenge you after this shopping spree", I explained.

"Well then", Erika smiled before she gave me the change. "Please wait here while I change my costume and then we can walk to the Gym."

"Sure."

"I'll catch up with you at the Gym after I'm done shopping", Misty told me.

"Okay. Have fun", I smiled softly while sighing inwardly in relief.

XXXXXXXXXX – Ash's POV

I waited for Ashley to come out of the perfume shop after I was kicked out, but I got surprised when she came out with the Gym Leader. Speaking of, Erika had changed her clothes into a sea green short sleeves dress with an off-white design, and her hair was short royal blue hair.

Erika ignored me all the way to the Gym; I tried apologizing and begged to have a Gym battle with her, but I got locked out of the Gloom-themed building.

I sat down a bench in a park nearby and sighed in defeat. "Man, I should've kept my mouth shut. No wonder Ashley's got the brain and I got the stupidity." I started rubbing my head violently, trying to figure things out. "How am I supposed to enter the League now without the Celadon Gym Badge?!"

"Did something happen with Gym Leader Erika, boy?" a voice spoke up.

I stopped hurting myself and looked up to see there was a tall man standing in front of me. He had green eyes, brown hair that was combed back with one lock sticking out, and dressed in a purple suit with four violet rectangles on his chest, a large red ribbon on his neck, and a short white cape.

"Um… Yeah", I nodded, responding to the man's question. "Do you know Erika?"

"Of course I know her", the man chuckled. "She's the Gym Leader of Celadon City. She and I often have practice battles with our Pokémon."

"So you're a Trainer?" I asked.

"Yes", the man nodded. "My name is Eusine."

"I'm Ash from Pallet Town", I introduced myself after standing up from the bench. "Do you think you could help me battle Erika? She banned me from entering her Gym because I insulted her perfume by telling her my honest opinion."

"Did you? Oh no, that's never good, Ash", Eusine wagged his finger. "Erika takes great pride on making her perfume collection. As a man, you should be very careful with how you word your sentences around women."

"I think I just learned the hard lesson…", I said sheepishly.

"Don't worry, Ash; Erika's anger will fade away and you can try challenging her tomorrow", Eusine explained.

"Tomorrow?! But I want to have a Gym battle now!" I exclaimed. "My sister, our friends, and I just arrived after we couldn't challenge the Saffron Gym! I've been training for this one, so I beg you! Please, help me get inside the Gym so I can battle Erika!"

Eusine looked hesitant for a moment before he nodded. "I can give it a try, but be prepared you might not be able to battle Erika at all."

"I'll try accepting that", I nodded.

Erika, here I come!

XXXXXXXXXX – Ashley's POV

I felt bad for Ash when he got locked out of the Gym, but there was nothing I could do to help him. Erika led me to the battlefield that had been prepared by her Gym Trainers who were all women.

"The Gym battle between Gym Leader Erika and challenger Ashley is about to begin!" one of the Gym Trainers announced. "The Trainers will use three Pokémon each! The battle is over when one Trainers' Pokémon have fainted! Only the challenger can switch Pokémon! Begin!"

"Victreebel, let's go!" Erika yelled before throwing a Poké Ball.

"Iiaaah!"

"Firered, I choose you!" I shouted before throwing my Poké Ball.

"Chaaar!"

"Oh dear, a fire-type Pokémon!" Erika gasped.

"Firered, use Ember!" I shouted.

Firered spat a large fire ball that hit Victreebel, causing the flames to engulf the grass Pokémon. Victreebel shrieked in pain before the flames died down and it collapsed on the ground.

"Victreebel!" Erika shouted worriedly.

"Victreebel is unable to battle! Charmeleon wins!" the Gym Trainer called.

"Wow… You did it, Firered! You landed a critical hit!" I smiled happily.

"Chaar!" Firered smiled.

"Victreebel, return!" Erika called before switching Poké Balls. "It's your turn, Tangela!"

"Tange!"

"A Tangela…", I mumbled softly before making a decision. "Firered, return." I called him back and switched Poké Balls. "It's your turn, Kobra!"

"Shaarbok!"

His ability, Intimidate, activated as he glared at Tangela. Tangela got scared and flinched back.

"You sure came prepared with some Pokémon effective against mine", Erika giggled before getting serious. "But it takes more than that to defeat me."

"We'll see about that!" I said. "Kobra, use Poison Sting! Try to poison Tangela!"

Kobra fired poison barbs from his mouth and hit Tangela. Unfortunately, Erika's Pokémon didn't get poisoned.

"Tangela, use Ingrain!" Erika shouted.

"Taaaang!" Tangela dug two of its vines into the ground before it glowed green; a sign that it was healing up.

"Kobra, use Bite!" I shouted.

Kobra flew forward and bit the top of Tangela. Tangela shrieked in pain and tried to shake off my partner, but it failed. At the same time, the grass-type Pokémon's body glowed as it healed up again by Ingrain.

"Tangela, hang on!" Erika shouted. "Use Constrict!"

"Kobra, use Bite again!" I yelled.

Before Tangela could do anything, Kobra bit it again and pulled it up, causing the vines that were using Ingrain to pop out of the ground. He then threw Tangela back onto the field. Dirt flew up at the impact, but it quickly cleared up to reveal Tangela's condition.

"Tangela is unable to battle! Arbok wins!" the referee announced.

"Great job, Kobra!" I shouted joyfully.

"Shaar!"

"Tangela, return!" Erika called back her second fainted Pokémon and switched to her last one. "Everything is up to you, Vileplume!"

"Vileplum!"

"Vileplume…", I mumbled before calling back Kobra and switched to Firered. "I'm counting on you, Firered!"

"Charme!"

"Firered, use Ember!" I shouted.

Firered fired a fireball at Vileplume who shrieked in pain as its large flower was caught on fire. It rolled on the ground to extinguish the fire, which it managed to do.

"That wasn't very nice!" Erika scolded me. "Vileplume, use Stun Spore!"

"Viiiil!" Vileplume sprayed a cloud of yellow pollen at Firered.

My Pokémon got covered by the pollen and struggled to move his arms. "C-Chaar…"

"Firered, don't give up!" I called. "You still have a chance!"

"Vileplume, use Acid!" Erika commanded.

Vileplume spat acid from its mouth and hit Firered. He shrieked in pain as the acid burned his scales.

"Firered, use Scratch!" I shouted.

Firered growled before he managed to move his body and ran toward Vileplume. He raised his right arm with glowing claws and slashed the grass-type Pokémon. Vileplume shrieked in pain as it skidded backwards before stopping in front of the Gym Leader.

"Vileplume, Acid again!"

"Firered, Ember!"

Both Pokémon fired their attacks as they collided in the middle of the field. An explosion erupted and put the field in smoke. It was hard to see where Vileplume was, but my sixth sense told me it was still in front of Firered.

"Firered, Ember again!"

Firered sent another fireball through the smoke. Only seconds later, we heard Vileplume's painful cry before it grew quiet. The smoke cleared up before it revealed Vileplume had fainted and had burns on its body. The Gym Trainers gasped in shock that Erika had lost.

"Vileplume is unable to battle! Charmeleon wins! The winner of the Gym battle is challenger Ashley!" the referee announced.

"Yes!" I cheered happily and ran to Firered to give him a hug. "You and Kobra did it! I'm so proud of you!"

"Chaar…!" Firered purred in delight.

None of my Pokémon had fainted and I didn't even have to use my third and last Pokémon, Luna, for the Gym battle.

Erika called back her Vileplume before walking to me. I straightened up and called out Kobra so he could be part of the win ceremony.

"Congratulations, Ashley. You and your Pokémon have showed resilience, which is one of the important keys as a Trainer", Erika told me before she held out a Rainbow Badge. "As proof of defeating my Gym, I'll give you this Rainbow Badge."

"Thank you, Erika", I nodded before I took the Badge and showed it to my Pokémon. "Look, Firered, Kobra; we've got our fourth Badge. Only four left to win."

"Chaar!"

"Shaarbok!"

"Erika, I challenge you!" a familiar voice shouted.

We turned to the entrance of the battlefield and saw Ash and a mysterious man dressed in a purple suit. The Gym Trainers shrieked loudly like fangirls which made me flinch and cover my ears until they were done with the screeching.

"It's Eusine!" one of the Gym Trainers exclaimed happily.

"Celadon City's most handsome man has come to visit us!" another Gym Trainer gushed.

"Who…?" I mumbled confusedly.

"I see you helped one of the banned Trainers enter my Gym, Eusine", Erika said with her hands on the hips.

"Well, this Trainer is quite stubborn and really insists on battling you", Eusine chuckled.

"That's my brother", I commented softly.

"Erika, I couldn't battle Sabrina in Saffron City because she was away, so I really want to have a Gym battle with you and get my fourth Badge like Ashley!" Ash said determinedly.

Erika stared at my brother for a moment before she sighed deeply. "Okay. Since you managed to get help by Eusine to enter my Gym, despite being banned for the day, I accept your challenge."

"Alright! Thank you, Erika!" Ash smiled before his expression changed into a guilty one and bowed deeply. "And… Um… I'm sorry for what I said about your perfume."

Erika looked surprised by my brother's apology, but then she recovered from it and giggled softly. "I accept your apology. Now, give me a moment to heal up my Pokémon and then we can battle."

"Sure", Ash nodded.

Shortly after Erika healed up her Pokémon with medicinal herbs before the next Gym battle started. Ash went with the same strategy as me; he started off with Charmeleon against Victreebel and finished the flycatcher Pokémon with one huge Flamethrower. When Erika brought out Tangela, Ash switched to Beedrill and took advantage with his Pokémon's Twineedle attack. Tangela put up a fight with Constrict and Ingrain, but it got knocked out after multiple Fury Attacks. Sadly, Beedrill got defeated by Vileplume after only landing one Twineedle, so Ash brought out Pidgeotto. Pidgeotto used Gust to send back Stun Spore at Vileplume, which caused the grass-type Pokémon to get paralyzed instead. That was enough for Pidgeotto to defeat Vileplume with two Wing Attacks.

In the end, Ash and I got our fourth Gym Badges, meaning we were half-way done with the quest to gather the eight regional Badges for the Pokémon League.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ashley's party:

Firered the Charmeleon (male)

Bruce the Primeape (male)

Luna the Clefairy (female)

Kobra the Arbok (male)

Wanda the Gyarados (female)

Oliver the Gloom (male)

XXXXXXXXXX

Ash's party:

Bulbasaur (male)

Charmeleon (male)

Haunter (male)

Primeape (male)

Beedrill (male)

Pidgeotto (male)

XXXXXXXXXX

Ash's Pokémon at the Lab:

Squirtle x5 (males)

Krabby (male)

Pikachu (male)

XXXXXXXXXX

Misty's party:

Goldeen (female)

Staryu (genderless)

Starmie (genderless)

Horsea (female)

XXXXXXXXXX

Brock's party:

Geodude (male)

Onix (male)

Zubat (male)