Here it is! The next update to this story! R&R my loyal Fan Fiction family! Thank you for the outstanding love you showed me by only giving so many reviews!
So no excuses for the late upload other than lack of time. Got a lot of work right now. It's only because of motivation was I able to finish this chapter at the moment.
Xxx
Cerulean Blues!
"So," May began after swallowing her mouthful. "You most probably want to know what happened after we separated." Ash and Cynthia nodded, helping themselves to some of the various foods in the Pokémon Center Cafeteria.
"I and Proton go way back." She continued. "I don't want to talk about it much. Just know that he's not a guy to be around. If you see him, get out of there and contact the authorities." She told them sternly.
"But-" Ash tried.
"No messing around with him." She repeated. "Do I make that clear?" Ash nodded reluctantly. He wanted to argue but May's voice left no room for argument.
"Whatever happened with him and me is something I don't want to talk about." May told them. "We fought and my Pokémon managed to hold him back-"
"Hold him back? You mean he gave you such a hard time?" Cynthia asked in surprise.
"There's a reason I'm asking you not to get involved with you." May replied. 'But knowing him. He'll get involved with you instead.' She inwardly winced at that.
"And what did that dude mean by saying 'Are You Hiring' in Pewter?" Ash remembered.
"Do you know about the recently introduced Clan System?" May questioned. They shook their heads. "It'll be introduced in Kanto later I think then. Maybe after the League."
"What is it anyway?" Cynthia questioned.
"Clan System?" May repeated. Cynthia and Ash nodded. "I'll let Professor Oak tell you that himself. He knows much more about it than me anyway."
"Oh." Ash said in disappointment. "Anyway, I'm going to go train for the upcoming Gym Battle. You coming?" He asked Cynthia. The blonde nodded.
"I'm coming with you as well." May said, getting up. "You'll need some tips on how to handle Misty and her agile Water Types."
Soon after arriving in Cerulean, May had arrived there way earlier than Ash and Cynthia for some reason, the brunette had found out the identity of the Gym Leader and researched on her. Finding and formulating strategies, she decided to help her tutees out as well.
The trio walked outside the Pokémon center, their Pokémon following them. Well, those who were inside to begin with. May's preferred the natural scenery while Ash and Cynthia's were inside.
"What's your lineup?" May questioned them. Ash replied first, as usual.
"Eevee, Zeus, and then Skylar." May nodded. She turned to Cynthia expectantly.
"Fenniken, Roselia, and then Nidoran." The blonde said. "Fenniken will be the Pokémon to test the leader and find out her style. Roselia will most probably finish her up and Nidoran is backup just in case."
"Ok." May stretched. "Let's go to the Cerulean Peak. We can find some Water Types there and train against them accordingly." They nodded.
"Sounds like a plan." Ash agreed.
"Let's go then!"
Xxx
Cerulean Peak was a bank of the river they had seen in Mt Moon. A lot of Pokémon naturally were there, ranging from Magikarp to the rare Seadra. Ash planned to catch one of the latter.
"Here we are." May announced. The smell of salt water infiltrated their nostrils and they felt relaxed. May, seeing her tutees slack, lightly slapped the back of their heads. "We're here to train. Not relax."
They nodded. "Ash. Eevee and Skylar need experience against Water Types. Zeus can handle himself fine with his Type Advantage. He just needs to get used to them." She turned to the blonde.
"Same case with Roselia. Fenniken can train against her Type Disadvantage for experience you'll need in future. Nidoran can get used to her new moves against them."
"If you find a tough Water Type or want to capture one, do. You already have bonded well with your Pokémon and it's time to extend your capacity as well."
"So let's begin!"
Xxx
"Eevee! Swift!" Eevee yipped and jumped in the air, firing off star shaped projectiles towards the Seadra in front of them. The Seadra snorted and fired off a powerful Water Gun, the pressured water blasting through the stars and hitting Eevee hard.
Eevee cried out in pain and landed on the ground, panting. She got back up though, and snarled at the Water Type. "Shadow Ball!" Eevee fired off the ball quickly but Seadra submerged himself in the water, letting it pass over him harmlessly.
He came out seconds later with a Water Pulse, one Eevee barely dodged with Quick Attack. Ash toyed with her pokéball, thinking of sending in Zeus instead.
He followed up when the Seadra blasted her away with another Water Pulse. Quickly returning his starter, Ash called out Zeus. The Seadra's spikes bristled at his appearance.
He quickly hid himself in the water and made to escape. "Oh no you don't!" Ash snarled. "Zeus! Quick Attack towards him!" The Pikachu burst into motion, running full speed towards him.
He ran straight into the water, wincing a little when his fur got wet, but didn't care and tackled straight into Seadra. The Seadra whinnied, being a seahorse and all, and unleashed a point blank Water Gun.
Zeus squealed in pain at that and his cheeks sparked. The Electric Mouse unleashed a powerful blast of electricity. Seadra yelled in pain and squirmed but Zeus quickly Nuzzled him, paralyzing him.
"Bring him out!" Ash ordered. Zeus bit down on his head horn and began to swim back towards land. Seadra tried to get out of his grasp but his paralysis, plus the never ending voltage coursing through him, stopped him.
Zeus reached the shore and flung him out. Seadra hit the ground hard and tried to get up. Zeus remedied it easily with a Thunder Shock. Seadra fainted at that.
"Go pokéball!" Ash threw the spherical object. It struck Seadra and sucked him in. Zeus shook his wet fur to get rid of the water droplets on it and scampered up to Ash's shoulder.
The pokéball containing the weakened Seadra tinged, signifying his capture. Ash picked it up, smiling victoriously. He saw Cynthia approach him, clad in a decent bikini. They were drenched in water most of the time due to training and so spent most time in swimsuits.
"Congrats on the new capture." Cynthia complimented. Ash smiled back at her. "Seadra are rare Pokémon. And hard to catch too. You're lucky."
"Lucky or talented?" Ash questioned.
"Whichever you like." She shrugged. "You done with training?" She questioned.
"Kind of." Ash responded. "Eevee is tired and I need to eat as well. Want to go?" Cynthia nodded.
Fifteen minutes later they were at the Pokémon Center, changed and taking lunch. Talk came easily to them and talk they did. "Are you going to challenge the Leader today?" Cynthia asked. Ash shook his head.
"I need to train Seadra a bit more and only then I will." Seeing her surprised look, he continued. "The next gyms after this are Suge and Erika. Both of them specialize in types stronger than water. This is the only gym he can have his big debut at. At least in the near future."
"Sounds reasonable." She agreed. "Well. I'm going to challenge him today. You coming?" Ash stared at her.
"Me missing on one of your Gym Battles?" He asked incredulously. "Never in a million years!"
"That settles it." She shrugged. "We'll head over there after half an hour. After my Pokémon get back in tip top condition."
"I'll take some pointers and scan up Seadra then." Ash continued. They nodded again. Seemed like a plan.
"Where's May?" Cynthia asked suddenly.
"She left." Ash replied after a moment. Seeing Cynthia's look, he continued. "She said the friend she was here for had arrived and she had to leave urgently."
"She could've waited until our battle." Cynthia pouted, hurt. Ash nodded in agreement. She could have. But she didn't.
"Oh well." Her best friend smiled. "I'm here for you am I not?"
"That's true." A thought occurred to her suddenly. "Hey. Shouldn't I catch a Water Type as well? They'll be helpful later on."
"You should." Ash replied. "We'll need some against Blaine in Cinnabar Island."
"That's the seventh badge Ash." Cynthia chided. "We'll have plenty of Pokémon by then."
"Hey. We should preplan everything." Ash retorted. "There's no telling what could happen in the future. What if we don't find a Water Type later on?"
"We can use a Rock or Ground Type instead." Cynthia replied. "They're strong against Fire Types as well."
"Oh yeah…" Ash realized. "I always forget about them. I wish I could've caught a Drillbur in Mt Moon though…"
"We can always revisit there later on." Cynthia consoled him. "I want-" She was cut off as Nurse Joy approached them.
"Cynthia Carolina?" She questioned. The blonde nodded. "There's a phone call for you. His name is Ryan."
"Thank you. I'll be there in a minute." Nurse Joy walked away leaving a giddy blonde behind.
"He's your friend from Sinnoh right?" Ash checked. She nodded. "Go chat. I'll finish my lun-"
"Actually." Cynthia interrupted. "I want you to meet him." Ash stared at her at that. "Why? Is that a problem?" She asked innocently.
"You and I both know that I don't want to meet Ryan Cynthia." Ash said wearily.
"Why?" The blonde questioned.
"I just don't want to." Ash sighed.
"Why not?" She pressed. "What's wrong with meeting one of my friends?"
"I just don't want to! Okay?" Ash snarled. Cynthia recoiled a bit at that. Ash winced. "I'm sorry. It's just…" Cynthia nodded wordlessly and walked away.
Ash face palmed hard. "Great…" He muttered. "Nice way to go Ash."
Cynthia walked over to the booth and sat down in the chair. Ryan's face greeted her. "Hey Cynthia!" He acknowledged. "How are you?"
"I'm fine Ryan." She replied gloomily.
"Why the long face?" Ryan questioned. "Anything bad happen?"
"It's nothing." She sighed. "Ash and I had an argument. Nothing major." Ryan's look darkened at that.
"What was the topic?" Cynthia explained the ordeal quickly. "Sounds like one jealous guy to me."
"What would he be jealous of?" The blonde asked defensively. Sure, Ash and she had a fight but that didn't mean that she'll let anyone bad mouth him!
"Are you really asking me this Cynthia?" Ryan asked incredulously. "Leave it. How's Roselia?"
"She's great." The blond replied. "She learned Synthesis and Energy Ball recently."
"That's good." Ryan smiled. "Any other improvement?" Cynthia shook her head. "Oh well, she'll be a real beast once she's a Roserade. Until then, keep unlocking her hidden potential."
"Cynthia?" The blonde peered over her shoulder. Ash stood there with a nervous look on his face. Ryan tried to see him through Cynthia.
"What do you want?" Cynthia asked a little cross.
"Wanted to say hi to your best friend." Ash responded. Cynthia nodded and made space for him. Ash arched his back and looked at Ryan's face. "Hi Ryan. Cynthia had a lot of praise for you."
"Likewise." Ryan said with a curt nod. The tension was visible in the air between two trainers/males who didn't like the other. "Ok then. Chat you later Cynthia. I have some work to do."
"Ok Ryan! Bye." Ryan cut off the call leaving the two staring at a dark, blank screen. "That was interesting." She commented.
"Talk about jealous." Ash muttered under his breath. Cynthia stared at him.
"I heard that." She commented.
"You weren't supposed to." Ash chided. "I thought you knew better than to eavesdrop on my thoughts."
"They weren't thoughts." Cynthia reminded. "You were whispering them out loud." Ash blinked.
"Oh. Ok then." Cynthia face palmed. "C'mon now. Nurse Joy is saying our Pokémon are fully healed. Let's go for your Gym Challenge."
Cynthia nodded. Their brief argument put behind them, the duo walked over to the counter to get their Pokémon.
"Here you are." Nurse Joy said her trademark smile evident on her face. She handed over seven pokéballs, four to Ash and three to Cynthia. "Your Seadra is one powerful specimen." She commented to Ash.
"Really?" Nurse Joy nodded.
"He knows Twister, a Dragon Type move. That means he's already matured enough to evolve into a Kingdra once you show him a Dragon Scale."
"Where can I find one?" Ash queried. Nurse Joy gave him an apologetic look.
"They are very rare here in Kanto. You can search your entire life yet not find one. However," She added seeing the disappointed look on Ash's face. "You can find some in Blackthorn City in Johto. It's known as the City of Dragons."
"In Johto?" Ash repeated. Nurse Joy nodded. "But that's so far away!" He exclaimed.
"We can head over to Johto once we finish our journey in Kanto." Cynthia reminded him. "Or we can visit there once we compete in the Indigo League."
"You're in no hurry anyway." Nurse Joy added. "The more Seadra grows in his current form, the stronger he will be as a Kingdra."
"That's true." Ash sighed. "Oh well. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." He turned to Cynthia. "Let's go have your gym battle shall we?"
Cynthia nodded. The duo turned around in the direction of Cerulean City.
Xxx
Many gyms needed a stable flow of cash to maintain themselves. From repairing the battlefield to paying the staff and the Gym Leader. The Cerulean Gym was no different. While payment from the League would suffice for many, this gym had additional funding as well.
That came in the form of having an aquarium which had all sorts of exotic water Pokémon, which you could gaze over after buying a ticket, and the water ballet shows.
This gym housed the beautiful Sensational Sisters who held shows every other day. Many people of all ages came to the shows, either to gaze over these angelic beauties or to enjoy their skills.
The exterior didn't disappoint either. While the Pewter Gym was imposing, it wasn't overwhelming. The Cerulean Gym on the other hand…
"That's so beautiful." Cynthia whispered in awe. The exterior was nothing short of architectural beauty. From the big, mesmerizing statue of the Cerulean Sisters above the gate to the solar panels arranged intentionally in amazing patterns to the elegant looking gate, it had it all.
"Does the League give this much funding?" Ash questioned. "This has to cost a lot."
"They hold shows all the time," Cynthia reminded. "And there's the aquarium as well. They must have some other way of income as well…" Ash shrugged.
They entered the gym then. The inside had a lot of beautiful and pristine sculptures of water Pokémon. Ash and Cynthia walked forward towards the receptionist.
"Hello there." A blonde receptionist, incredibly beautiful, greeted them. Ash and Cynthia snapped their attention towards her. "You look like trainers. Here for a gym battle?"
"Yup." Cynthia replied. "My name is Cynthia Carolina." The receptionist quickly typed in something and got up.
"And you?" She asked Ash.
"Just tagging along." He replied.
"Follow me." She walked inside the right corridor of the gym, the duo of trainers following her. They went through a few corners before reaching the battlefield.
It was a normal sized battlefield, one made of water with a few floating platforms here and there. On the other side of the field was a female in a swimsuit. Judging by her wet hair and the way the swimsuit clung to her, it was clear she was having a swim before they came.
"Misty!" The receptionist yelled. "The trainer is here. Have fun." She walked off leaving Ash and Cynthia alone.
"Good luck Cynth." Ash mouthed and walked to the stands. Cynthia took a deep breath and tightened her fists.
"Nerves?" Misty asked. Cynthia shook her head. "Afraid?" She shook her head again. "Ready?" Cynthia nodded.
"The battle between me and you will be two-on-two. You can forfeit and substitute mid fight." Misty declared.
"Sounds good." Cynthia answered back.
"I'll choose first." Misty grabbed a pokéball and threw it. Out came a purple starfish like Pokémon with a red core. It gave a weird battle cry and faced Cynthia.
"Roselia! Battle Dance!" Cynthia called out her own Pokémon. The Grass/Poison Type came out and bowed down elegantly. Misty contemplated the foreign Pokémon with interest.
"Interesting Pokémon you have there." She commented. "Starmie, in the water!" Starmie quickly dove from the platform into the water. Cynthia tried to spot her through the water but was unable to.
"Use Growth and then poison the water around you." A green glow wrapped around Roselia as she pointed her bouquet towards the water. Purplish needles hit the water, turning its blue color into purplish.
"Whirlpool." True to the name, the attack turned the place where the water around Roselia into an underwater twister. "Water Pulse." Roselia, who was trying to maintain her balance due to the rocking of the water, was unable to dodge in time.
The compressed water hit her back, sending her stumbling into the water. "Rapid Spin." Roselia cried out in pain as a spinning Starmie slammed into her, sending her further into the water.
"Gr…" Cynthia gritted her teeth as Starmie slammed into Roselia again. "Growth now!" Roselia's form glowed as her powers were boosted again.
Cynthia kept a sharp eye on Starmie's spinning form. A smile tugged on her scarlet lips as the moment came. "Energy Ball followed by Magical Leaf!"
A green ball of energy appeared in front of Roselia. She fired it off, the ball tearing through the water and striking Starmie hard. The Starfish Pokémon was stunned by the twice Growth boosted Energy Ball and couldn't dodge the follow-up Magical Leaf.
"Growth and then Energy Ball towards the bottom!" Roselia formed the ball and fired it after boosting up. The Energy Ball was formidably boosted and exploded violently after hitting the ground.
The shockwave from that propelled Roselia over the water. The Thorn Pokémon landed on one of the plastic platforms and took deep breaths to refuel her lungs.
"Excellent!" Cynthia cheered. "Roselia, use Synthesis!" Roselia glowed and some of her bruises began to heal up.
"Water Pulse." A compressed orb of water blasted Roselia off the platform. Cynthia growled at that until she saw the pink outline around Roselia. "Drown her."
Her eyes widened as Starmie began to do just that. Roselia tried to struggle against the hold but was unable to. "Think harder Princess." Misty called out. "Roselia cannot hold much longer."
Cynthia didn't respond, biting her lower lip in thought. "Roselia cannot fight against Starmie underwater." She said to herself. "But the poison from the toxic water must be working against Starmie by now."
Ash looked at Cynthia with a concerned look. What was she going to do now? Unknown to him, Cynthia was thinking the exact thinking. 'I need Roselia for my strategy. I cannot let her fall so easily…'
Misty looked at Roselia's struggle which were starting to go oh so sluggish. A pity. Her struggles were for naught. "Finish this with Ice Beam."
"Here goes nothing." Cynthia readied herself mentally. "Use the strongest Energy Ball you can muster!" A freezing trio of arcing beams raced from Starmie's jewel towards the stuck Roselia, chilling the water.
Roselia concentrated and fired off her most powerful Energy Ball. The heavily boosted Energy Ball was launched and met the Ice Beam midway.
The following explosion blasted the water in two sides. Some water hit the already wet Misty, drenching her yet again. Cynthia, however, was completely dry and yelped when the wave hit her.
"Ah!" She shrieked. Starmie and Roselia were thrown back from the blast and surfaced. Roselia quickly climbed onto a platform, panting and struggling to stand.
"Starmie. Use Ice Beam." Misty smirked. Cynthia, failing to recover in time due to her drenched form, was unable to issue a command for Roselia.
She was, however, able to see Roselia get hit by a full-on Ice Beam and fall down to her knees (If it had one). "Roselia!" Cynthia yelled out. To the blonde's horror, Roselia began to be incased in solid ice.
"Oh no." Ash muttered. "This isn't good." Roselia stayed still as the Ice Beam gradually incased her. Cynthia, however, had other plans.
"Synthesis now!" Roselia's form glowed and her eyes, previously about to close from tiredness, opened up. "Now return!" Cynthia held out her pokéball.
Roselia was called back. Cynthia let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She then quickly grabbed her hair and pulled them behind her.
"Should've expected to get all wet." Cynthia joked. "Okay then. Go Fenniken!" Misty raised an eyebrow at the foreign Fire Starter.
"You've got some rare Pokémon there." She commented. "Running out of options?" She said as Fenniken looked nervously at the water around her.
"Nah." Cynthia chuckled. "Wanted this fight to be more challenging." She quickly thought over her options. 'Only if Fenniken could use Solar Beam right now.'
Solar Beam was a very strong move to use but tough to learn, especially for a Fire Type. Plus, Fenniken wasn't experienced enough to use such an advanced tactic.
"You get the first move." Misty informed her. Cynthia nodded. Her strategy was to lure Starmie in, force her to sleep, and then finish her off.
"Flame Burst now!" Fenniken opened her mouth and began to fire fast blasts of fire towards Starmie. Without even a command, Starmie fell into the water and avoided the attacks.
The Flame Burst sizzled and evaporated a bit of water when they hit the water. Cynthia was undeterred. "Quick Attack around the platforms now!"
Fenniken yipped and began to dash around the plastic platforms. Cynthia knew what she had to do. Starmie would be coming in to attack pretty soon.
True to her thoughts, Starmie broke the surface while spinning in a Rapid Spin. "Howl!" Cynthia barked. Fenniken took a deep breath before unleashing a powerful howl not unlike foxes at night.
Starmie was a bit stunned by the yell and so, Fenniken had enough time to move out of the way. Starmie hit the surface and bounced off towards the water.
"Flame Burst!" Fenniken fired the blasts again and managed to hit Starmie this time. The Starfish hit the water and hid inside.
"Water Pulse." Misty commanded. The compressed water sphere blasted out of the water and struck the platform Fenniken was on. Fenniken quickly jumped to the other platform as her former was blasted out of the water.
"Heat Wave!" Fenniken took a deep breath, calling on the power inside her. She closed her eyes as the fire began to respond. Misty called for a Water Pulse in the meantime.
'You can do it.' Cynthia thought silently. She saw Fenniken open her eyes, a fiery fire evident in them, and open her may. A huge wave of flames was unleashed, them meeting the Water Pulse and evaporating it.
The Heat Wave actually bypassed the Water Pulse, consuming it, and struck the water. Steam filled the whole battlefield, hiding Starmie and Fenniken from view.
"You know what to do Fenniken!" Cynthia hollered. There was the sound of a splash and then silence. Misty, Ash, and Cynthia waited patiently, the latter two hoping that Cynthia's strategy would work out.
"Something's fishy." Misty murmured. There was a fiery sound and then a huge Heat Wave covered the entire battlefield. The mist cleared to show a knocked out Starmie floating limply and a triumphant wet Fenniken standing atop her.
It took a few seconds for Cynthia to process this before she yelled "You did it!" Fenniken shook her fur aggressively, spraying water droplets to the side, and exhaled flames. She then jumped from Starmie to Cynthia's side, yipping triumphantly.
Misty was stunned. What exactly transpired in the mist that turned the tide of the water? Seeing her confused look, Cynthia began to explain. "Fenniken used the Mist's cover to jump just above Starmie and force her to sleep using Hypnosis. Then it was game over."
"You mean a Fire type willingly jumped in the water just to carry out a risky strategy?" Misty asked after realizing the full extent of the simple statement.
"Yup." Cynthia responded proudly. "I'm glad it worked out perfectly." Misty observed Fenniken silently before replying.
"Did it?" Cynthia looked at Fenniken and saw her freezing in action. Arcs of electricity danced across her fur for a few seconds.
"Gr." The blonde gritted her teeth. "Fenniken. You okay?" She asked in concern. Fenniken nodded, growling at Misty challengingly.
"Good luck trying to beat this one." The Gym Leader threw her pokéball and out came a pinniped Pokémon with a thick hide covered in bluish white fur.
"A Dewgong." Cynthia murmured. As she saw, the Seel jumped into the water leaving Fenniken the lone Pokémon on dry land. She saw the Dewgong swim adeptly through the water, swimming around Fenniken quickly before returning to Misty's side.
Fenniken tensed up at his challenge. Cynthia mused over her options. 'Dewgong is very fast in water but awkward on land. There isn't much land around here. Fenniken would face a lot of difficulty fighting him here. Roselia would have recovered by now…'
"Let's see you face Dewgong Cynthia!" Misty hollered from her side. "We've got more than just Water Attacks!" Dewgong cried in agreement.
"We've got more than Fire Attacks too!" Cynthia responded. Misty gestured her to take the first move. "Quick Attack! Test its speed!" Fenniken growled and then leapt into action.
"That trick again?" Misty asked. She waited for the paralysis to kick in. It finally did and she smirked. "Water Gun!" A powerful blast of water struck Fenniken on her sides. She growled in pain and fell into the water. "Aqua Jet!"
"Swim away with Quick Attack!" Cynthia ordered. Fenniken quickly began to paddle towards the surface but Dewgong slammed into her with a lot of momentum. She was sent tumbling down as Dewgong followed up by another Aqua Jet.
"Try harder Princess." Misty chuckled. "The same tricks won't work again." Cynthia gritted her teeth as the speedy Dewgong began to begin a powerful assault of Aqua Jets on Fenniken. It wasn't letting Fenniken recover at all!
'Think Cynthia think!' The blonde urged. An idea came to her. "Latch onto Dewgong with Bite!" Fenniken, having heard her, quickly opened her maw and bit into Dewgong's neck as he came near for another Aqua Jet.
The pinniped was surprised as Fenniken began to hold on tight. Misty smirked. "Slam her into the wall!" Cynthia widened her eyes in alarm. Dewgong raced towards a wall speed first.
"Release your grip!" She shouted in alarm. Fenniken let go just as Dewgong slammed into the wall. She then began to paddle towards the surface as the disoriented pinniped tried to right itself.
"Not bad." Misty complimented as Fenniken broke the surface and tiredly pulled herself atop a platform. "But Dewgong is far from done." As she said that, her Water Type broke the surface and bared its fangs at Fenniken.
Cynthia noted the bruises on Fenniken's body, no doubt from the various Aqua Jets. "Can you continue?" Cynthia asked in concern. Fenniken nodded.
"Icy Wind." Dewgong exhaled a gust of chilly wind towards Fenniken, the Fire Fox bracing itself.
"Flame Charge!" Fenniken growled and flames lit up around her. The Icy Wind hit her and began to turn into mist, cloaking the fox.
"Not gonna work this time." Misty whistled and Dewgong unleashed a Water Gun. It followed the trails of the Icy Wind and struck Fenniken directly.
The Fire Starter squealed in alarm as her Flame Charge was getting extinguished. "Fenniken!" Cynthia cried in alarm. "Don't give up girl! You can do it!" She said as the flames began to waver.
"Don't let up Dewgong." Misty commanded. Dewgong amped its efforts as more mist began to seep. Fenniken closed its eyes to concentrate, trying to ignore the pain from the Water Gun.
A bad move.
"Look out!" Cynthia screamed. Fenniken opened her eyes to see Dewgong high above her. She tensed up, ready to move, when her Paralysis kicked in. She fell down and Dewgong landed right on top of her.
His crushing weight sank the platform even below and Dewgong cried out in triumph. "Ice Fang. Finish this." Dewgong's fangs flashed icy blue and it stabbed it into Fenniken's neck.
"No!" Cynthia yelled as Fenniken's gave a silent yell before falling unconscious. Dewgong slipped off her and fell into the water, swimming back to Misty's side.
"And there goes the fox." Misty commented. Cynthia grabbed Fenniken's pokéball and returned her, breathing heavily as she tried to comprehend what exactly just happened.
Ash looked at Cynthia and her shaky posture and frowned. The blonde wasn't taking the hit that well. Misty waited patiently for Cynthia to compose herself.
'Fenniken just fainted. I'm down to Roselia only now. And while she's better now, she isn't at full health. How can I defeat that Dewgong with just her?' Cynthia thought frantically. She was always the type of person who had a plan B. This time, though, there was no plan B, only win or lose.
"You okay?" Misty asked after a few moments. "You still have Roselia, you can turn this around." Cynthia didn't respond, looking at the water.
'Could I?' Cynthia thought. 'That Dewgong's pretty strong. And his Icy Wind is super effective against Roselia. Can she hold on?' For the first time in her journey, Cynthia began to doubt herself.
Thankfully for her, there was someone else there for her.
"C'mon Cynthia!" Ash hollered from his bench. "You can still win this! Don't lose hope!" That cut Cynthia from her frantic train of thoughts. She looked at Ash with wide eyes. The Kantonian gave her a thumb up with a smile.
'That's right!' Cynthia realized. 'I can really do this!' She grabbed Roselia's pokéball and threw it. The Thorn Pokémon materialized, looking fresh without the Frozen ailment.
Misty was surprised at the change of condition. Roselia stood up, looking at Dewgong with an analytical look. Cynthia smirked at her confused look.
"Natural Cure." She spoke. "Substitution cures Roselia of any status ailment." Misty didn't show any emotion for a moment before a smile crept to her face.
"Dewgong! Use Icy Wind!" She took the initiative. Dewgong opened his mouth and unleashed the chilly winds. Cynthia decided to change strategies.
"Growth into Energy Ball! Then Growth again and follow it up with a Magical Leaf!" She commanded. Roselia boosted herself and then unleashed the green energy packet. It collided with the Icy Wind and exploded violently.
From the smoke came glowing, sharp leaves. Dewgong quickly ducked under the water and dodged the leaves. Cynthia was prepared. "Magical Leaf in the water! Box him in!"
Roselia cried out in preparation and unleashed her glowing leaves. They cleaved through the water and went into wild waves. Dewgong made a sound not unlike a seal and boosted himself with Aqua Jet.
Cynthia looked at the pinniped with a sharp eye. She knew Dewgong would try to throw Roselia into the water again and Aqua Jet her repeatedly.
That's why, when Dewgong burst behind Roselia, she was ready. "Leech Seed behind you!" Roselia ducked gracefully, Dewgong passing just above her, and slammed her bouquet into his belly.
Dewgong hit the water and swam inside. Cynthia could see that vines had sprouted around him and let a smile play on her scarlet lips. "Roselia! Keep him on the defensive!"
"Aqua Jet!" Misty commanded. Dewgong boosted ahead as Magical Leaves pierced his previous location and arced towards Roselia. The blonde was ready.
"Energy Ball." Cynthia sang. Roselia fired off the green sphere and intercepted Dewgong mid jump. The attack knocked him out of his Aqua Jet and he fell back into the water.
"You're pretty good." Misty commented. Cynthia grinned at her comment.
"Use Synthesis!" Cynthia ordered triumphantly. Roselia stopped in her Magical Leave barrage and began to heal herself. Misty saw the opportunity present itself and capitalized on it.
"Aqua Jet!" She ordered. Dewgong gathered momentum quickly and jumped right at the healing Roselia.
'Hook, bait, sinker.' Cynthia thought. "Mega Drain… now!" As Dewgong slammed into Roselia and threw her into the water, the Thorn Pokémon managed to latch onto the Sea Lion Pokémon.
A green outline surrounded him and, coupled up with the Leech Seed, made Dewgong feel very tired. Misty realized what Cynthia was trying to do and sighed.
"Poison-" She was interrupted.
"I forfeit Dewgong." Misty announced. Cynthia called off Roselia and the Grass Type came out from the water, coupled with Dewgong, and climbed on top of a platform.
Misty called back her Dewgong, praising her. Cynthia hugged Roselia tightly, nuzzling her face against her as a wide smile split her face in two.
"We did it!" Cynthia cheered. "You and Fenniken both were epic!" She called out Fenniken who gave a tired smile to her. The Ice Fang had struck deep and Cynthia involuntarily winced.
She crouched down and scratched Fenniken's ear earning a pleased purr. Roselia sat down from tiredness. Ash made his way to the blonde's side and began to congratulate her as well.
To his surprise, Cynthia gave him a tight hug. "Thanks for the support Ash." She mumbled. "If you weren't there, I couldn't have won."
"Don't sell yourself so short princess." Misty said. The blonde was a bit startled by her sudden appearance. 'Here's the Cerulean Badge." She presented it.
"Thanks for the epic battle Misty." Cynthia thanked her. Misty gave a smile back.
"Thank you for giving me a tough battle instead." She looked at Ash. "You better propose the same toughness. Your friend here left quite a high standard."
"You should worry more about your own team Misty." Ash retorted. "I can prepare myself just fine."
"See that you do." Misty replied back competitively. It seemed the epic battle between Misty and Cynthia had gotten Ash's blood rolling too. Ash would be sure to train Seadra and Zeus to their best.
Let's see Misty face him next.
Xxx
"I still can't believe I won!" Cynthia celebrated. "That was my first real gym battle and I won!" She cheered. Ash grinned at her enthusiasm.
"Technically, your first battle was in Pewter." He reminded her.
"Duh." The blonde rolled her eyes. "I felt like I was handed the badge on a silver platter though. I didn't even have to try." She replied back. "Here though…"
"You had to pull out all stops." Ash ended. "That's true." The duo had reached the Pokémon Center by then and entered inside. Cynthia handed over her pokéballs to Nurse Joy who took them for treatment.
"I'm gonna call my Mom." The blonde informed him. "Tell her about my win."
"Tell her I said hi." Ash reminded. She nodded and walked over to one of the video phones. The Kantonian inwardly chuckled at the excitement and went over to walk on one of the sofas.
Figuring he had nothing better to do, he pulled out his pokedex and began to flip through his Pokémon's data. He needed some ideas on what to do with Seadra. Though the Water Type didn't need much training for now, he didn't want to waste any time.
For one, he could teach Seadra Icy Wind and Dragon Pulse. Dragon Pulse was a tricky one. Even Dragon Types had problems learning that move. If Seadra already had Twister down, he'll have less difficulty to harness the Dragon Energy for Dragon Pulse.
For Icy Wind he'll need to do some research. Seadra shouldn't have much difficulty since Ice Type and Water Type moves were similar in nature.
Hydro Pump was another option he considered. From the battle Seadra had against Eevee and Zeus, he thought Seadra had enough control over Water Pulse to use Hydro Pump. The only problem would be he could face would be similar to Zeus.
He had worked briefly on Volt Tackle with his Electric Type. The Pikachu was able to tap into it and make a brief coating of electricity but that alone tired him out. Seadra would need a lot of experience and stamina to carry out such a powerful and taxing move.
There wasn't much left about Eevee. He could teach her Bite with the help of Fenniken and Refresh for status ailments. Take Down and Double Edge were formidable options but they were more of double edged swords.
Ash considered it for a few moments. Eevee could use the moves for the lack of firepower she'll have in the future. Take Down and Double Edge both packed a punch but they had recoil similar to Volt Tackle.
Hyper Voice was another nice option. He'll have Eevee learn Bite and Refresh first, and then focus on Hyper Voice. It wasn't too hard to earn actually. All Eevee had to do was shout… and shout. She'll have to shout to learn it.
For Skylar, he had a couple of moves in mind. Steel Wing, Agility, Mirror Move, Roost, Razor Wind, Air Slash, Twister, Heat Wave, Tailwind, and Defog. Ash knew he was reaching given Skylar's current level but who said he was going to teach her all of this in one go?
He'll have Skylar work on Defog, Agility, and Steel Wing first. The former are easy enough to learn and Steel Wing could be boosted by Eevee and Zeus's Iron Tail. Heat Wave could be taught after Fenniken mastered it.
Twister would be difficult given its typing but Seadra could assist a lot in that department. Mirror Move was one tricky move to teach so Ash would focus on it later. Razor Wind simply required mastery over air and so did Air Slash. He'll teach Skylar probably after she evolves into a Pidgeot.
The road from Cerulean to Vermillion was a very long one with many trainers and wild Pokémon. He could catch a couple of Pokémon on the way and work on them simultaneously.
Ash thought about his and Cynthia's talk yesterday. She suggested they take a detour and take the Rock Tunnel, catch a Ground or Rock Type, and then reach Lavender Town. There, they could catch a Ghost Type and then head towards Saffron City. From there they could fight Erika first and then use the experience and training to take down Lt Surge's monster of a Raichu.
Ash had to admit, her planning had appeal. Eevee, Zeus, Skylar, Seadra, Fenniken, Nidoran, and Roselia would need some hard training to be able to face Lt Surge properly. Cynthia's struggle against Misty proved they'll have to work harder against others.
The only problem was it would take a good bit longer before they'll be able to fight a Gym Battle. Rock Tunnel was fairly away, and it was wide too. It'll take a week for them to fully traverse it. There was a plus point there too.
They could use the experience. Plus, the Pokémon there could provide a lot of training and frankly Ash and Cynthia could use one of those types. The road from the end of Rock Tunnel to Lavender wasn't that big.
The trainers in middle used mixture of pokémon from Lavender and Rock Tunnel so they could fight against Ghost Types and get used to the typing better. Ghost provided valuable covers their team needed and were versatile.
Ash still remembered how Agatha's Gengar single-handedly destroyed a challenger's team with a shudder.
Any further planning was halted when Nurse Joy called him out. "Ash Ketchum?" Ash nodded. "They're a phone call for you." Ash dipped his head in thanks and made way to one of the booths.
The aged face of Professor Oak greeted him once he reached his destination. "Ash my boy!" He greeted. "How's your journey going?"
"It's going epic." Ash responded with a grin. "Cynthia won the Cerulean Badge today. I'm going to challenge Misty after a few days once I get used to Seadra."
"You have a Seadra?" Oak inquired in surprise. Upon seeing Ash nod, he smiled. "Congrats. They're not easy to capture. You must be incredibly skilled to get one."
"I know." He replied with a smirk. "We're planning on going to Vermillion City next but Cynthia says we should take a detour through Rock Tunnel and Lavender Town and challenge Erika before taking on Lt. Surge."
"Is that so?" Oak asked. "Can't say you couldn't use the experience. Surge's a monster." His eyes seemed nostalgic. "I had a lot of trouble defeating the Vermillion Gym in my younger days. His father was just as ruthless, even more so."
"We're considering both options." Ash added. "I've thought about a lot of training I can have my Pokémon go through. It's a pretty long list but it'll be worth it."
"You make mistakes, you learn." Oak quoted. "What's a human without mistakes?"
"God?" Ash asked back.
"A lifeless vessel who couldn't live life to the fullest. Who will stale because he couldn't learn from his mistakes, hence growing dull when everyone else moves forward. Who would be unable to experience life fully. Do you call that God?" Oak retorted sharply.
"…No." Ash shuddered at that thought. "Thanks for the insight Professor." Oak smiled.
"No problem." He smirked. "Oh! I almost forgot." He exclaimed. "I need you to complete a task for me."
"Go on." Ash gestured.
"A researcher of mine lives at Cerulean Cave. He has his own lighthouse known as Bill's lighthouse. He says a Pokémon handed to him by the League is causing a lot of trouble. The League has set it up on adoption. If a trainer doesn't take it under his/her ownership, I'm afraid," Oak sighed sadly.
"They'll have to put it down."
Ash's eyes widened. Put it down?! "You mean they'll…" Oak nodded. "Give me the entire date you have please."
"The Pokémon is one of the trio starters in Unova. The Grass Starter known as Snivy." He began. "They recovered it from an illegal Pokémon mill. Snivy was born with two abilities instead of one. One being Overgrow and the other being Contrary. Not only that, but both are special abilities."
"She can activate and deactivate Overgrow on will and Contrary only works one way. She can boost herself using a move such as Swords Dance but using Leaf Storm will boost her Special Attack instead of decreasing it."
"Wow..." Ash breathed.
"But they come at a cost." Oak began. "Snivy is heavily scarred. When the League got her, she was in pretty bad knowledge. She's still underweight due to the treatment at the mill. She has gone through a lot of trauma and we're scared she'll always be scarred."
"Snivy hates males with a passion and wouldn't hesitate to strangle one with her vines. She regards everything with suspicion and it's next to impossible to earn her trust. Her special abilities are one of the reasons many trainers applied to get her but none passed."
"…say that again." Ash said after a moment. It was a lot for him to process suddenly. "Wait. If many trainers applied but none got her, then what chance do I have?"
"You have my reference." Oak began. "I personally vouch for you. Plus, you have that inner charisma that can bring anything close to you."
"That's overstating it." Ash stated back.
"You made Cynthia, a girl famous for her social awkwardness and reserved girl, your best friend and practically a support for her. Not to mention she was normal after spending enough time with you. Keeping that in mind, I'm saying the truth."
"Cynthia was never abused or scarred." Ash pointed back.
"Well yes." Oak admitted. "But you're the best bet I have. Next to Cynthia, you have the most merit in this stuff."
"Shouldn't Cynthia have her since Snivy hates males with a passion?" Ash asked after a couple of moments.
"Theoretically, yes." Oak started. "But I repeat my above statements. If someone can cave in her cold, scarred heart. It's you." Ash swallowed at his statement. "If you don't want her, it's no problem. No pressure on you."
"But then she'll be put down!" Ash protested. Oak shrugged.
"The world is cruel Ash. These things happen more than we would love to admit." Oak sighed. "The choice is yours. I've told Bill Ash will be there by tomorrow night. The choice is yours."
"What if I don't go?" Ash questioned in a small voice.
"Snivy dies." With that word, Oak closed the call. Ash sat there in shock for a little while. It wasn't until Cynthia shook his shoulder that he moved.
"What's up?" The blonde questioned in concern. "You seem very shocked."
"Professor Oak just called." He began. "He says…" The two shifted to a couch while chatting and Ash finished. Cynthia regarded her friend's words quietly.
"What will you do?" She asked finally.
"What do you say I should do?" He replied. "I have my doubts." Ash began. "I'm a new trainer. Inexperienced. What if I do something that harms Snivy instead of healing her?"
"The fact you're admitting your faults is the reason you should have Snivy." Cynthia said sagely. "She deserves someone like you. In the end, remember this. The Safest Hands Are Your Own."
"True." Ash nodded. "We'll go to Bill tomorrow then. Kay?" Cynthia nodded. "Enough of me, tell me how did your talk go?" Cynthia beamed and began her chatter.
Few Minutes Later…
"A powerful rare Water Type?" Ash quoted. Cynthia nodded. "You can try to capture it tomorrow on Route 24. We'll be passing the spot anyway. Might as well take a small detour."
"Mom says chances are it's a Clawitzer. A water type from Kalos." Cynthia stretched tiredly. "Enough of that. Let's eat and hit the hay. I'm tired."
"We need to be at full attention tomorrow anyway." Ash got off the couch.
Tomorrow.
A New Day.
New Oppurtunities.
Xxx
Finished this after listening to Gauntlet 2.0 a lot of times and thinking about Pokémon to kill my Writer's Block. Hope you guys enjoyed it! R&R(Read and Review) for support! Your King signing out!
List of Pokémon:
Eevee: Quick Attack, Sand Attack, Shadow Ball. Dig. Iron Tail. Double Team, Swift. (Detect)
Zeus: Thunder Shock, Nasty Plot, Thunder Wave, Iron Tail. Dig. Double Team. Feint. Nuzzle. (Volt Tackle).
Skylar: Tackle, Quick Attack, Gust, Sand Attack, Aerial Ace, and Double Team. (Sky Attack)
Seadra: Water Gun, Water Pulse, Tackle, Smokescreen, Agility, Bubble Team, Whirlpool, Twister.
Cynthia Pokémon:
Fenniken: Scratch, Hypnosis, Ember, Flame Burst, Quick Attack, Flame Charge, Howl, Bite. (Heat Wave).
Nidoran: Tackle, Poison Sting, Confusion, Double Kick, Fury Attack, Peck, Focus Energy.
Roselia: Mega Drain, Growth, Poison Sting, Magical Leaf, Leech Seed, Synthesis, Energy Ball.