Having a companion certainly helped pass the time, a fact Serena became aware of quickly as she and Miette traversed the woods to Santalune city. Throughout their journey, both girls had learned a lot about one another. Miette was Serena's age, but had spent the past year traveling around Kalos. The bluenette had introduced Serena to her Pokemon, Slurpuff, and in doing so, this sparked a conversation between the girls about Pokepuffs.
Miette had divulged that she traveled the region to master the art of Pokepuffs. In a region where food and fine cuisine were elevated to the highest level, on par with Pokemon battles, to become the best Pokepuff chef was no small feat.
Serena had listened, enraptured as Miette regaled her with tales about the different cities and towns across Kalos that she had visited and the honey blonde couldn't help but feel the slightest bit envious that Miette had seen so much. The blunette appeared well traveled and seemed so knowledgeable about many of the southern cities of Kalos. It made Serena feel a bit dull in comparison, a country bumpkin who spent a lot of her spare time trying to ride an unwieldy Rhyhorn.
Even so, the two girls quickly became friends and by the time they entered Santalune city, Miette took the lead, as she'd visited once before. The journey had left them both eager for a good meal and so Miette steered them towards a quaint eatery known as The Prancing Ponyta Inn. The restaurant itself was a bit of a landmark, having stood the test of time, its strong brick foundations keeping it standing even after three hundred years.
"You'll love this place," Miette said confidently as she and Serena entered the rustic eatery. "I came here last time I was on Santalune and it... is... divine."
Serena had to agree. The lightning was provided by glass pane windows and candlelight. No modern conveniences or appliances were to be found at the Prancing Ponyta Inn. Methods and techniques used since the building's construction were still employed to cook, prepare and cure the food for consumption. Rustic, handcrafted tables lined the dining room and the two friends took a spot by the window, opened so slightly to allow a cool breeze to waft into the warm restaurant.
A waitress brought forth a pitcher of chilled Oran berry juice, fresh squeezed; a bowl with salad tossed in a light vinaigrette and a platter of artisanal cheeses, rustic country bread loaves and cured meats. It was nice, Serena had to admit. In fact, she'd almost forgotten exactly why she set off to Lumiose city until that 'why' dashed in front of her.
There she was, enjoying a nice meal and a pleasant chat with Miette when a very familiar voice caught her attention.
"How did you like your meal, young man?"
"Oh, man. That food was great! I've never had anything like it."
Those very words sent a tremor through Serena's core. She gasped a large intake of breath and her body went stiff as the fork in her hand clattered noisily to her plate.
"Serena?" Miette asked out of concern.
Slowly, Serena's head craned to look at the counter, and sure enough, the face of the boy she'd dreamed about all these years stood there, not twenty feet away from her and all too real. The stunned girl could do little but gawk as the object of her admiration stood there nonchalantly, paying for his meal to a kindly older woman, who took the compliment in stride.
Even as he completed his transaction, Serena's eyes darted all over Ash's face. His skin, tanned and slightly weathered from years on the road. His clothes, in good condition but slightly stained with dirt. His posture spoke of confidence and energy, and the smile taut on his face was as Serena imagined it to be, as she had seen it all those years ago. The boy she'd met at Pallet town, now grown and as Serena stared at him avidly, she felt her face flush.
It was too soon! What if he noticed her staring? Would he remember her? Would he think she was being weird? Should she approach him then and now? What would she even say? 'Hey Ash, nice to see you after all these years. Here's your towel. Bye!'
But the young trainer did not so much as register her presence, for as Serena underwent a steady meltdown, Ash walked out the door, a Pikachu on his shoulder chattering contently.
A sharp, snapping noise brought her back to reality and when she looked, there was Miette, her fingers ready to snap again and staring at Serena with bafflement.
"Are you okay? You were kind of spaced out for a bit."
In her haste to appear as though nothing was wrong, Serena giggled, though it came out forced more than anything. "Y-yeah, I'm fine. All fine I just thought I saw... eep!" And to Miette's continuing puzzlement, Serena turned her head from the window, hands clasped over her head as if afraid to be seen. Indeed, it just so happened that Ash passed by the window, none the wiser and after a few seconds where Serena could swear her heart would punch out of her chest, she hesitantly checked to make sure the trainer wasn't there anymore.
"Seriously, what is going on?" Miette all but demanded.
"Ash?"
"Ash? Is that a Pokemon? Hey, where are you… Serena, hold on!" Miette called as the girl took off. Hastily leaving a few bills on the table, Miette chased Serena out the restaurant and into the street. She made a trajectory for the balcony overlooking Main Street, her head turning every which way, bent over the handrail in such a way that a slight flutter of breeze on her dress would give any would be onlookers quite a show. But Serena clearly had something else in mind as she searched frantically. For what, Miette did not know.
"Honestly, what's gotten into you?" Miette admonished as she firmly grabbed hold of Serena's shoulder. "Did you see a rare Pokemon or something? Or a movie star at least? I hear Santalune is popular with them."
Miette grew irritated as Serena did not so much as look at her.
Of course, Serena did not mean any ill will by this. The honey blonde had found she rather liked Miette during their brief time as traveling companions. She'd proved a very engaging conversationalist and to Serena's delight, she found they both possessed many common interests. Miette had even offered to show Serena how to make delicious Pokepuffs for the Pokemon she would soon own.
But the blood pounding in her ears meant Serena did not hear the other girl's words. Stupid, stupid. How could I be so stupid, she mentally berated herself. There he was, completely within her reach, almost as if Arceus himself had stepped in and brought Ash before her, and how did she react? She froze like a scared little girl. Serena felt a dreading sensation in her gut as she looked frantically for that mop of hair and hat and the vivid yellow of a Pikachu. No trace of them remained and the honey blonde girl prayed she was not too late. After all, if she lost sight of him now, how long would it be until she saw him again... if she saw him again.
"No, damn it. No," she growled, barely registering the words that came out of her mouth. As her eyes traveled up Champion's Boulevard, she saw it. A flash of yellow, much like the Pikachu. Of course, Serena thought. If Ash was a trainer, then there could be only one reason for him to be in Santalune city, in this precise street junction. The Pokemon gym.
"I gotta get there before it's too late!"
"Too late for... Serena! Agh, come on," Miette groaned, but followed the frenzied girl. "Where are we going?"
"The Pokemon gym!" Serena called out.
"What? But you don't even have a Pokemon. Serena? Serena!"
First thing Ash noticed as he walked in the gym was the giant Butterfree. It hovered over the back wall, its glossy, eight foot wingspan radiantly reflecting the morning dew. Its wings flapped with precision, giving the Bug type a certain elegance Ash would not normally attribute to the Pokemon. A wave of nostalgia washed over him as he remembered his old Butterfree. He wondered whether it was happy, living in the wild with its mate. Maybe he'd fathered a new generation of Caterpie at this point. In fact, seeing how quickly Bug types matured, Butterfree must have a load of great-grandCaterpie climbing around, stuffing themselves full of leaves and basking in the tree branches to soak up the sun.
Butterfree. I hope you're doing okay.
"Pika?"
"Hm?" Ash mumbled, broken out of his reverie by Pikachu tapping his head. "Oh, sorry buddy. I kinda dazed off for a second there." He glanced again to the giant portrait of Butterfree, but quickly averted his gaze. On either side of the Butterfree hung a canvas depicting a lone Metapod in a grassy field and a Caterpie climbing up a tree. Grumbling irritably and trying to shake off the dull ache in his chest, Ash turned his attention away, mindful not to look at any other pictures.
"Hello? Anybody here?"
No response.
"Hear anything, Pikachu?"
The little mouse's ears twitched, straining to pick up a sound. "Pikachu," he said, shaking his head.
Sighing in annoyance, Ash inspected the room further. Save for the pictures on the walls and two columns on either side of the entrance, there was nothing else of note in the room. Well, there was the pole suspended from the ceiling, hung over an opening in the floor. A quick glance revealed the pole fed to a lower level in the gym, itself well lit and likely a passage of some sort.
Shrugging, Ash jumped onto the pole and slid down, only to find himself in a narrow corridor. He followed it to a door at the end of the hall and as he opened it, he couldn't help but gasp at the sight within. A cavernous room awaited and in its center stood a glass-like dome of some sort. Within it, a battlefield, but this was not what drew Ash's attention. A sophisticated system of lights shone from above and all around the glass-like dome in the center grew an abundance of flora, like a greenhouse situated underground. Ferns, bushes, trees, flowers and hedges spread all around the dome, and living in this contained ecosystem were Bug types. The Caterpie, Wurmple, Weedle and Scatterbug lines and their evolutions, as well as more formidable specimens such as Pinsir, Heracross, Scyther and Skorupi.
"Whoa," Ash muttered as he took in the incredible vista. From his shoulder, Pikachu elicited a similar sentiment.
From amidst the chatter, buzzing and clicking of the Bug types, Ash heard a distinct, mechanical noise and an artificial flash of light winked from below him. He saw a woman, stock still, patiently pointing a camera at a cluster of Pineco in the distance. Ash approached carefully. He'd been brushing up on his knowledge of the Kalos gyms and recognized the woman as Viola, the leader of Santalune gym.
He was mindful not to make any noise as Viola worked, her attention solely focused on the Pineco. That was fine. As he waited for Viola to finish taking her shot, Ash turned his attention to the battlefield. It was... surprisingly plain. When he battled Bugsy in Johto, the gym's layout had been restructured to fit Bug types. In fact, pretty much every gym he'd challenged, at least the battlefield itself, reflected the gym leader's preferred style of Pokemon and was designed to conform to the leader's Pokemon's advantage.
So how come Viola had left her battlefield plain? If the years had taught Ash something, it was that Gym leaders played to their field's advantage. The deceptively plain battlefield would be no different, but how would Viola turn it to her advantage? Bug Pokemon could use the foliage to hide with their natural camouflage, use the high ground via climbing or even by using String Shot as a makeshift vine to quickly move from one place to another. The only other option Ash could make out was to conform the flat terrain to the Bug type's advantage. Perhaps by going underground?
A sharp clicking noise drew his attention to Viola, who nodded in satisfaction. She pressed the buttons on the camera, scrolling through the various pictures, no doubt, and Ash considered this a good time to make his presence known. He cleared his throat loudly and the blonde woman perked up, whipping around and as she saw him, she blinked in surprise. However, she recovered quickly and her lips stretched into a pleasant smile that belied her calculating gaze.
"Hello there. How can I help you?"
After a moment of silence, Ash said, "I was hoping to challenge the leader to a gym battle. Is that you?"
"Correct. Viola's the name, and who might you be?"
"I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet town."
Viola arched an eyebrow, eyeing the young trainer with interest. "Pallet town, eh? You sure are a long way from home, little Caterpie." Ash blinked at the odd choice of name, but he didn't think Viola meant it in a mean way.
"Tell me, did you like the pictures upstairs?"
"What?"
"I'm a photographer, you see." She held up the camera for emphasis. "Ever hear the phrase 'a picture is worth a thousand words'? Those photos upstairs were carefully selected by me out of hundreds. They capture Bug Pokemon in a way meant to evoke emotions from those who see them. So tell me, little Caterpie, what did my pictures bring in you?"
Ash ground his teeth. His hands clenched at his sides and he felt a hot spike of shame wash over him, but it went as soon as it came. His reaction did not go unnoticed by Viola, but she did not comment on it.
"Ah, but what am I saying," she said airily and bopped her forehead. "You're a kid of action, aren't you? Let's let our battle speak for itself. There's no better way of getting to know one another. So tell me, Ash from Pallet town, which Pokemon will you use?"
Ash shook off the uncomfortable sensation of being appraised and answered. "I'll use the Pokemon I caught here in Kalos."
Viola nodded. "Very well. How does a two on two battle sound?"
"You're letting me pick?"
"Of course. We can do more or less if you want."
Ash examined the odd woman, not knowing if she was playing with him. "Two Pokemon are all I got."
"Well then, if you'll follow me." She cocked her head and moved to hold the door to the glass dome open for Ash, who entered and as they took their positions at either end, Viola announced. "Alright. Rules. This gym battle will be a two on two match. As the challenger, you'll be allowed to switch out your Pokemon during the battle. Whoever's Pokemon team faints first will be the loser. Simple enough?" Ash nodded. "Then let's get this battle underway!" The blonde declared enthusiastically. She reached into one of the pockets of her baggy shorts and produced a pokeball. "Surskit, go!"
The Water/Bug type emerged in a brilliant flash of light, chittering noisily. Ash frowned as he recalled what he could about Surskit. It wasn't a particularly powerful Pokemon, but its spindly feet allowed it to glide over water with astonishing speed, which was where its strength lay. Viola had to know this, being a Bug type specialist. Ash did not let the state of the battlefield fool him. Viola would make use of Surskit's strengths to her advantage. Confident but wary of surprises, he decided to allow his newest acquisition a chance to prove himself.
"Alright, Koffing. Show 'em what you're made of." He released the Poison type, who uttered his jolly cry. "Koffing, this is a gym battle. Get ready for anything."
"Koffing!" The Poison Gas Pokemon proudly called out, puffing himself to full capacity.
Viola smirked, and her eyes gleamed with interest. "Smart choice, little Caterpie. But you'll find Surskit and I will not go down so easily. Ready to begin?" At Ash's nod she continued. "Then I declare this battle underway. Surskit, you know what to do. Use Ice Beam!"
The Bug Pokemon chittered in understanding and shot out a beam from the antenna on its head. What caught Ash of guard was that Surskit did not aim for Koffing, but instead directed its attack to the ground, and then did he realize the purpose behind it. While not exactly water, ice would provide a good enough surface for Surskit to take advantage of its maneuverability. The field now resembled a frozen lake, coated in a layer of frost.
Our move.
"Koffing, start off with Curse!" The Pokemon grumbled as he shut his eyes in concentration and thin layer of otherworldly energies, barely visible, wisped all over his body. A strange move in that it was originally exclusive to Ghost types, Curse had somehow been passed down to other types of Pokemon. While only Ghost types could make full use of the move's devastating capabilities, non Ghosts could utilize it to their advantage.
Koffing, having cut his speed in favor of bolstering his attack and defense capabilities, was ready for the next move.
"Use Smog all around. Use it for cover." Vile gas expelled from all of Koffing's pores, thick and oily and hung midair like a poisonous blanket. While Surskit had not received damage, Smog's real purpose was to make Koffing disappear, a tactic Ash had become all too familiar with, having dealt with this Pokemon many times in the past years.
Viola frowned and clicked her tongue. She didn't bother trying to search out Koffing amidst the smoke. "Surskit, Bubble Spray."
Bubble Spray?
Surskit fired off a miniature stream of bubbles from its antenna. A compressed form of the Bubble attack, maybe? But the droplets were so small and their consistency seemed almost viscous. Ash let out a sharp breath as the intent behind Bubble Spray became clear. The fine droplets bonded to the thick amounts of toxins in Koffing's Smog, weighing them down and Ash watched, stunned as the dense layer of Smog lazily drifted towards the ice.
Thinking quickly, he ordered, "Koffing, use Gyro Ball right now!"
"Koffing!" The Poison type called in his jolly tone and before Viola or Surskit could react, a fast spinning purple blur shot out from under the Smog.
"Surskit, dodge!" Viola said urgently. But Koffing was too fast. He barreled into the Bug/Water type with crushing force, sending Surskit flying.
If there ever existed a Pokemon move that was the epitome of irony and contradiction, Gyro Ball was it. Primarily learnt by Rock, Ground or Steel types, all heavy and cumbersome Pokemon, Gyro Ball allowed these Pokemon a burst of speed they could not otherwise have achieved, granting the users the opportunity to strike a fast moving target. Its original purpose wasn't even meant to be used offensively, but rather as a means of escape for small prey Pokemon like Sandshrew, Shieldon and Aron.
The slower the user was to its opponent, the faster Gyro Ball would be, and Surskit's high speed, in contrast with Koffing's own lower speed, further detracted by the use of Curse earlier on allowed the Poison Gas Pokemon to move faster than Surskit could react.
"Smart thinking, Ash. But now it's time for us to be on the offensive. Surskit, use Aqua Jet!"
"Surskit!" The small Pokemon cried out and launched itself with prodigious speed towards Koffing, scoring a direct hit. Koffing groaned as he was struck, but Ash intended to take advantage of Surskit's close proximity. Koffing weathered the attack without too much trouble, Curse's beneficial effects dampening some of the damage and recovered quickly.
"Now's your chance, Koffing. Use Gyro Ball again!"
Viola ground her teeth as she realized her mistake and Koffing smashed against Surskit once more.
"Surs... kit," the Pokemon groaned weakly. It stood up shakily on its spindly legs, but was still fit to battle.
"Great job, Koffing. Follow up with Sludge attack," Ash ordered and his Pokemon complied. Koffing fired off globs of thick, degenerate matter.
"We're not done yet. Surskit, use Agility to dodge."
"Surskit!" The Bug/Water type became little more than a blur as it entered Agility. By the time Koffing's Sludge attack landed, Surskit was long since gone. Koffing blinked and swiveled side to side in an attempt to seek the speedy Pokemon.
"Time to fight back. Attack with Signal Beam!"
"Koffing, behind you!" Ash warned, but too late. Surskit scored a direct hit and this time, Koffing was hit hard.
"Follow up with Sticky Web. Blind it!"
"Koffing, no!" The Poison Gas Pokemon was too slow to dodge and the Sticky Web struck true. Ash was helpless to watch as Koffing panicked, having been robbed of his sight and with no way to get the gunk off.
The Poison Gas Pokemon flailed about wildly, bobbing every which way in an attempt to regain his sight. Ash wracked his brain for a way to help his Pokemon, but though his mind raced, he couldn't find a way to counter Sticky Web. Koffing had no limbs he could use to remove Sticky Web, and short of Ash removing it himself, which would qualify in his forfeit, there was no other alternative.
Koffing was still too new to the concept of battling, and though he'd proven quite capable, he still needed to learn how to maintain his composure. The battle quickly neared its conclusion, and Viola picked up on this.
"Surskit, use Signal Beam once more!" The Pond Skater Pokemon's attack hit its mark. Koffing buckled under the blow, groaning weakly.
"Don't give up, Koffing! Use Sludge attack right in front of you!"
Mustering up his strength, Koffing spat out a number of poisonous globs, but too scattered to hit the fast moving Surskit.
"You put up a good fight, little Caterpie. But not good enough. Surskit, let's finish this off with Aqua Jet!"
"Explosion!"
Viola's eyes widened as Koffing's body took on a bright white light. "What?!"
The volatile gases inside the Pokemon ignited as Surskit made contact with Aqua Jet, creating a massive wave of concussive force. A rancid stench overtook the battlefield as the gases within Koffing's body were let loose and when the smoke cleared, both Pokemon lay fainted in the middle of a sizable crater in the middle of the field.
"Koffing, return," Ash said and the fainted Pokemon's form dematerialized, returning to his pokeball. "Thanks. You gave it your best shot," Ash muttered and as Viola returned Surskit, he pondered his next move.
"Smart thinking," Viola said. "You knew Koffing would lose, so you decided to take Surskit down with it, eh? No bad. Not bad at all, little Caterpie. A risky gamble on your part." The gym leader grinned widely, seemingly not bothered by the loss of her Pokemon. She cocked her head as she studied Ash with an inscrutable expression. "Now let's see if you can manage to outwit my next Pokemon. Vivillon, time to battle!"
The Bug/Flying type appeared, hovering in midair. Ash studied the Pokemon for all but a second before he made his choice.
"Froakie, I choose you!" The frog Pokemon emerged, primed and ready for battle.
Having once owned a Butterfree, Ash knew all too well what to expect. Butterfree and Vivillon possessed a similar moveset and abilities. Even so, Viola probably had an ace up her sleeve. With one Pokemon down, he couldn't afford to make mistakes.
Hmm, I originally intended this chapter to be at least twice as long, but writing the damn thing was taking too long. Life and distractions have cut my writing time more than I'd like, but hopefully this chapter will keep you all satisfied until the next one. With any luck it will come sooner than this one. Hope you enjoyed it.