As we begin this chapter, I know all of you are curious about Pryce, and how he fits into the GS Ball puzzle. You will have your answer this chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or the concept of Moemon.
Following the events at the Lake of Rage, the gang had arrived at Mahagony Town. They had spent the night at the Moemon Center and had all their Moemon healed. "According to the database, the Gym Leader is a man named Pryce." Laby informed. "As you already know, he uses Ice-type Moemon. It also says that he is cold as ice."
"What does that mean?" Molly asked.
"I think that term refers to people with cold personalities." Wendy guessed.
"Let's hope he's nice enough to let us battle him." Pia said.
When everything was ready, the gang headed to Mahagony Gym, which looked like one of those buildings people go to ice-skate. "Excuse me." A voice called them before Ash reached the door as a girl walked up to them.
Ash had a guess who she could be. "Are you Pryce's assistant, by chance?"
"Seems you're one of those trainers who've done their homework." The girl smiled, looking relieved. "Yes, I'm Sheila, Pryce's assistant." She introduced herself. "Unfortunately, he isn't here right now. Around this time, he's up in the mountains."
"Can you take us to him?" Ash asked. "I wish to challenge him gym badge."
"Of course."
Sheila led the led up the mountains to where Pryce was. It was clear that she had climbed this route several times as she had no trouble walking up the mountain and climbing over rocks. They soon found an old man meditating under a waterfall; he was Pryce. "Excuse me, Pryce. You have a challenger today."
Ash stepped forward. "My name is Ash Ketchum, and I wish to challenge you for the Icicle Badge." He declared his challenge.
Pryce stopped meditating to look at him, and then noticed Pia and Es standing next to him. He also noticed Wendy next to Tomo and Glimmer next to Molly. "Why are those four Moemon not in their Moe Balls?" Pryce asked sternly.
Ash blinked, not expecting such a question. "Pia and Es don't like being in their Moe Balls, so I let them stay out. They're also my most trusted Moemon." He answered. "Wendy is Tomo's partner and Glimmer is Molly's, and those four also trust each other a lot."
Pryce scoffed in response. "Having a battle with you would be pointless." He dismissed coldly.
"What? Why!?" Ash asked hotly, unable to believe Pryce.
"Humans and Moemon being trustworthy partners is ridiculous." Pryce answered coldly. "Being all emotional with your Moemon will never make you a great trainer."
Ash's eyes narrowed at Pryce's statement and Pia and Es also didn't look happy, but Tomo was the one who spoke up first. "You're the one who's ridiculous!" Tomo exclaimed. "Wendy and I have been together for a few years, and we have grown strong together becuase of our friendship!"
"Yeah!" Molly shouted in agreement. "I've only had Glimmer for a couple months, but we're already pretty strong because of our bond!"
Pryce stared at Tomo, Molly and their Moemon. "You young ones don't know the true meaning of Moemon training." He said. "My son and daughter never understood the true meaning of Moemon training. Discipline on your Moemon and showing them who's boss is what I've done for the last forty years of my life." It became clear from his words that Pryce has been cold to his Moemon and trains them with very strict discipline.
"Look here, Pryce." Ash spoke seriously. "I don't know what on earth happened to you or your Moemon forty years ago, but the bonds between humans and Moemon will always prevail, no matter what the situation is." He declared. "I've been trough everything together with my Moemon. It's thanks to them that I've gotten this far." Pia and Es nodded in agreement.
Pryce huffed at his words. "I shall challenge you to a mock battle here and now." He challenged. "Then, I shall see if you are capable of battling me at the gym."
"Very well. I accept." Ash accepted the challenge.
Ash and Pryce took their place to battle, somewhere away from the waterfall and near a cliff. "Dewa, go." Pryce sent out a Dewgong to battle, while Pia stepped forward for Ash's side.
"Pia." Ash spoke seriously. "No need to hold back."
"Uh oh." Giselle winced. "Looks like Ash plans to go all-out."
"I can't help but feel sorry for Pryce's Moemon." Misty said.
Sheila blinked at their words. "Is Ash's Pikachu really that strong?"
"Guess you haven't heard of him." Brock said, and then there was a change in the atmosphere as everyone saw Pia's eyes glow yellow, her body sparking with electricity as her Light Ball gave a bright shine. "Simply put, yes."
Dewa got scared as she felt the amount of power Pia was giving off, backing off instinctively. "Don't be intimidated by some light show!" Pryce scolded her harshly, making her flinch. "Use Ice Beam!" Mustering her courage, Dewa fired a freezing beam at Pia, who calmly raised her hand.
"Thunderbolt." Pia said calmly, firing the strongest bolt of electricity anyone's ever seen her do, easily disintegrating the Ice Beam before continuing towards Dewa undaunted, striking her and causing a powerful electrical explosion so bright it made everyone cover their eyes to avoid the risk of being blinded. When it faded, everyone saw Dewa lying unconscious in a small, smoking crater.
Pryce hummed as he looked at his downed Moemon. Although he didn't show it, he was admittedly impressed by the Pikachu's power.
Sheila, in comparison, was absolutely gobsmacked. "Th-That... I-Is she really a Pikachu?" She asked with a stutter.
"Oh yeah." Wendy smirked. "The strongest Pikachu you'll ever meet."
Pryce returned Dewa to her Moe Ball. "This is the strength Pia and I obtained through our bond." Ash said, narrowing his eyes at Pryce. "If you still refuse to have a gym battle with us after that, then there is something truly wrong with you, Pryce."
Pryce stared at him before turning around. "Walk with me, Ash." He said. Puzzled by his request, Ash, Pia and Es followed him through the mountain area.
The Ice Gym Leader led them to an area of the mountains with entrances to some caves. "I was like you in my younger years;" He soon spoke, getting their attention, "loving to go on a Moemon journey and participate in Moemon Battles. And of course, I loved all my Moemon like they were family. But, I changed my feelings forty years ago."
"...What happened?" Pia asked, both curiously and seriously. "What happened forty years ago that made you deny bonds between humans and Moemon?"
"...Out of all my Moemon, one stood out from the rest. My Piloswine, Ino." Pryce told them. "We fought many Moemon Battles and tournaments together, and we were an unstoppable combination. But, everything changed one day when we faced an opponent with a Magmortar."
'A Fire type against an Ice type.' Ash thought. 'Normally, that would put Pryce at a disadvantage, but Piloswine are also Ground types, making it a mostly even playing field.'
"Now, I know what you're thinking." Pryce said to them. "Yes, normally Ice types are at a disadvantage against Fire types, but Ino is special in that she has her Hidden Ability, Thick Fat."
Ash's eyes widened. "Thick Fat. That ability halves damage taken from Fire and Ice moves, meaning that Ino, despite being an Ice Moemon, isn't weak to fire."
"That's right." Pryce nodded. "However, our opponent had more experience and knew other moves that were still dangerous to Ino, and when she tried to finish her off with Fire Blast, I ran over to protect her. We both got really hurt and burned, but I was worse off, taking the brunt of the attack for her." The three were quite surprised that Pryce did that for his Moemon. "While I was from my burns in a cottage, Ino got up and left me. That's why I don't treat Moemon as family anymore, only as business."
Ash, Pia and Es felt sorry for Pryce. "Pryce..." Es spoke up. "While I feel sorry for you for what you experience, I also feel that Ino didn't leave you just because you lost a match. We Moemon aren't that petty."
"How would you know?" Pryce scoffed. "From what I hear, your trainer's never lost." Neither of them had anything to say against that. While Karen did manage to tie against Ash, he has yet to actually lose a battle.
Just then, Pia noticed something twinkling from inside one of the caves. "Huh? What's that?" She wondered, curiously going over to the cave. Everyone else walked over as she picked a metal object off the ground. "Looks like a leg bracelet." She said, inspecting the object.
Pryce's eyes widened. "I know that leg bracelet. That's Ino's!"
Ash, Pia and Es looked at Pryce with surprise, and then the Aura Guardian looked into the cave. "Pryce, I think we should explore this cave." He suggested. "Since Ino's leg bracelet is here, we may find clues about her disappearance."
Pryce felt uncertain about Ash's words, but then he saw Es close her eyes. "What is she doing?" He asked.
"She's Aura Sight." Ash answered.
"Espeon can't use Aura."
"A Lucario in the Rota Kingdom taught her how."
Soon, Es opened her eyes. "I detected a faint Aura signature from within this cave." He reported. "It felt like an Ice type."
Ash nodded. "That settles it. Come on, we're going in." Ash, Pia and Es walked into the cave. Pryce felt greatly uncertain about the situation, but followed them regardless.
Ash, Pia, Es and Pryce walked deeper and deeper into the cave. "We should be getting close." Es told them. Soon, they had reached a cave which was completely covered in ice.
"Wow, what a cave." Ash said in amazement.
"It's like a cave of crystals." Pryce said.
"Look there!" Pia exclaimed, pointing towards a big block of ice, with someone frozen inside of it. She wore a furry brown dress and had brown hair down to her shoulders that covered her right eye, but it was obvious looking at her left eye that they were closed.
"A Piloswine frozen in ice... She must've been who sensed." Es said, before seeing Pryce look at the frozen Moemon with eyes wide with disbelief. "Pryce?"
"That Piloswine..." The Ice Gym Leader spoke with great shock. "It's Ino..."
The three looked at him with surprise. "Are you sure?" Pia asked.
"Yes. I'd recognize her anywhere. Look." He pointed at Ino's face. "A Piloswine's hair covers both of their eyes, but still leaves enough for them to be seen underneath. But, Ino's hair doesn't cover her left eye. That was due to a battle with a trainer using a Farfetch'd, and she never bothered growing it back...mainly because I complimenting her on how she looked with her left eye showing."
Pia and Es couldn't help but giggle at that, and then the Pikachu noticed that Ino was holding something. "Looks like she was carrying some leaves." She said.
"Those are herbs used to create medicine for treating burns on both humans and Moemon." Pryce explained.
That was the final piece Ash needed. "Now I understand." He said, getting their attention. "Pryce, when you got burned, Ino knew these herbs would help you recover and came here to get them for you. But she got into trouble on the way and ended up frozen in this block of ice." He explained. "She never meant to disappear from you for forty years. She wanted to help you, but was unable to return."
Pryce's eyes widened, realizing that he was wrong about Ino and started to cry. "Ino, I'm sorry." He apologized tearfully.
"Looks like Pryce understands now." Es smiled.
"That's good." Ash said, smiling as well. "Now, let's get Ino out of there." He sent out Fiona, who looked at the situation.
"A Moemon trapped in ice." Fiona said, bringing out her wand. "I shall free you from your prison. Mystical Fire!" She waved her wand in a circle in front of her, creating a ring of fire, and then she blew into it, sending the fire at the ice and melting it, freeing Ino as she fell to the ground.
"My turn." Pia said, walking up next to Ino, rolling her over onto her back and placing a hand on her chest, over her heart. She sent a small jolt into her body, making her jump on reflex. After a few seconds, she let out a weak moan and opened her black eyes.
"Wh...Where am I...?" She asked weakly. Her vision was blurry, but she saw someone walk up to her. As her eyes refocused, she got a better look at the person. "Pryce...?"
Pryce smiled, tears forming in his eyes. "Yes, Ino. It's me." He said, happy that Ino still remembered him after forty years. He picked her up gently and hugged her close, the two crying tears of happiness for being reunited. "True bonds between humans and Moemon do exist after all." Ash and his Moemon smiled, relieved that Pryce believes them now.
Ino then let out a weak moan, getting everyone's attention. "Sorry..." She apologized. "It's just... I feel so weak and tired..."
"Well, you have been frozen for four whole decades." Es said reasonably. "Your condition's understandable."
Ino nodded drowsily. "I just...need to rest." She laid her head against Pryce and fell asleep. The moment she did, her body glowed green.
"Ah, I see." Ash said. "She's using Rest in order to recover."
"You're a clever lad, Ash." Pryce complimented him. He then took out a custom ice blue Moe Ball and used it to return Ino. "Lucky for me, I always keep Ino's Moe Ball with me."
Back with the others, Sheila had finished telling the others about what happened with Pryce and Ino forty years ago. They all felt sorry for Pryce, understanding why he is so cold towards Moemon. "But big brother will get him to open up!" Tomo said confidently.
"I honestly hope so." Sheila said. "He needs to move on from the past."
"Oh, they're back." Serena said, noticing Ash, Pia, Es and Pryce walking back to them.
"Hey, guys. Sorry to keep you waiting." Ash grinned.
"Took you long enough." Wendy joked. "We thought you'd be gone for a little while, but you sure took your time. Did something interesting happen?"
"As a matter of fact, something interesting did happen." Pia smiled.
"What happened?" Molly asked curiously.
Pryce smiled. "We found Ino."
Everyone's eyes widened. "You mean you found your Piloswine!?" Sheila gasped.
"It turns out she didn't abandon him after all. Not purposefully." Ash explained. "She was looking for herbs to cure Pryce's burns, but was unable to return because she had gotten frozen."
"So she was frozen for forty years..." Giselle gasped.
"Yes, but we found her and thawed her out." Pryce said, giving a genuine smiled. "Even after all these years, she still remembers me. It seems true bonds between humans and Moemon do exist after all." Everyone was happy for Pryce, both that he reunited with an old Moemon and that he once again believes in bonds between humans and Moemon. The Ice Gym Leader turned to Ash. "Ash, thank you for helping me understand the truth. I'll glad have a gym battle with you."
"Alright." Ash grinned. "Looking forward to it."
And so, with Pryce reunited with Ino, everyone left back to Mahagony Town.
The gang was currently in Mahagony Town's Moemon Center as Ash was deciding which Moemon to use. "What do you think, big bro?" Molly asked.
"Well, I'm gonna be using Youko, to make it up for Lauren taking her spot in the last gym battle." Ash said. "I'll also use Syia... Elesis will also fight well on an Ice battlefield."
"Those are good choices." Brock nodded in agreement.
Just then, Pryce entered the Moemon Center. "Ah, Ash." Pryce greeted, getting the gang's attention. "Deciding which Moemon to use for our gym battle?"
"Of course." Ash answered. "I've already on three, but I don't know how many Moemon we'll be using."
"It'll be a five-on-five battle." Pryce informed. "And just a little warning, I've told Ino all about you, and she's very eager to fight you."
"I see." Ash smiled. He could already tell this gym battle was gonna be interesting.
"However, I'm here for another reason." Pryce said, becoming serious. "If I recall, one of your Legendary Moemon is a Celebi, correct?"
Ash blinked at the question. "Yeah?"
"Is it okay if I meet her?"
The request was a surprising one, but nonetheless, Ash nodded and sent out Sakuya.
"Yeah, Ash?" Sakuya asked, before looking at Pryce, who was staring at her. "Um, hello." She greeted.
"...You are the same one." Pryce said mysteriously.
"Huh?" Sakuya blinked, confused by Pryce's words. The gang was also confused. "Do you...know me?"
Pryce said nothing for a moment before speaking. "Do you remember the day you were first captured?" He asked Sakuya.
"My...first capture?" Sakuya repeated. She immediately grimaced as she knew what he was referring to. "I do. An evil man captured me with a Moe Ball he created from the stolen Rainbow and Silver Wings. But why do you bring this up?"
Instead of immediately answering, Pryce asked another question. "Do you remember...the young man who tried to protect you?"
Sakuya's eyes widened. "How do you...!?"
"What is he talking about, Sakuya?" Ash asked, feeling like they were gonna learn something big.
Sakuya sighed. "That day, before I was captured, a young boy had approached me at a shrine in Ilex Forest, asking me to send his Lapras back in time so that she may reunite with her mother." She began explaining. "However, before I could, the evil man suddenly attacked me, and I was knocked out. The next thing I knew, I was captured and under that man's control, and his first order to me was to get rid of the young boy that tried to stop him from capturing me."
"Wh-What did you do to him?" Molly asked, scared to know what Sakuya had done.
"My captor didn't specify 'how' to get of him, so I threw the young boy into a time portal. It was the best way to ensure the boy could live without disobeying the evil man's orders." She answered, before turning to Pryce. "But, how do you know about what happened that day?"
Pryce took a deep breath before answering, "Because I was the young boy that tried to protect you."
Everyone looked at Pryce with complete shock. "What!?" Sakuya gasped, unable to believe she was talking to the same trainer from a hundred years ago.
"Ino and I did our best to stop the poacher from capturing you, but his Moemon were too strong, and we were defeated. We were then thrown into time, and the next thing we knew, we were sixty years into the future." Pryce explained. "When we heard about what happened, about the original Tin Tower being destroyed, we both felt guilty for being unable to save you. Since then, we began training to make sure such a thing wouldn't happen again...before we were separated."
Everyone was still reeling from learning that Pryce was a time traveler, before Ash noticed that Sakuya was shaking slightly. "Are you alright, Sakuya?" He asked worriedly.
"I... I'm fine." Sakuya answered, her voice cracking a bit. Her back was turned, so Ash couldn't see her face, but she had a relieved smile. "I had always regretted what I did to that boy, and I always hoped that he would be okay. Seeing him in front of me, alive and well, I can feel the weight being lifted off my shoulders."
Pryce smiled as he patted the Celebi on the head. "I'm happy to see that you are also well."
Everyone smiled at the scene, happy that Pryce and Sakuya both found some closure.
However, Ash knew that he had to tell the Beasts and Hourai what he had learned today. And that was the first thing he did after Pryce left the Moemon Center. "I see." Hourai said, processing the information. "So, it all started because Pryce wanted to return his Lapras to his family."
"Yes." Ash nodded. "He wasn't aware that a poacher was following him, and he and Ino tried their best to stop him from capturing Sakuya, so please don't be too mad at him." He said, paying special attention to Sanda. He knew that of the three Beasts, Sanda did not have the best experience and was afraid of how she would react when she told them.
The Beast of Thunder was aware that her trainer was wary of how she'd react to the news. As such, she took a moment to settle her emotions before giving her answer. "Though it all started because of him, he did so because he wanted to reunite his Moemon with his family. So... while I do feel a bit of anger, I'm willing to forgive him." Ash let out a sigh of relief before giving her a proud smile, which was shared by Hourai.
"Plus, in the end, our lives turned out for the better." Vulcanus added. "If things didn't happen as they did, we wouldn't be here with Ash."
"That's true." Sanda smiled. She would've still been with a trainer who didn't care about her if she didn't 'die', so it was a blessing in disguise.
Thinking about something, Hourai turned to her and her daughters' trainer. "Ash, if it's not too much trouble, can you use Sanda in your gym battle against Pryce?" She requested.
Ash took a bit of time to think about it. Sanda did admit that she was a little angry at Pryce for his failure, and it was best to get that checked while he still can. "Alright. I'll use Sanda in the gym battle."
Sanda smiled. "Thank you. I may not be the best choice on an Ice field, but I'll do my best."
"Well, you have learned how to use Iron Head, Iron Tail and Aura Sphere from our training together, so you have ways to do serious damage to Ice-type Moemon." Pia pointed out, the Electric-type Legendary nodding in agreement.
With his team decided, Ash and the gang headed for the gym, where they saw Sheila waiting at the entrance. "Ah, hello Ash." Sheila greeted him with a smile. "Are you ready for your gym battle?"
"Sure am." Ash grinned.
Sheila led them to the battlefield inside the gym, where Pryce was waiting. The battlefield was an ice rink, with lots of blocks of ice. Pryce himself looked different, now wearing a blue coat with a white scarf. (A/N: Think his appearance in HGSS.)
"Wow, quite the icy battlefield." Ash commented.
"I am an Ice-type Gym Leader after all." Pryce grinned. "Now, shall we begin?"
"Of course."
Ash and Pryce took their places on the battlefield, with the rest watching on the sidelines. "The battle between Gym Leader Pryce and Indigo Champion Ash Ketchum will now begin!" Sheila declared, acting as the referee. "Each Trainer will use five Moemon each, and the battle will end when all Moemon on either side are unable to battle!" Both Ash and Pryce had a Moe Ball in hand, waiting to call out their first Moemon. "Battle Begin!"
"Snow, you're first!"
"Elesis, I choose you!"
Ash sent out Elesis first, whereas Pryce sent out an Alolan Ninetales. She wore an icy blue kimono that faded to white at the ends of her sleeves and skirt portion, with nine fox tails sticking out of her back that were instead an icy blue that faded to a snowy white at the tips, just like her hair, which flowed down her back, and she had cool blue eyes.
"An Alolan Ninetales." Brock identified with a frown. "Those are Fairy types, so Elesis is at a disadvantage." He then noticed clouds starting to form overhead.
"So, she has Snow Warning for her ability." Pia noted as the hail began falling.
Ash frowned, feeling this might be a bad matchup, but he had faith in Elesis. "Think you can handle her, Elesis?" He asked.
"Watch me." The Sneasel smirked. She then immediately blitzed forward and hit Snow with Fake Out, making her flinch, and then quickly followed up with Metal Claw.
"Nice one!" Molly cheered, seeing that the Steel-type attack hurt Snow a good amount.
"Aurora Veil!" Pryce commanded after Snow got her bearings. The Alolan Ninetales spread out her tails, and an aurora-like barrier surrounded her.
"What's Aurora Veil?" Serena asked.
"It's a barrier move that can only be used during hail and snowstorms." Brock explained. "The upside is that it combines the effects of both Reflect and Light Screen, reducing the team's dagame taken from physical and special moves."
"Getting rid of that! Brick Break!" Elesis exclaimed, charging forward to destroy the Aurora Veil.
But of course, her opponent wasn't gonna just let her. "Dazzling Gleam!" Snow shouted.
Ash's eyes widened. "Fall back, Elesis!" He quickly shouted in alarm. His Sneasel heard him in time and quickly jumped back before the eruption of rainbow energy could hit her.
"That's gonna make it difficult to get close." Elesis said, gritting her teeth in annoyance.
Snow calmly smirked in response to this, and then executed her next attack. "Blizzard!" Tails still spread out, she channeled her power and caused the hail to strengthen into a blizzard.
"Stand your ground and use Swords Dance!" Ash commanded while creating an Aura Shield to protect himself from the Blizzard. Elesis withstood the fierce cold winds as she summoned swords of ethereal energy that circled around her, sharply raising her offensive power.
"Alright!" Elesis exclaimed, rushing forward to use Brick Break again.
"Dazzling Gleam!" Just like before, Snow used Dazzling Gleam to halt her advance.
But this time, Elesis was prepared. "Metal Claw!" Switching move, her hands began glowing with steel energy that extended into claws. She thrusted left hand into the explosion of rainbow energy, halting it in place, and used her right hand to slash at the explosion, causing it to break apart.
"What!?" Snow gasped, both her and Pryce shocked by Elesis's stunt.
"Now, Elesis!" Ash called out. With a smirk, Elesis charged forward and used Brick Break to destroy the Aurora Veil, and then followed it up with Poison Jab, knocking her opponent unconscious.
"Snow is unable to battle! Elesis is the winner!" Sheila declared.
"Heck yeah!" Elesis smirked in triumph. "Take that, Fairy type!"
"Great job, Elesis!" Ash praised.
Pryce returned Snow to her Moe Ball. "You did well, Snow." He gave her light praise. Ash heard and smiled, happy that his efforts bore fruit. "Your Sneasel is quite strong, but as you know, Moemon still have room for improvement." He took out the Moe Ball that held his second choice. "Let me show you. Yuno, go!" He tossed the Moe Ball, and a Weavile emerged from it.
"A Weavile, Elesis's evolved form." Misty noted.
"Oh yeah? Well, I'll show you!" Elesis shouted in challenge, before running forward.
"Don't get too cocky." Yuno warned, smirking as she sidestepped to evade Elesis's Brick Break, and then performed a sweeping kick and struck the pre-evolved Moemon in her left leg. Elesis cried out in pain, staggering from the blow, and Yuno took advantage of the opening to hit her in the stomach with Ice Punch, knocking her to the ground.
"Elesis, are you alright!?" Ash called out. Elesis stood up, but Ash could see her wince whenever she moved her left leg. "That's enough, Elesis! You're not fit to fight anymore! Return!" He returned Elesis to her Moe Ball. "Youko, I choose you!" He then sent out Youko.
"Finally, my turn for a gym battle." Youko smiled excitedly.
"You hardly see anyone with a Volcarona these days." Pryce mused.
"Surf!" Yuno formed a sphere of water that exploded into a wave and washed towards Youko, but the Volcarona managed to destroy it with Solar Beam.
"Oh?" Pryce raised an eyebrow. "How did she manage to use Solar Beam indoors?"
"Volcarona are basically artificial suns." Ash explained. "Youko's learned to utilize the sunlight in her body to quickly charge up Solar Beam."
Pryce hummed. "Impressive."
"Dark Pulse!" Yuno fired a pulse of darkness at Youko, but the Volcarona flew out of the way. Youko then vibrated her six wings and released dark green sound waves, but Yuno used Quick Attack to dodge the Bug Buzz, getting behind Youko and hitting her with Dark Pulse.
"Tricky, aren't you?" Youko muttered, turning to narrow her eyes at Yuno and releasing a Flamethrower at her, which the Weavile jumped over and then countered with Surf.
"Youko!" Ash called. "Fire Moth's Dance!"
"What?" Yuno blinked, having not heard that move before. She then saw Youko flying around, dancing in the air. "Quiver Dance? Yeah right!"
"Wait, Yuno!" Pryce tried to warn her, but the Sharp Claw Moemon already jumped up, Night Slash ready to stop her. The old man knew there was more to this move, and he was right. Right when Youko stopped to do a twirl, she released a whirl of flames around her that grew stronger as she spun.
"Crap!" Yuno panicked, realizing she left herself wide open to the sudden attack. The powerful flames hit her and knocked her out of the air and into the ground.
"Now! Use Heat Wave!" Ash commanded. Youko stopped her dance, her offensive power, defensive power and speed having been boosted by Quiver Dance, but her offensive power was boosted again thanks to Fiery Dance. With increased power, she exhaled hot air that defeated the Weavile.
"Yuno is unable to battle! Youko is the winner!" Sheila declared.
"That was quite interesting." Pryce mused as he returned Yuno. "Using Fiery Dance to ensure that Quiver Dance goes uninterrupted."
"That's the idea." Ash smirked as he returned Youko.
"Very smart." Pryce nodded. "Now, you're up, Borea!"
Ash watched as the third Ice Moemon materialized. "An Aurorus now." He identified. "Saeka, I choose you!" He sent out Saeka.
"Interesting." Pryce mused as he inspected the Shiny Skarmory. "Thunderbolt!"
"Block with Steel Wing, then charge forward to attack!" Ash commanded. Saeka's wings solidified with steel energy, and she used them to block the incoming electricity. After successfully the attack, she then flew forward to attack Borea.
"Ice HYPER VOICE!" Borea yelled, releasing icy blue sound waves. The attack hit Saeka and forced her advance to a halt, but there were also small bits of frostbite forming on her body.
"Wait, Hyper Voice isn't an Ice-type move, is it?" Molly asked. Es had put up a Light Screen to protect the others while they watched the battle.
"It's not." Brock confirmed. "However, Aurorus have the ability Refrigerate, which turns Normal moves into Ice moves as well as gives them a small boost in power."
"SAEKA, USE FLASH CANNON!" Ash yelled over the attack. Saeka heard him and fired a beam of metallic light that hit Borea and stopped her attack. "Now, Rock Slide!" He then commanded. The Shiny Skarmory glowed a whitish aura, opening portals above that dropped rocks at her opponent, but the Aurorus recovered fast enough to catch the boulders with Psychic. "Iron Bird!"
"Another one?" Pryce wondered, raising an eyebrow.
Saeka's body flared with the azure flames of Brave Bird as she flew at Borea. The Tundra Moemon flung the rocks at her to try and stop her, but then the flames suddenly became a steel gray.
"Saeka enhanced the Brave Bird with Iron Defense!" Misty gasped, remembering how Kaya did something similar when Ash battled Brock. The steel-enhanced Brave Bird allowed Saeka to fly through, undeterred by the rocks, and collide right into Borea, who screamed in pain as she was sent flying into one of the ice blocks, before it was revealed that she was unconscious.
"Borea is unable to battle! Saeka is the winner!" Sheila declared.
"I never realized youngsters these days were quite inventive." Pryce chuckled good-heartedly as he returned Borea. "Shows what I've been missing. Now, Freaza, go!" He sent out his fourth Moemon. She wore an oversized orange sweatshirt styled to look like a refrigerator over her child-like body, and she had purple hair tied in twintails which went down her back, along with purple eyes.
"She's a Rotom." Laby identified the Moemon. "They're Moemon that can turn their body into plasma to take over electrical devices. This one is Frost Rotom, which is a Rotom that has taken over a refrigerator. They're Electric/Ice types and are capable of using Blizzard in this form."
"Interesting." Saeka said. "I shall take her! Iron Head!"
"Blizzard!" Freaza blew out a blizzard at Saeka, the cold slowing her down enough for the Frost Rotom to evade. "Thunderbolt!" She then released a bolt of electricity at her, but the Shiny Skarmory blocked with Metal Claw.
"Hmm, quite clever." Freaza frowned, before her lips curled up in a wicked smirk. "I'll have to get more serious~" She giggled playfully, and at that moment, a purple aura surrounded her.
"What's that?" Molly asked, a little unnerved by Freaza's behavior.
"Nasty Plot." Giselle replied. "Like Swords Dance, it raises the user's offensive power."
"Rock Slide!" Saeka then created white portals that dropped rocks at Freaza, but the Frost Rotom nimbly dodge the rocks and fired a Shadow Ball. Saeka fired a Dark Pulse to meet it, barely managing to counter it and cause an explosion, but then Freaza released a Thunderbolt through the smoke and shocked her, making her cry out in pain.
"Saeka!" Ash cried out.
"Blizzard now!" Pryce commanded. Saeka blew out a blizzard that froze Saeka. Everyone could see that she was unconscious within the ice.
"Saeka is unable to battle! Freaza is the winner!" Sheila declared.
"You did good, Saeka." Ash praised Saeka as he returned her. "Alright. You're up, Glacia!" He sent out Glacia next.
"Another one?" Pryce blinked. "How surprising."
"Shadow Ball!" Glacia fired a sphere of darkness at Freaza, who easily countered it with Dark Pulse, but then Glacia's body glowed with Mirror Coat and she reflected it back at the Frost Rotom, knocking her to the ground.
"Why you...!" Freaza growled as she floated back up to her feet. "Thunder!" She released a blast of electricity, which Glacia dodged by using Quick Attack, and then her body began glowing an icy blue.
"Synchronoise!" Shouting her attack, the Shiny Glaceon released icy blue shockwaves of psychic power all around the battlefield. Freaza grunted in pain as the waves hit her, leaving her immobilized for a moment. "Now, Hyper Beam!" Taking the chance, Glacia fired an all-powerful golden beam at Freaza, who could dodge in time and thus, was knocked unconscious.
"Freaza is unable to battle! Glacia is the winner!" Sheila declared.
"Not many can truly utilize that move." Pryce said as he returned Freaza. "You and your Moemon are quite clever, Ash."
"Thanks." Ash smiled. "Your Moemon are pretty good, too."
Pryce chuckled. "Well, now you're going to face my best. It's your turn, Ino!" He sent out Ino.
"My turn!" Ino exclaimed excitedly.
"Ino's gonna be tough to beat." Misty sad worriedly. "She may have been frozen for a long time, but I doubt it did anything to hinder her ability to battle."
"Ino, Stone Edge!" Pryce commanded.
"You got it!" Ino responded as she punched the ground, causing a chain of stone pillars to rise up towards Glacia. The Shiny Glaceon dodged with Quick Attack, and then countered with Water Pulse, but Ino froze it with Ice Beam. "Let's try this." Ino stomped on the ground, causing an Earthquake that Glacia jumped up to dodge, but as Ino kept stomping, red sparks of electricity became visible. Then, with a powerful stomp, Ino sent pieces of earth flying at Glacia, hitting her directly.
"Gah!" Glacia cried out as she was knocked out of the sky.
"Glacia!" Ash gasped.
"That was Stomping Tantrum!" Giselle exclaimed, knowing the move that hurt Glacia. "That move doubles in power if the previously used move failed!"
"Even now, that trick still works." Pryce grinned at his long-time partner. "Now, use Giga Impact!" Focusing all her power, she charged straight at Glacia while she was getting up, ramming into her and knocking her into another ice block, which was destroyed by the force of the impact, before the Shiny Glaceon was revealed to be unconscious.
"Glacia is unable to battle! Ino is the winner!" Sheila declared.
"Well done, Ino!" Pryce praised.
"Thanks, Pryce." Ino smiled. "Looks like I still got it."
"You were right, Misty." Brock said with a frown. "Ino's still as tough as she must've been back then."
"You did good, Glacia." Ash praised Glacia as he returned her. He took a good look at Ino. 'Pryce told me that Ino's ability is Thick Fat, so Youko doesn't actually have an advantage against her.' He then took out a Fast Ball. "Guess now is a good time. Sanda, I choose you!" He sent out Sanda.
"Finally." Sanda said, looking at her opponent with a fierce expression.
"Is that Raikou?" Pryce asked, blinking in surprise. "I've heard that you caught Entei and Suicune...but Raikou as well?"
"Yep." Ash nodded, before looking at his Legendary. "I know the other two would've been a better choice to battle you, or Kirei at least, but Sanda wanted to battle you personally."
Pryce's and Ino's eyes widened. "...Did she...?" The Ice Trainer asked, and Ash responded with a quiet nod. "I see..." Pryce sighed sadly.
"Let me clarify now." Sanda spoke to him. "I understand that you did your best, and that what happened to me wasn't truly your fault. I'm willing to forgive you, but I wanted to battle you to let out this anger festering within me."
"We understand." Ino stand, a determined look on her face. "Come at me! I'll take whatever anger you have!"
"Then let us begin!" Sanda roared, solidifying her head with steel energy. "Iron Head!"
"High Horsepower!" Ino met the attack by charging forward, the two ramming into each other before jumping back, the force causing them to skid back to the trainers.
"Ino, use Earthquake!" Pryce commanded.
"Magnet Rise!" Ash quickly commanded. Sanda used electromagnetism to levitate off the ground and avoid the Ground attack.
Pryce nodded with a hum. "I see. You actually thought about that."
"Scald!" Sanda spewed out scalding hot water at Ino, who countered with Ice Beam. Steam exploded out when the two moves of opposing temperatures met, and then Ino charged through the smoke with Giga Impact.
"Iron Tail!" Ash quickly commanded. Sanda solidified her tail with steel energy and swung it at the charging Piloswine, causing sparks to fly at the clash before both get knocked back by the force. "Aura Sphere, now!" Sanda nodded and formed an azure sphere, then fired it at Ino, dealing a clean hit thanks to the recharge from using Giga Impact.
"Stand strong, Ino!" Pryce encouraged.
"Don't worry." Ino assured him. "I'm not done yet!" She suddenly formed stones of ancient energy, and with a shout, she flung them at Sanda, who used Thunderbolt to destroy them.
"Did Ino just learn Ancient Power?" Molly asked, surprised by the move.
"That's bad." Giselle said grimly. "Usually when Piloswine learn Ancient Power, they-" Giselle was cut off by Ino's body glowing a bright light. "...evolve."
"Oh boy." Ash groaned, knowing the battle just got harder.
The light faded to reveal Ino as a fully evolved Mamoswine. She wore a brown fur coat over a brown shirt and brown pants, and had furry brown hair that reach down her back and icy blue eyes.
"Well, I guess it was about time I evolved." Ino chuckled.
"Indeed." Pryce smiled. "Now let's show them what we're made of!"
"Yeah!" Ino smirked. "Icicle Crash!" She blew a cold wind into the air, forming icicles that then dropped onto Sanda, who hovered around to dodge, but Ino managed to catch her with Stone Edge, knocking her into the air. Sanda managed to recover and right herself before she hit the ground, but then Ino charged forward and bit into her right shoulder with Ice Fang.
"Get off!" Sanda roared, shaking the Mamoswine off her. Looking at her right shoulder, she saw that it had already been frozen over.
"Now, Ino!" Pryce called.
"Alright!" Ino smirked.
Ash's eyes widened as he saw an icy blue Aura surround the two. "Oh no... Look out, Sanda!" He warned.
"It's time you youngsters learned a lesson!" Pryce and Ino chanted in unison as the latter released a large gust of cold wind into the air. "Freezing Might Icicle Crash!" Large icicles formed above Sanda. The Raikou's eyes widened as she tried to dodge, but the icicles landed around her, forcing her to stay put as a huge icicle fell down into her, causing an explosion of ice.
"Oh no..." Serena whispered in horror as the explosion cleared, showing that Sanda was badly hurt and struggling to stand. "Poor Sanda..."
"Sanda, hang in there!" Ash encouraged, getting Sanda to turn her head to look at him. "Don't give up, Sanda! You can do this! I know you can!"
"Ash..." Sanda said quietly. She could feel the encouragement from his words, and that's when she realized. This wasn't just about her revenge.
More important than that, this was about helping him win.
Mustering her strength, she pushed herself back to her feet. "Right. I'm not done! I won't lose here!" She roared.
Pryce looked on in surprise. "So simple, yet so effective..." He whispered. "Very well. Use Earthquake, Ino!"
"Jump to dodge, then use Scald!" Ash commanded. Sanda jumped over the Earthquake and spewed out scalding hot water, soaking Ino as well as burning her. Sanda then quickly used Magnet Rise to avoid the impact from landing and then used Extreme Speed to close the distance in a second and ram her with Iron Head, knocking her into an ice block.
"Damn it...! Giga Impact!" Pushing off the ice block, Ino focused all her power and charged at Sanda,but at the last second, the Raikou floated up over her, surprising her, and then Sanda smacked wuth Iron Tail while her guard was down, knocking her off balance.
"Ino, Stone Edge!" Pryce commanded. Ino punched the ground, causing a chain of stone pillar to rise up at Sanda.
"Now! Use Aura Sphere!" Ash commanded. Sanda focused the last of her power into an azure sphere of Aura and fired it, the sphere smashing through the stones and hitting Ino, causing an explosion.
"Ino!" Pryce gasped as his partner was knocked back from the explosion, falling to the ground, unconscious.
"Ino is unable to battle! Sanda is the winner!" Sheila declared. "The victor of this match is Ash Ketchum!"
"I've... done it." Sanda panted, before collapsing from exhaustion.
"Sanda!" Ash cried out, running to his Beast of Thunder. Picking her up, he saw that she was unconscious, due to her exhaustion combined with the damage she took. "You were awesome, Sanda. Way to hang on until the end." He praised her, before returning her to her Fast Ball. "Take a rest. You've earned it."
"You've done well, Ino." Pryce praised Ino as he returned her, before walking up to Pryce. "I've not had such a remarkable battle since I became Gym Leader...no, since I became a Moemon Trainer. Truly takes me back to the old days." He smiled as if reminiscing the old days of his youth. He then handed Ash a light blue and white gym badge shaped like a hexagon with a snowflake design. "In respect of your victory, I present you the Glacier Badge."
"Thank you, Pryce." Ash thanked him as he accepted the badge, looking at it with a smile. "Only one more left."
After the gym battle was over, the gang got ready to leave Mahagony Town. "Thank you again, Ash, for helping me find Ino and lose my cold personality." Pryce thanked Ash.
"I'm just glad I was able to help." Ash smiled.
With Ash's seventh Johto badge in hand and Sanda's anger finally settled, the gang moved on to the next town.
"So, what's the final gym like?" Es asked Laby.
"The final gym is in Blackthorn City, home to Johto's Dragon Clan." Laby informed everyone.
That immediately got Ash's attention. "The Dragon Clan. Lance told us about how they were keeping watch on me. Could it be Lance's hometown?"
"That's correct. And with it being the home of the Dragon Clan, it's no question that their Gym Leader uses Dragon Moemon."
"Hmm." Ash looked to be in thought. "I have enough Dragon Moemon to make a full team, don't I?"
"You do. You have six Dragon types. Seven, if you include Cara's Mega Evolution X."
Ash smirked. "Well, I know who I plan to use, then."
"A Pikachu! A Pikachu!"
Pia's ears twitched upon hearing someone call her by her species name. Looking up, she saw a Murkrow flying overhead. "A Murkrow? Why's she calling about a Pikachu?" She wondered.
"She's here, Mistress! A Pikachu's here!" The Murkrow called.
Pia blinked. "Wait, she's talking about me." Suddenly, a girl in a magician outfit came running over and hugged Pia tightly. "Oh, thank goodness! I finally found someone with a Pikachu!" She gushed.
"Get off!" Pia, not one for surprise tackles this tight, unleashed a Thunderbolt on the girl, shocking the girl and making her let go.
"Yep, that's a Thunderbolt alright." She muttered, twitching but looking happy, before falling to the ground.
"What the heck?" Wendy blinked, confused by the situation.
The girl recovered after a while. "Sorry about that." She apologized. "It's just that I've been looking for someone with a Pikachu, and I'm so happy to finally find someone."
"What for?" Ash asked. "Who are you, anyway?"
"Oh, right! Sorry! I'm Lily, a Moemon Magician, and this here is Mura." The girl introduced herself and her Murkrow. "I make spells using...unusual ingredients."
"Unusual how?" Es asked for clarification.
"My spells need all sorts of things, and they have to be from specific Moemon - so it's not a Thunderbolt, it's Thunderbolt from a Pikachu, that kind of thing." Lily explained.
The Espeon blinked. "Okay, that is unusual."
"I found a spell in my spell book that caught my interest, and one of the ingredients is the one I just mentions - a Thunderbolt from a Pikachu. Now I just need to find the other three ingredients."
There was a flash from Ash's belt as Mea emerged from her Safari Ball. "Depending on the Moemon you need them from, that might take too long." She said. "I know Transform. Just tell me the Moemon and what you need from them, and I'll take care of the rest."
Lily and Mura blinked before looking at each other. "...Well, the spells didn't say that it couldn't be a transformed Moemon." The magician admitted. "Though, by that thought, I could probably get by by catching a Ditto."
Getting the spell ready took no time at all after that.
Stun Spore from a Parasect took less than thirty seconds, since instead of Mea Transforming, Ash sent out Sectonia to help out as well.
The other two ingredients did require Mea to Transform. The second ingredient required tears from an Aipom, but not tears begotten through violence - one for sorrow, two for joy. After confirming that Fake Tears could also work, Mea Transformed into an Aipom that knew Fake Tears.
The final ingredient was dirt from a Meowth's claw. Mea transformed into a Meowth and used Dig, and Lily got some dirt from her claw.
"I am so lucky I met all of you, otherwise I would've never got this spell done." Lily said gratefully.
"By the way, what is this spell for anyway?" Serena asked.
"It's to help humans understand Moemon better." The magician explained.
Everyone blinked in confusion. "But...how?" Es questioned. "We can speak human language just fine."
"I know, but the context of the spell intrigues me. How does a spell help someone understand Moemon better when Moemon are already just superpowered versions of humans? You can tell that my curiosity got the better of me." Lily said. "Okay, any humans want to volunteer?"
"Not me." Misty rejected.
"I'll pass, too." Brock as well.
"I guess I'll try it out." Ash said, stepping forward.
Lily added the ingredients into the cauldron, with Pikachu finishing the spell by adding a Thunderbolt. The magic erupted up from Lily's cauldron, accompanied by a big puff of smoke. It swirled for a moment, seeking its target, then came rushing towards Ash.
And then the next moment...Ash was suddenly a girl!
"Did the spell work?" Ash asked, before gasping and covering her mouth when she heard her now girly voice.
"WHAT THE HECK!?" His friends and Moemon screamed in disbelief.
"Is this the spell's idea of helping him understand Moemon better!?" Pia shouted at Lily. "Changing him into a girl!?"
"I-I don't know!" Lily shouted in self-defense. "I may be a Moemon Magician, but even I can never tell how my spells works! They're self-directed! And they...kind of have a sense of humor."
"Well, this is a joke that could hardly be funny." Mea said with a frown, her long tail smacking Ash's arm.
And then there was a sudden puff of smoke.
"What now!?" Misty shouted in alarm.
The smoke faded, and Ash suddenly looked much different. She wore a black shirt and black shorts, with a furry black collar and furry black tail, as well as messy black hair down to her shoulders with red tips and blue eyes, with fox ears sticking out of her blue hat, which was the only thing that told them that it was still Ash.
"What was that?" Ash asked worriedly.
"An illusion." Mea realized. "Ash, the spell transformed you into a Zorua!"
"Oh, so that's what the spell did!" Lily beamed. "The best way to understand Moemon is to become one! And since all Moemon are female, the spell had to do the extra genderbending step."
"Well, that makes sense." Pia said, weirded out by seeing her Trainer now a Moemon. "So, how long does the spell last?"
"I'm not sure, honestly." Lily admitted. "The spells' duration usually depends on the quality of the ingredients, mainly how strong the Moemon that use the attacks are."
"And Pia's pretty much Legendary level in strength." Sectonia noted, looking at Ash. "So, the spell might take quite a while."
"Right." Ash frowned.
"Do you think your Aura will help you change back quicker, big brother?" Molly asked.
"Wait what!?" Lily shouted in alarm. "Don't do that!"
Molly blinked. "Why not?"
"Some of my books mention Aura users - never positively." Lily said, frowning.
"How so?" Serena asked, worried for Ash.
"Magic...is not like Aura." Lily explained, rubbing her temples. "Whereas Aura can be classified as Fighting type, Magic is more akin to Ghost type. It's about sacrificing something, or some things, to get the spell to work." Lily held out for right hand and seemed to be focusing something into it. After a moment, the gang was surprised to see a sphere of darkness forming into it.
"Shadow Ball?" Es recognized the move.
"This outfit, along with my spell books, are an inheritance from my grandmother." Lily explained. "The gloves allow me to use Ghost moves the same way non-Ghost Moemon can use them - by siphoning power directly from my life energy."
Tomo gasped. "That's dangerous!"
"I know. It's very risky because of how draining the process can be if used too carelessly. That's why Ghost Moemon are best at using Ghost moves. They're technically already dead, so they don't have to worry about it." Lily dispelled the Shadow Ball. "Anyway, for Aura, the user directs it to work as intended, but magic directs itself - well, another way to say it is that the spirits do it, another part of why it's Ghost. It handles all the fiddly little bits of something like completely transforming a living person into a Moemon, swapping their gender, or making someone look younger.
The problem with Aura users like Ash is that they try to replicate it themselves using Aura! Not only is that life energy - and could kill him if he overdid it - but it's basically impossible to catch every single change, so he could kill himself that way!"
Molly paled. "Never mind! Don't try using Aura, big brother!" She exclaimed quickly.
Ash sighed. "Right. So, I'll just have to wait for the spell to wear off."
"That's ideal." Lily said, before frowning. "Although, the way the spell was functioning... Perhaps it is because of how your Moemon are, but it looked different from all the other times I've done the spells." She thought about it for a moment. "Hey, can you imagine yourself as a human? Not using Illusion to look human, but like, thinking yourself as who you were originally?" She reuqested.
Ash blinked. "I'll...try." She said. She closed and imagined herself as how she was before the spell happened, and then there was a bright white glow.
The next moment, Ash Ketchum stood.
"Did it work?" Ash asked, immediately noting that he sounded like a guy again.
"Yep, it worked." Pia said, surprised that he's actually back to normal, before looking at Lily. "Okay. Explain this."
"Again, I'm not sure if it's because of your Moemon or if you're just that special, but the spell made what was supposed to be a temporary transformation into what's basically a Form Change." Lily said, also surprised.
"Meaning Ash could switch between being a male human or a female Moemon." Misty said, before letting out a big sigh. "As if he's not crazy enough, now there's this."
"Huh. I suppose that's cool." Ash said. "Well, thanks for letting us help, Lily. It was fun, as well as enlightening on how Ghost moves work."
Saying their farewells to the Moemon Magician, the gang continued onto Blackthorn City.
Chapter 63 DONE! FUCKING FINALLY!
I can't believe this chapter took almost a whole year to set up! I'm so sorry to everyone who had to wait this long!
Anyway, for the chapter itself.
This is how I linked Pryce to the whole Celebi fiasco. Instead of him being the one who created the GS Ball who caught Celebi, he's actually a time traveller. He tried to protect Sakuya from a poacher who wanted her power, but he lost and was warped 60 years into the future, which ties into what happened between him and his Piloswine. While it wasn't his fault, he still believed himself responsible for the destruction of the original Tin Tower due to him failing to protect Sakuya, and Ash using Sanda in the Gym Battle was a way for him to confront that guilt.
Speaking of the Gym Battle, Pryce's team was way more different than in the anime, with the sole exception being Ino. And since he's in Pokemon Master EX, I gave him a sync move, but this one was with his Piloswine(Mamoswine) instead. Why did they not make his partner Piloswine(Mamoswine)? It would make much more sense than Seel(Dewgong). Oh well, here's hoping we get them as a BP Sync Pair.
And then there's the bit of Ash becoming a Pokemon - or in this case, a Moemon! I never forgot the suggestion to make him a Zorua and give him the ability to change between the two. However, in doing so, I may have made Lily seem a bit more badass than she was in the anime.
Now that that's settled, see you guys next chapter!