Once again, it was an early morning for our heroes. Bags fully packed and supplies restocked, Ash and Dawn exited the modern city of Fuschia and headed into the lush forest that laid between them and the Fuschia Gym.
The forest itself was alive with the calls of bug type Pokémon, the babbling of brooks, and the occasional bird-song of a flying type. The further they traveled from the city, the wetter the forest became. At first, it had been deciduous trees putting out blossom-buds and other seasonal flora preparing for spring. The further into the forest they got, though, the further south they went and the distinct border between northern Kanto and southern Kanto made itself known with the humidity level. Even the rocks were now lined thickly with moss in the shade of trees and numerous, shallow streams flowed over rocky paths in the sparse sunlight.
Furthermore, Dawn's hair was curling a bit in response to all the moisture in the air. "Why is the gym so far out?" she whined, splashing through an ankle deep brook. The soggy grass squelched beneath her boots.
Behind her, Empoleon seemed to be enjoying the atmosphere. He even cawed back on occasion to the wild Pidgey who were curious enough to sing directly at him.
"They're tricky," Ash ominously stated, not exactly answering Dawn's question. He paused as Pikachu used Iron Tail lift a bramble branch up out of their way. "The element of surprise is everything to them, so it's no wonder they're so out of the way. I think me and Brock and Misty found this place by accident the first time…"
Mimicking what Pikachu had done, Empoleon cleared a path for Dawn so that she wouldn't get scratched up. "What the heck is that supposed to mean?"
Soon, however, her question was answered. With its towering heights no taller than the canopy of the forest and traditional, dull coloration making it drab enough to be an unlikely find from a distance, this misplaced castle felt like a relic from an era long gone. All the same, Dawn knew what she was looking at: a ninja stronghold. On two sides of it were cliffs overlooking a huge river, likely fed by all the streams and brooks Ash and Dawn had seen earlier, while the other two were flanked by the dense rainforest.
"Oh," she dumbly said, her answer looming before her. However, she noted the wall around it. Clearly, they didn't want visitors just waltzing in. "How do we get in? It's not like you had an appointment."
"Well, I sent out that email," Ash explained. "Plus, Professor Oak was supposed to help. So, they should know we're coming. Let's just knock."
Empoleon and Dawn shared a look before they shrugged. What was the worst that could happen? Following Ash as usual, they watched in curious silence as he knocked on the gate. Two heads poked over the wall before quickly retreating. The gate's doors opened.
"Welcome back, Ash Ketchum," one of the guards greeted. "Who is your companion? We are unfamiliar with her."
"I'm Dawn," she chipperly greeted. "Ash and I are traveling together."
The two guards hesitated. "... Is she trustworthy, Ash?"
Realizing security had probably beefed up with their clan leader's absence, Ash nodded. "Yeah. I trust her lots. Besides, we're here on business! I'm here to challenge the gym again!"
The two guards grinned and nodded. "Then, please, make your way on about your business."
With proper clearance, the duo, along with their Pokémon, made their way inside the stronghold without much trouble… So far, that was. It started off looking innocent enough, a rather plain-looking hallway with polished, wooden floors.
"Are you sure this is the right way, Ash?" Dawn frowned, forced to stop in her tracks. Unfortunately, this path didn't go any further. "It's a dead end!" Huffing, she looked about, hoping for some sort of clue. "How does this place get any challengers, anyway?"
"People gotta get their badges somehow," Ash reasoned, adjusting the brim of his cap. There was the occasional doorway, each decorated in a rather traditional style. Last time he'd been here, though, they certainly hadn't been the way around. "Huh… I guess they renovated this place. It looks a lil different. But I swear I remember one of the walls leading to a secret passage last time."
"A secret passage? How'd you find it last time?" Dawn raised a brow, turning to her companion.
"Well, Misty leaned on one of 'em and fell right through. We weren't really expecting it."
"That sounds pretty easy," Dawn quipped, walking over to the walls. She slowly checked each section, either putting her weight on it by pressing both hands against it or hip bumping it. It was a little funny, actually. While the true parts of the wall wouldn't give way to her hands, they would rattle a bit at her hip bumps.
Ash, Pikachu, and Empoleon watched in silence, almost respectful of the process. She certainly had a method to the madness.
Soon enough, she pressed against the right wall… And, fell through!
"Augh!" she yelled, falling flat on her face with the wall. "I was… Expecting it to swing open…"
"I told you Misty fell," Ash pointed out. "What were you expecting?"
Dawn sat up, brushing herself off. "You didn't say the door fell with her," she whined back. "Besides, there's no need to worry! I hurried up the checking time!"
Chuckling, Ash offered her a hand and pulled the girl up. "That's one way to do it," he agreed.
The group's amusement was cut short by the sound of metallic voices and electric crackles. Looking over, everyone paled a little bit. A small herd of Electrodes and Voltorbs was waiting on them!
"Voooool-!" half of the group cried in unison.
"-Trode!" the other half snarled.
Together, they fired a collective attack. It was massive, snaking like a yellow-white dragon towards the heroic party.
Ash, thankfully, was quick to divert the attack. "Pikachu, redirect that, quick!"
Thankfully, the electric mouse was just as quick, jumping forward. Rather than holding the jolts in, he quickly shot them towards the floor and the ceiling, sparing himself all but some intensely uncomfortable tingling in his joints and a bit of pain in his electrical cheek pouches.
Pikachu landed between his friends and the herd of other electric types, little yellow brows furrowed. "Pika," he warned, tail raised in a threat display. If they wanted a battle, he could certainly give it to them!
Thankfully, that was unnecessary. Perhaps triggered by the abundant electricity fired at it, a part of the ceiling fell down… Revealing a staircase.
"There's our escape!" Dawn pointed out.
Not needing any cue, Empoleon raced up the steps as well as he could first while Pikachu continued his standoff with the Electrodes and Voltorbs. Both testing the weight load of the stairs and acting as a first line of defense in case another threat awaited them upstairs, Empoleon happily noted it was devoid of assailants.
"Empo Empo!" he called down.
Snatching Pikachu, Ash quickly followed Dawn up the stairs. As soon as he set foot on the case, Empoleon began pulling it up with the same pulley system that had dropped it down. No sooner than had the entire party made it upstairs than a second jolt of electricity bound off the stair case. Thankfully, it was shut and everyone was safe.
Dawn breathed out a sigh of relief while Ash secured the pulley rope.
"Good job, Empoleon!" she praised, patting him on the back.
"Well, that was dangerous enough for me to think we're going the right way," Ash commented, dusting his hands off. "Thanks for that back there, Pikachu." Looking around, the trainer acknowledged their surroundings before letting out a triumphant huff. He put his hands on his hips. "I know exactly where we are! Dawn, stay away from the walls."
"You don't have to tell me twice," she muttered in response, following after Ash as he walked down the hallway. "So, what're we looking for now?"
"The false river wall," he said proudly.
"The what?"
Instead of answering her, Ash knocked along the walls as the foursome walked. After about a dozen yards, one of the walls fell over… Revealing the same cliffs overlooking the river Dawn had spotted on their way into the ninja compound.
"... Who said that was a good idea?!" the girl blurted out, both her and Empoleon looking out to the sights with disbelief. "What the heck is wrong with the Kanto gym leaders?!"
"That's the million dollar question," Ash grumbled, remembering his near death experience with this same wall. "Well, if this is the false river wall… There's the gym!" Turning to the opposite wall, Ash kicked it down with a mighty roar of triumph. He ran into the room with Pikachu clinging to his shoulder.
"Ash, wait up!" Dawn belatedly shouted.
Within the room, the bluenette heard something, or somethings, whirling through the air followed by a series of thunks in the wall. Well, that was troubling. Rushing in after her reckless crush, Dawn spotted Ash in a decidedly cocky pose. It looked almost as if he'd been dodging something.
But, what?
"Hah! You may've got me last time with those things, but I'm too smooth for that, now." Ash boasted, looking smug as ever. Pikachu clung desperately to the back of his jacket, looking none too happy about… Whatever had just happened.
To Dawn's horror, she spotted just what Ash had made a scene of; stuck in the wall behind him were… "Throwing stars!?"
Black, razor-sharp projectiles had buried their points in the wall behind her companion, thankfully free of any horrors they could have dealt out, had they been a bit more accurate.
"Just what in the world is that about!?" The girl fumed, somewhere between a heart attack and blind fury. "What is this; a Pokémon gym, or a death trap!?"
"The weak needn't apply here and for the strong it's merely a test." Stepping forward, a woman with a haughtily raised chin stepped forward from the shadows. "And, Ash passed… with only one error."
"Uh, nuh-uh," Ash taunted back, cockily leaning forward with his hands on his hips. "There's not a scratch on… me… anywhere." Suddenly realizing that his head felt suddenly lighter, the teen looked behind him. Frowning, he marched over to the wall where all the throwing stars were stuck into the wall. Among them was the sole successful shot. It prize was his hat. "Can't catch a freakin' break," he grumbled, carefully taking out the throwing star and taking back his hat.
Meanwhile, Dawn couldn't help but look over this mysterious woman. This must be the Aya that Ash had briefly spoke of. She wore long, prestigious looking garment of a dark, dusty shade of rose. Her hair was done up practically, though both her hair and her outfit were lightly decorated with small ornaments, marking her as the temporary clan leader. She looked mature enough.
"I'm unaware if you know, Ash, but I am the gym leader, now. My brother is a member of the Elite Four. His heir and my niece, Janine, is not yet ready to take up her responsibility. So, what is it that you seek from me?"
Cocking his head, the trainer looked at her for a moment, wondering if she was being serious. "... I sent out an email."
The temporary leader paused. "I… have not checked my email in some time. The compound does not have modern amenities such as internet access and I do not have a chance to go into town to use the public terminals in the Pokémon Center." That said, she raised an arm, her new, longer sleeves covering her embarrassment. "I did, however, receive a letter from Professor Oak when one of my underlings checked our mail in town. So, whatever your official affair is, we shall receive you well," she assured.
"It's not such a big request," he said with a chuckle. "I wanna take on the Indigo League again, and battling you would be good practice!"
"If that is all, then this shall be a very mutually beneficial exchange. I wish to see how I have grown both compared to how you fared against my brother and myself previously. So, let us make our way into the garden. It's airier and better suited to the proper battle I do not doubt we will have!"
Trailing behind Aya and Ash, Dawn couldn't help but shake her head. "Geez, I thought I was theatric… She talks like she's from a movie."
Naturally, when she said garden, Aya truly meant a garden. The borders of the battling area were rich with carefully places rock formations, stone benches, and aesthetically pleasing trees and brushes. Blossoming flowers added to the sunny disposition of the private garden as well.
"You, girl," Aya barked. "Are you honest and trustworthy?"
Dawn paused. Did Aya just call her 'girl'...? Well, that was rude. All the same, she answered. "Yeah, I am. Why?"
"I do not wish to waste time fetching one of the others here with this affair. Furthermore, it is unofficial and therefore not their affair. You only need to help us discern matters that are not immediately obvious to the two of us. Can I rely on you as the referee or not?" the older woman pressed.
"... Yeah," Dawn finally answered, walking over to the median point of the field. Aya was working her nerves. Between endangering Ash, that bossy disposition of hers was really edging on Dawn wanting to butt heads with her.
Ash noted the tension building between the two strong willed women. He supposed it had gone pretty well thus far with her and all his previous friends and acquaintances; this was bound to happen sooner or later. Or, maybe Fuschia just wasn't Dawn's neck of the woods?
Either way, the girl raised her hands. Empoleon sat down on the ground behind her, eagerly awaiting the show that would no doubt follow. At some point, Pikachu had ditched as to join the penguin.
The coordinator coughed into her hand, taking the brief pause to recall the rules that gym battles typically followed. "This will be a three on three battle! Only the challenger's allowed to substitute Pokémon, and the match ends when all three of one trainer's Pokémon are unable to battle. Let the match begin!" Dawn shouted, lowering her hands to signal the starting point.
Aya was quick to throw her starting Pokéball, aim sure and true as it was with her throwing stars. "I call upon Crobat!"
Ash grinned, pulling out his own Pokéball. "Gliscor, I choose you!" Whereas Aya chucked her Pokéball, Ash lobbed his like a baseball.
The big purple bat and the flying scorpion both materialized at the same time. Gliscor focused on the air currents for a moment, finding the light breezes flowing down into the garden. It was cool down here, but hot above, so there was, unfortunately, no draft for him to work with. He fluttered down to the ground as Crobat remained aloft, fluttering its wings furiously.
Noting Gliscor's disadvantage with the confined airspace, Aya was already planning to take advantage of that. "Crobat, use Acrobatics!"
"Gliscor, hit 'em with a Stone Edge!" Ash ordered in retaliation.
Gliscor laboriously took flight once more. However, Crobat was already upon it by the time it made it into the air, battering the other flying type with its wings before the scorpion could retaliate. Just as quickly as Crobat had attacked, it flew away in a hasty retreat.
That said, it was quite fast, but not fast enough. Gliscor used its calculated aim with an almost minimalistic Stone Edge, aiming directly for Crobat. It was a direct hit once it landed, earning a high pitched cry of pain from the other Pokémon. That made up for the battering Gliscor had just received, the scorpion decided.
"Your aim is good… But, a ninja is nothing without a shroud! Crobat, make an ally with our one true friend: camouflage! Use Haze!" Aya held her hand out as she gave this set of instructions, looking appropriately commanding for second-in-command for a troop of ninjas.
Flapping its wings furiously, Crobat summoned up a purple fog to obscure its movements. Even the sunlight was filtered through it. Lilac beams of light marked what had previously been strong strains of sunlight peeking through the light cloud coverage above.
"Now, attack with Acrobatics once more!" Aya called.
"Take 'em in!" Ash ordered.
There was no dodging Crobat, but that was just fine. Using his hind claws, Gliscor caught Crobat's lower wings as the bat flew up to meet the scorpion. Ash and Gliscor would only fall for the ninja's trick once.
"Alright," Ash praised happily.
Aya frowned. "Cross Poison."
As Crobat's upper wings were free, this was an easy enough task. Rearing back only to cross its wings powerfully, a short burst of venomous energy was splayed out with the attack. At this short range, it soaked into Gliscor's skin, both battering and poisoning the bat.
Injured, Gliscor released Crobat in an attempt to tend to the sudden, uncomfortable chills running through his body.
"Acrobatics once more!" Aya commanding, proving that she was not at all a one trick Ponyta, but that she would not turn down an easy strategy for the sake of avoiding a move spam. "Give it no rest!"
Gliscor was soon barraged by multiple, back to back Acrobatic attacks from Crobat. Though Gliscor tried to pull away, the speed Crobat was moving at was enough to leave being dizzying afterimages. Gliscor simply didn't know which Crobat to dodge.
However, the speedy attacks soon came to a well-orchestrated end.
"Now, Venoshock!"
Aya's instructions were swiftly heeded. Spitting forth a new spray of venom, Crobat watched triumphantly as Gliscor shuddered. Already poisoned, the Venoshock did extra damage on top of what it was normally capable of.
"Gliscor!" Ash shouted, alerted by the Pokémon's cry of pain. For a hardy Pokémon like Gliscor to be taking any serious damage… Either Crobat was something supernatural, or there was something special about that move.
Drawing his Pokédex, he quickly scanned said attack.
"Venoshock: The user drenches the target in a special poisonous liquid. Its power is doubled if the target is poisoned."
"That's bad news… Hang in there!" He shouted, teeth grit.
"Very good, Crobat. Now, let us watch. Haze, once more!" Aya ordered, looking pleased.
Crobat obeyed, the thin cloud of purple Haze thickening as the flying type renewed it. The bat was all and well prepared to slink off into the shadows…
But, Ash wasn't the type to take anything sitting down. "Gliscor, don't let 'em get away! Use Tailwind!"
Just as suddenly as it had appeared, Crobat's beloved shroud of darkness was ripped away as Gliscor summoned a gale wind to back him up and increase his own speed.
"Glis… Cor!" he snarled, warning that he'd get payback for what damage had been done to him.
"Now, it's exposed! Use X-Scissor!"
"Not so fast! Crobat, use Acrobatics!" Aya called, tension rising in her posture at the prospect of her plan falling apart.
The two purple Pokémon met in a terrific collision. It would have had more impact if Gliscor had not been so hurt by being poisoned; it caused him to hold back a bit in self-defense. Crobat, however, could barely fend off its assailant.
The two broke off, circling around each other, waiting for an opening or sign of weakness in their opponent.
As, however, could see Gliscor waning. They didn't have time to wait. "Gliscor! Take 'em down all the way with Giga Impact!"
Taking advantage of the Tailwind previously used, Gliscor quickly flew above Crobat before diving down. Slamming into the purple bat, the two flying types quickly descended towards the battle floor. Though gravity was already pulling at them, Gliscor hurried the process.
The impact was enough to spray up some dirt.
Dawn watch intently as the dirt settled down. Then, she saw it. Crobat must have broken his fall, because Gliscor stood successfully over his opponent, looking at Ash with a smile.
"Gliscor has defeated Crobat! The current score is 0 to 1!" the bluenette called out, trying her best to remain genuinely neutral. It was very hard when she wanted to cheer for Ash.
"Return, Crobat!" Aya commanded, a Pokéball outstretched. "You fought bravely…" Her orbs flickered, turning up towards Ash, then. "And you… I'm impressed, Ash. For your Gliscor
to defeat Crobat in just three attacks, even under all that duress, speaks volumes."
"Thanks, Aya, but we're just getting warmed up!" In typical fashion, Ash flashed a grin. Bravado aside, though, he couldn't help but worry. Gliscor had already taken a lot of damage.
"Very well. Your next test will be… Ariados!" The second Pokéball was chucked with the same, disciplined precision, bursting in mid-air to reveal the colorful, patterned arachnid. It clicked its feelers together, eager to stalk its prey. Or, what it viewed as prey, at least.
'Gliscor's running low, now… And if I know Aya and Ariados, they're definitely gonna try to lure us into a trap.' The trainer's eyes narrowed, his mouth surprisingly zipped shut. This was no time to give away his concerns. 'We've gotta play it safe and end this quick.'
Making matters clear as could be, Ash threw a hand to the sky with a passionate roar. "Get up high, Gliscor! And use Stone Edge!" His index finger pointed above, guiding the Fang Scorp.
"Gli!" The Pokémon bounced off his tail, wings spreading to climb the withering Tailwind that still remained. Stopping himself above with a sudden motion, he growled, conjuring two belts of stones around his body. "Scor!" With a cry, they were launched down in a mighty rain of debris.
"Spider Web," Aya commanded, saying no more.
Ariados hissed, parting its fangs to spew out a slew of silk that quickly took a patterned form, one layer of the web quickly circling the next. Soon enough, it proved sufficient to catch the incoming stones, stretching the quickly-strewn web to its limits.
Ariados didn't falter, only spinning more web. Patience proved to be a virtue, as the web finally worked its magic. The barrage of stones were launched back at Gliscor, much like a slingshot.
"Look out!" Ash shouted, worry etched onto his features.
It was justified.
Weary as he was, Gliscor failed to swerve out of Stone Edge's path, taking on the full wrath of the redirected move. Crying in pain, he fell from the skies, collapsing in a heap. Wisps of dust trailed from his wings, giving the felled Pokémon quite the pathetic image. He was unconscious.
Holding a fist to her chest, Dawn barely suppressed a gasp of worry. Being impartial was difficult. All the same, she did her job. "Gliscor is unable to battle! The winner of this round is Aya!"
"So much for that," Ash huffed, extending a hand with a Pokéball in its grip. "You were awesome, Gliscor… Sorry ya had to take so much damage." He stared at the sphere, which once more held the Fang Scorp Pokémon. "You earned a good, long rest. Now it's time for someone else to take over!"
Eyeing Ariados, he briefly pondered his options. 'If it's gonna keep putting down traps like that, we can't leave it hanging around for long.' A brief adjustment of the brim of the teen's cap was enough to jog his thoughts, a smile picking up on the corners of his lips. A second Pokéball was brought into his grasp, a click of the center button bringing it to full size before it was tossed.
"Torkoal! I choose you!"
"Koalll!" The tortoise huffed, expelling ashen puffs of smoke from his nostrils.
"Let's get our momentum back! Flamethrower!"
"Shadow Sneak," Aya replied, showing no signs of worry.
Ariados' body took on a disturbingly dark purple hue, seemingly melting into the ground below.
A shadow moved in its stead, creeping along the grassy terrain towards the fire type.
A limb shrouded in darkness struck at Torkoal, striking him across the face.
"Tor!" The Pokémon cried out in surprise, a burning stream of flames shooting into the sky above. Spewed in a completely different direction than the Pokémon intended, it rained tiny embers down upon the flowery arena.
Though, a missed attack was the least of their problems. Startled by the underhanded attack, Torkoal huffed before beginning to sob uncontrollably, a fountain of tears gushing from each of his perpetually closed lids.
"Oh, jeez... "Ash rubbed the back of his head, face falling as if gravity had decided to act upon his very features. That was something he should've seen coming. "Hey… Just take it easy, Torkoal! I know you're way too tough to get worn down by a move like that. Just keep a clear head and you'll be fine." He flashed a smile at the distressed fire type, hiding any sign of concern.
He recalled something Brock told him and Dawn once. If a trainer shows uncertainty, it can spread to their Pokémon, causing them to feel worse. He had to keep a cool head.
A sniffle followed, the Pokémon's sobs coming under control.
"There ya go. Now! You ready to win this gym battle?" Ash coaxed, fists raised and his smile wide.
"Koal!" Torkoal cried, his composure regained. Miraculously, Ash had psyched him back up.
"Interesting…" Aya trailed off. It was rare such an emotional Pokémon found its way into a gym as disciplined as this one. And yet, Ash's kind heart once again got the job done. It was a relief to see that he hadn't changed much over the years.
"Alright, Flamethrower, again!" Ash ordered. "This time, we're ready!"
"Shadow Sneak, once more!"
As Torkoal conjured scalding heat in his mouth, Ariados slipped into obscurity a second time. Slinking across the garden shrouded in darkness, it delivered another sucker punch to the fuming Torkoal. Flames were once again misfired, shooting clean over Aya's head.
The ninja didn't move an inch. A smile did creep up on her scarlet lips, however. "I thought you'd know better than to repeat the same mistake twice, Ash… Or, have you never faced this sort of move before?"
"Uh… Not really," Ash trailed off, brows raising. Before he could fetch his Pokédex, Aya continued.
"Shadow Sneak is a ghost type attack that allows a Pokémon to creep through shadows to ambush an opponent. It takes priority over other attacks, thanks to its stealth. It's the perfect sort of move for a ninja, don't you think?"
"No kidding," Ash agreed. His brows furrowed, his eyes following Ariados's shadow as it retreated. It was clear that if he wanted to win, he'd have to be more careful.
"Cross Poison!" Aya ordered. She knew Ash better than to think he'd fall for the same thing three times.
"Dodge it, Torkoal!"
As heavy as the Coal Pokémon was, his heavy shell had endowed him with quite a powerful set of legs. Leaping high above the battlefield, Torkoal stayed clean out of the way of the glowing cross of toxins.
"Caught you." The ninja's eyes narrowed. "Now, Spider Web!"
The insect cocked its head upward, spewing another net of web from his mouth.
The soaring Torkoal, much to his horror, soon found himself snagged and enraptured in silk, robbed of his freedom of movement as gravity yanked him back down.
A loud crash followed, a small crater forming under the recoiling Torkoal. A pitiable cry of pain followed the upheaval of dust and stone, which momentarily concealed the tangled mess of a Torkoal lying in the wake of the impact.
"Torkoal!" Ash gasped, sweat trickling down his forehead. That'd looked incredibly painful, and had caught the both of them off-guard, to boot. What more could they expect from a ninja, though? "Man, are you alright?"
"Koalll…" The Pokémon groaned, attempting to push himself to his feet. In the midst of the irritating adhesive, though, he was having no luck regaining his composure.
"You should've seen it coming," Aya taunted. "As a ninja, laying traps and confounding opponents is my specialty. Luring you into defeat is just part of my job." Flicking a free emerald bang from her face, her smile faded in favor of a glare. "If you can't see through that, you can't win this match."
"You don't need to worry about me," Ash countered, adjusting the brim of his cap. "Break free, Torkoal! Flamethrower, now!"
The tortoise's mouth parted for a few times, his wide maw spewing forward a red wave of flames. Much to Torkoal's dismay, though, embers and sprays of heat deflected every which way but forward, failing to penetrate the stubborn web surrounding his form.
Try as he may, he couldn't scorch the web.
"What!? What kinda web's gonna hold up against a fire type move like that?" Ash gawked.
"You didn't think we'd let you break out so easily, did you?" Aya cracked a grin, once again brushing a bang aside. "Ariados has trained to make its webs sturdy as can be. Even the strongest of opponents will have a hard time getting out; after all, if our traps were easily deterred, we wouldn't much be qualified to run a gym, would we?"
"I can't argue with that." Ash grinned. "Well, we'll just have to try harder!"
"If you get the chance," was the ominous response he received. "Cross Poison!"
Indiscernible chatter from Ariados followed, the tips of its feelers taking on a vivid violet glow. A cross of the very same color was conjured, launching towards Torkoal with a cry.
"Koal!" Torkoal wailed, pummeled by the poisonous projectile.
"That's bad… If I don't do something, we'll just be sitting Psyducks. There's gotta be a way to get out of there." Ash frowned, balling his hands into fists. 'Think, Ash… What moves would get 'im out of there?'
Soon enough, the lightbulb went off. The trainer's sclera grew wide, an arm thrown to the side with a mighty yell. "Got it! Torkoal, use Rapid Spin to bust your way outta there!"
"Tor!" The fire type quickly retreated to his shell, quickly revving into little more than a sturdy spinning top. Only seen as a blur of red, grey, and orange, he picked up speed, shredding his way through the cage of webs, much to Aya's dismay.
"Alright! Ya did it!" Ash cheered. " Now, go on and hit Ariados with that Rapid Spin!"
Torkoal wasn't the most limber Pokémon, thanks to his weight. In this case, though, his heavy shell worked to his advantage. Remarkable momentum flung him towards the arachnid, making for quite the devastating collision.
Ariados wasn't nearly agile enough to avoid the fiery wrecking ball, letting out a pained cry as it was thrown back, barely managing to land on all eight of its nimble legs.
"Good job! Now, keep that Rapid Spin going!" They couldn't spare a moment that would allow Aya to continue her sneaky games. Ash knew this well. Momentum was going to be key.
"Dodge it, Ariados!" Aya ordered. "He won't hit you with that a second time!"
This time, the bug type was prepared. Watching Torkoal's pursuit closely, Ariados sprang above just in the nick of time. Cleanly avoiding the tortoise's assault, the Pokémon hovered briefly above.
"Now, Night Shade!"
The horn on Ariados head flickered with red light, soon projected into a sickly purple beam that seemingly sucked any sort of light out of the air around it. Raining down upon Torkoal, it assaulted the Coal Pokémon with a terrible, ghostly power.
"Tor!" The Pokémon cried, holding his ground. His legs hadn't buckled just yet.
"Attack all ya want, but you're not gonna break Torkoal's defenses! He's pretty good at tanking attacks, y'know." Months of training, and everything prior, had not gone to waste. Already a defensive powerhouse, the tortoise had built up remarkable bulk over his Mt. Silver stay, testing himself against the offenses of Ash's impressive roster.
Of course, that didn't mean Ash would hope for him to take any more hits, either.
"That's quite a lot of confidence in your Pokémon," Aya quipped. "Those words might just end up costing you. Ariados, Cross Poison!"
Ariados hissed, firing off yet another poisonous projectile.
"Nice try," Ash countered, a smirk picking up on his lips. "Torkoal, Iron Defense!"
The Coal Pokémon quickly tucked into his shell, his carapace taking on a vibrant, silver glow. Reinforcing with steely reinforcements, the shell was plenty prepared when the glowing cross crashed into it.
The dust soon cleared, revealing an unhurt, vibrant Torkoal.
"What'd I tell ya? None of your poison type moves are gonna hurt him with that up our sleeves!" Ash gloated, each of his hands resting on one of his hips. "Now, Flamethrower!"
Torkoal cried, unleashing a scathing stream of fire towards Ariados.
"Ariados?" Aya started, not needing to add another word.
Then again, self-preservation was simply an instinct. Ariados struggled not to panic, springing high above the deadly wave of heat, evading Torkoal yet another time.
A growl left Ash through bared canines, his frustration beginning to show. "Torkoal's plenty tough enough to take their attacks, but that's not gonna help if we keep missing 'em."
"Guess we got no other choice… Smokescreen!" Ash shouted, throwing his arms outward.
"Koal!" With that, the tortoise did what he does best. Expelling a great deal of smoke from his nostrils and shell, Torkoal obscured his body in a great volume of murky, blinding charcoal smoke.
"Trying to obscure yourselves in a ninja gym? You're out of your league." Aya couldn't help but crack a smile, shaking her head. He always was pretty head strong, after all. "Cross Poison!"
Crossing its forelegs across its face, the arachnid began a rapid descent, two violet streaks quickly dive-bombing into the thick smoke below. A crash could be heard, further debris kicked up from the collision point.
The gym leader scoffed, a hand rested on her hip. "Like I said. A poor strategy for this gym."
A coy smile from her challenger, though, caught Aya's eye.
"You sure about that, Aya?" Ash's canines were bore in a grin, eyes turned on the dwindling smoke. Indeed, where Ariados could be seen, there was no sign of Torkoal to speak of. He'd only struck out at thin air.
"... You've turned my own ally against me," Aya dryly remarked, shifting her weight from one leg to another. "Be on your guard, Ariados!" she warned.
"You should have cleared the rest of the smoke," Ash suddenly taunted, a wide grin cracking onto his face. Bertha's lessons were coming in handy now! "Torkoal, Flamethrower!"
Unable to know what direction its fiery doom would come from, Ariados span in circles before a sudden pillar of fire jetted from one side of the yet-to-be-settled smoke, engulfing Ariados and even propelling the spider back a little bit. The heat from the attack caused the smoke to waft up on air currents, revealing where Torkoal had hidden. The fiery tortoise shared his trainer's cocky smile.
Ariados, meanwhile, quivered, dainty legs trembling with exhaustion. However, the spider was by no means down for the count.
At least, not yet. Though, Ash would try to speed that up.
"Flamethrower, again!" the trainer cried, hoping he could wrap this up.
Aya frowned. "We've danced this dance before," she chided. "Ariados, defend yourself with Spider Web! Do not cease until they do!"
With that, a collision occurred on the field. Torkoal belched forth a river of flames while Ariados spat out a stream of silk. Though the silk was blackened and charred, it acted as a suitable defense against Torkoal's attack. The disagreeable odor of it was by now stinking up the whole garden. Dawn longed for her scarf, barely filtering the smell out with her hand before her face.
Eventually, though, Torkoal lost steam and Ariados was allowed to relent when the river of fire stopped.
The challenger huffed, puzzling out the situation in his mind. Ariados was just too fast! If they could get in more blows without the cushion of Ariados's Spider Web, they'd beat it, he knew. But, what was faster than an Ariados? Well, plenty of Pokémon, actually, like most flying types, most fire types…
An epiphany struck him: most flying and fire types were out during the day. Ariados, however, was a nocturnal Pokémon! It was funny what connections he could make when he thought about it for a bit.
With this known now, Ash knew what needed to happen next. "Torkoal, use Sunny Day!"
Unquestioning, the fire tortoise huffed, forcing out a ball of flames that drifted up above the garden, acting as a second sun and shining down light and warmth on them all.
"He's getting a power boost," Aya assumed, muttering to herself. "Arados! Be on your guard."
Noting his opponent's carefully observant expression, Ash hoped she didn't know what he was actually up to. "Rapid Spin!"
He'd just put out Sunny Day… And that was his next call? What was he getting at? Aya, though puzzled, merely spoke more commands to her poison spider. "Dodge it."
Eyes zeroing in on the challenger's Pokémon, Ariados waited with patience for the chance to dodge to draw closer. Its legs were coiled, full of tension and ready for the chance to launch it above the potential threat.
And, Ash saw it staring. "Iron Defense!" the trainer called then. If staring at the sun hurt him, Ash figured, how much more would it blind a nocturnal creature like Ariados?
The spinning tortoise quickly took on a silver shine, reflecting the full wrath of the artificial sun off of his protective shell.
While his aim was the Pokémon, Aya had also been watching the affair too closely. She raised an arm to shield her offended eyes.
"Now, they're distracted! Flamethrower!"
Torkoal skidded to a halt, just barely digging his feet into the ground before belching out a particularly potent stream of fire.
Still struggling to see after being struck by the bright shine of Torkoal's shell, Ariados was a sitting Psyduck for the last attack. The move struck true, leaving Ariados in flames. When they settled, the spider was knocked out.
Dawn shifted feet, obviously barely holding in a cheerful dance. "The winner of this round is the challenger, Ash Ketchum!"
Aya gracefully accepted Ariados's defeat, bowing her head before returning the bug type. In its place, another Pokémon was released. "Now, Venomoth, let us give them a battle suiting to our training!"
"Whoa," Ash uttered, impressed by the excellent condition of the Venomoth. Though it looked as if it had seen its fair share of battles, it was obvious that Aya cared for it deeply. "Is this the same Venonat from those times before…?"
"It is indeed the one and same. After losing to your Bulbasaur, we decided to throw ourselves entirely into our training. Thanks to our efforts, Venomoth is suitably speedy and stealthy, truly a ninja's Pokémon." Smiling proudly, she raised a hand, waving it towards Torkoal. "Won't you show them your Double Team?"
Obediently, Venomoth shuddered before illusions of itself darted out to the side.
It took Ash a second, but he realized Venomoth was not shuddering: it was moving side to side so quickly that it looked as if it weren't moving at all at first! He almost wanted to use his aura to double check, but that felt like cheating. Besides, he had the proof right before his eyes. Though they were a bit translucent, the doubles were much more convincing than any other he'd ever seen! It'd take focus to distinguish them from the genuine article.
With that in mind, Ash decided he should attack while he still remembered which was the real Venomoth without studying their form! "Torkoal, use Flamethrower!" With Sunny Day still in use, hopefully their luck would turn up.
"Dodge," Aya called out, seeming more nonchalant than ever. The fear that had made itself known during the battle with Ariados had all but disappeared.
With grace that seemed to exude no effort at all, Venomoth as well as all of its doubles dodged the Flamethrower. Aya hadn't been making an empty boast; the bug was fast!
"Put the Torkoal down with a Psychic!" The ninja clan head called, throwing an arm out dramatically.
Each of the Venomoth's eyes glowed, first a dark sapphire shade and then a bright turquoise blue. Torkoal's bulky form was lifted, slowly at first, then suddenly yanked across the battlefield, A loud 'thud' was heard when fire type's shell bashed back against the garden's compacted-earth battle grounds. Facing the sky, Torkoal flailed his stubby legs in futility. He was stuck on his back now.
"Oh, shoot..." Ash dropped to his knees, twisting his head so he could keep eye contact with his poor tortoise. "You alright, buddy?"
"Tor…" the fire type responded, seeing the hope Ash had in his eyes. Torkoal wanted to cry, but it wanted to do good for Ash, too! "Koal!" He asserted, eternally shut eyes squinting in a way that seemed to show stubborn perseverance.
Seeing Torkoal's burning passion, Ash stood back up, both fists raised. "Right! We'll get you off your back. See if you can start up a Rapid Spin! Bouncing off Venomoth should straighten you back out!"
"Tor…!" Twisting its legs, Torkoal quickly started up a Rapid Spin attack. At first, it was just sliding around, but a bit more spinning about built enough momentum to bounce itself off the rocks lining the garden battle field, flying through the air… to pass through one of the illusionary Venomoths.
"How long can your Torkoal tolerate being on its back like that?" Aya wondered, a hand resting on her hip in a seemingly condescending gesture.
Ash furrowed his brows. "Long enough to hit your Venomoth, I bet…"
And, sure enough, the rest of the doubles were, one by one, dispersed by a Rapid Spin strike. Soon, Torkoal was hurdling towards the true Venomoth! At last, he would be righted, back on his feet and -
"Psychic."
Dangling in mid-air.
Venomoth blankly stared at the caught tortoise. The two Pokémon exchanged a look before Venomoth suddenly plummeted its heavy opponent down towards the Earth. Debris was kicked up from the attack, obscuring what had happened to Torkoal at first. But, Ash had his suspicions confirmed shortly.
Still on his back, Torkoal's eyes were all the evidence the trainer needed to know the outcome. Ash got out a Pokéball to return the fire type. "Aw, man, I guess you really put your back into it, huh?" he joked. "We won't back down now. … Sorry about the jokes, Torkoal. Get some rest. Thanks."
Dawn, meanwhile, finished dragging her hands down her face. Only Ash would try to lighten the mood like that at a time like this. Actually, that wasn't really true, she realized, recalling what she'd done back at the Celadon gym. Regardless, she had a call to make. "Aya wins this round! Both the challenger and the challenged only have one Pokémon remaining! The last one standing from this round determines the winner!"
"Alright, this is all riding on you now, buddy." Ash tossed a Pokéball forward. "Muk, I choose you!"
Forming as a puddle of violet goop on the field, Muk's gelatinous form bubbled and gurgled for a moment before his face formed, giving a friendly wave to Ash and then his companions. Though Muk wanted to go hug his trainer, he recognized the battle at hand. He'd just get one later!
On the sidelines, Empoleon and Pikachu realized it was do or die time. Hopping onto the water type's head, Pikachu began cheering. Mirroring his smaller companion, Empoleon clanged his flippers together.
"Pikapi Pikachu! Pika Pika Pikachu!"
"Empo po! Empole! Empoleon Empole!"
Aya's eyes narrowed. "You challenge me with the type I use?" she questioned, voice somewhere between a hiss and a purr. "I shan't be shamed once more like this! The bitter taste of defeat at the vines of your Bulbasaur was enough! I've had my medicine and it has done me well! I will defeat you, Ash Ketchum!" Aya shouted.
"She's really determined," Dawn noted, a bead of sweat forming on her brow. Where had that overly serious lady from before gone? Was it just an act?
"Venomoth, Silverwind!" Aya called, a fiery spark in her eyes.
Venomoth fluttered its wings mightily, whipping up a pale breeze which cut down towards Muk. The purple ooze was split as the zephyr cut a path right through it! When the move ended…
Muk smiled up at Venomoth, not all that worse for the wear. "Muk," he gurgled.
Aya flinched, frowning. "Of course… The creature is formless. An attack on its body is almost useless."
Ash chuckled, rubbing his finger under his nose. "Yeah, he doesn't crack under pressure! No bones, haha!" Getting serious, Ash balled that hand up and held it at his side. "Muk, give 'em your Sludge Bomb!"
"Dodge it with Double Team!" Aya countered.
The sludge monster's wide, putrid maw parted wide, spewing solid orbs of toxins toward the insect and its copies. However, the new horde of summoned copies and the genuine opponent swiftly dodged.
"Excellent, Venomoth! Use Psychic!" Aya excitedly called.
Venomoth concentrated once more, attempting to grab a hold of Muk… But, it was like grasping sand. Though it was obviously comfortable for the poison type, the only damage done was from the immediate pain of a poison type being attacked with psychic powers. Venomoth could not grip on Muk; the purple, gloopy monster's mass slid through Venomoth's Psychic grip.
"Trying to get closer?" Ash taunted. "Muk, let's get friendly! Body Slam!"
Aya frowned. "Not at all… Though we are ninja, we are also noble leaders. It would be inappropriate for us to dirty ourselves. Venomoth, dodge it," the stand-in matriarch commanded.
Ready to steer clear, Venomoth was moments away from zipping off. One hardly expected Muk to be anywhere near fast enough to pose a threat… However, its expectations were soon to be stomped out. Catapulting from the ground with all the vigor of the Infernape, Muk crashed into the insect, bringing it plummeting to the ground with all of his weight.
"...!" Aya gasped, her awe betraying her. "Well, then... I've never seen a Muk move with that much speed."
"That was part of our training," Ash boasted, toying with the brim of his cap. "Muk's not the most agile Pokémon around, but he can tackle like it's no one's business! Once he learned how to throw his weight, he could hit like a cannonball! Pretty amazing, huh?"
"Amazing, indeed…" Aya huffed. "A creative way to battle with a Pokémon meant for bulk, Ash… But it won't be enough to win this match. Venomoth, Psychic!"
Upon Aya's command, Venomoth forced a bubble of psychic energy, pushing away Muk's gelatinous form from itself. Fluttering up into the air, it hovered for a minute, shaking off the last bits of Muk-splashes.
Dawn kept staring at where Muk was collecting himself. "I'm… not sure whether to be impressed or disgusted." She thought back on the Grimer she'd befriended in summer school once upon a time. "Grimer was definitely cuter. He didn't throw himself everywhere and make a mess."
Overhearing his companion, Ash grimaced. "Hey! Muk is cute, too! He likes to hug and stuff!"
"He's making a mess!" she yelled back.
"He's doing his best!"
"Will you two give it a rest?!" Aya quickly interjected, reminding them of the match at hand.
Dawn crossed her arms, her belief that Grimer were cuter than Muk unchanged.
Ash did the same, offended on behalf of his loyal partner.
"In any case, bringing out the best in your Pokémon is no easy feat. I've done the same with Venomoth... See for yourself! Venomoth, use Quiver Dance!" Aya ordered, throwing both arms out.
The battlefield grew quiet as Venomoth shuddered before fluttering around rapidly, turning and turning. The dance concluded with the moth flexing its tiny legs, landing daintily and lightly on a branch overhanging the field.
"That's… different," Ash deadpanned. Quiver Dance… Maybe it was like Dragon Dance? If that was the case, then they had to act fast! "Body Slam!"
This time, when the tidal wave of Muk came raining down towards Venomoth, the bug made a speedy escape There was no way for Muk to catch up… or to know that he was about to be funneled.
"With the composed, fleet-footed focus that Quiver Dance allows, Venomoth's psychic powers should be at their peak. Use Psychic to put that Muk in its place!"
No sooner had Aya said it than had Venomoth formed a wall of telekinetic energy, slamming it against Muk. Though he spread out against the false-wall, he could only go so far before Venomoth stretched the Psychic grip further. The grip eventually flicked, not unlike a hand throwing a ball, flinging Muk against the furthermost wall bordering the garden.
As malleable as the poison type was, Ash knew that this would hurt even Muk. "Use Brick Break!" Hopefully, that would soften the blow.
Muk obeyed, pulling himself together and forming a false hand. Breaking his fall quite literally, the wall crumbled and was quickly covered with Muk's purple-goo body.
Ash let out a sigh of relief.
Across the garden, Aya let out a small growl. "I asked us to battle in the garden to prevent damage to the gym," she chided.
Ash scratched the back of his head. "Sorry…"
Sighing, the gym leader waved her hand. "I suppose it is an unfortunate reality. This is why we take business commissions. Thankfully, we have customers coming in next week…"
Dawn furrowed her brows. Customers… for ninjas?! That didn't sound like it would end well…
"Scoop up the sludge," Aya commanded.
And, thus, began a very vicious cycle. Venomoth lifted Muk up, up, up, as far as its telekinetic grip could carry the beast up, before dropping it. While Muk was too gelatinous for Venomoth to properly grip, it could carry Muk for a bit before dropping him. The impact would do damage, except for when Ash called out-
"Brick Break!"
-which would lead to Muk pummeling the earth just before he reached it, softening his blow. This went on for about a minute, maybe a minute and a half. Needless to say, it was beginning to tax both the moth and the slime.
"We can't keep doing this," Ash muttered. "Muk, use Sludge Bomb!"
Gathering up a thick bile of toxic gunk, Muk spat it at Venomoth… Only for it to miss. Thankfully, though, Venomoth's reflexive dodge broke its concentration. There was no Psychic grip, this time.
The reprieve was short lived, though. Just as quickly as it had been broken, the cycle was renewed. Juggling the oozing form of Muk, Venomoth began lifting its opponent once more.
Venomoth's concentration had been broken… Maybe that was the key to getting the upper hand. Grinning, Ash threw a hand outward. "Muk, you've gotta use Screech!"
Collected as ever, Muk did as told. Opening his maw wide, Muk let out a shrill, horrible sound that came in waves, barraging Venomoth with the unpleasant sensory overload.
Venomoth writhed and froze, scornful of the screech, soon losing its Psychic grip. Freed, Muk began falling freely through the air, Screeching all the while.
"Now, get in close and use Brick Break!"
Swirling through the air upon Ash's command, Muk headed towards Venomoth. The crash was spectacular. Essentially slamming a formed fist into Venomoth, Muk let out a victorious battle cry. The bug was sent spiraling down first, and Muk soon followed.
Once Venomoth landed, it was pinned underneath its putrid opponent.
"Venomoth!" Aya called out, concerned. "Get out of there with Silver Wind!"
A swirling up, a bubble of silver air burst through Muk's form, making the poison type writhe back in pain.
Freed, Venomoth quickly fluttered away from its opponent in disgust. It was tired of getting splattered with sludge.
"Your Venomoth's got a lotta guts!" Ash praised, a smile spreading across his lips. A bead of sweat running down his cheek betrayed him, though. 'We may have the advantage, but Muk's taking a lot of hits… Even he's bound to run outta steam, sooner or later. I've gotta finish this, fast.'
With that in mind, Ash continued. "But not enough to win this! Muk, give 'em another Sludge Bomb!"
Muk complied, spewing another series of sludge-packed orbs.
"We're too fast for that, now. Dodge, and use Silver Wind!"
Venomoth quickly buzzed into action, zipping left and right to avoid the corrosive volley. With one dip and swerve after another, the bug danced its way around Muk's stubborn attacks. Not missing a beat, Venomoth began furiously beating its wings, spraying a furious, sparkling wind with silver crescents abound.
Muk let out a cry, irritated with the incoming aerial assault. His slimy body jiggled and gave at the wind, earning another irritated gurgle. Indeed, like Ash had thought, even Muk was beginning to suffer.
"Damn it… Come on. There's gotta be a way out of this," Ash growled under his breath. "We've gotta catch 'em in a trap…" Dark hues traced across the battlefield, hoping to happen upon some sort of hint. A broken wall, plants and grass rustled by Venomoth's onslaught, puddles of sludge that'd been eluded by their target…
A small smile picked up in the corner of Ash's lips. With that, Ash threw both of his hands outward. "Alright, Muk! Time to give it all you've got! Sludge Bomb, like there's no tomorrow!"
"Muuuuk~!" The Sludge Pokémon roared, firing off a toxic flurry of grime, intent on overwhelming Venomoth. Purple sludge closed in on the bug in a flurry, putting it to the test.
"A last ditch move? Powerful, but that won't work. Venomoth, dodge them all!"
Venomoth was back into action without pause, veering between the barrage of toxins from below with one swerve and turn after the next, some of the Sludge Bombs missing by barely more than an inch.
Finally, Muk huffed, growing weary through the repeated fire. He was nearing his limits.
"Crap…" Ash hissed, fists balling together. His eyes followed Venomoth back and forth. The mobility it had… The way it could flutter between attacks. It was enough to make him sweat.
"Is that your way of giving up?" Aya's head tilted, a hand once again resting on her hip. "If you find yourself outmatched, it's not dishonorable to just admit it. Knowing your limits is-"
"You know me better than that." Ash interjected. His frown had vanished, a coy smile taking its place on the teen's lips.
With wide eyes, Aya peered upward at Venomoth, letting out a gasp of horror when the boy's confidence bore fruit. Up above, clumps of sludge hailed down upon the garden. More notably, upon Venomoth.
What goes up must come down.
Caught completely off-guard, the insect was helpless to stop the poisonous volley from splattering its body. Surely enough, gravity claimed its second victim, the heavy sludge quickly pinning a helpless Venomoth to the flowery battleground.
"Venomoth!" Aya called, a hand held out in futility. Soon enough, she couldn't help but chuckle. "Ash… You're right. I do know you better."
A chuckle left the trainer's sneering lips, almost sounding sneaky in nature. "You bet. Not gonna take down a ninja without beating 'em at their own game, right?" With that, he punched forward. "Now, finish it, with Brick Break!"
"Muuuk!" The sludge pile cried, vaulting forward with a raised, glowing mass of goo, slamming it into the sludge-grounded Venomoth.
A shrill,distorted cry followed, and the bug type's body fell limp.
Shielding her eyes from the sun with a hand, Dawn squinted, soon enough discovering that Venomoth's eyes had turned to swirls. The battle was over. "...Venomoth is unable to battle! The Gym Leader Aya has lost all three of her Pokémon, which means the winner is Ash, from Pallet Town!" She exclaimed with a little too much enthusiasm for a judge, a wide smile adorning her lips.
With the battle over, Aya's previously tough facade quickly faded. Rushing out onto the field with as much speed as her ornate dress would allow, she kneeled beside her precious Pokémon. "Oh, Venomoth, you did so well! Forgive me. I focused so heavily upon preparing you for challengers and Pokémon of other types that I hadn't trained you enough against our own strengths." After petting the big moth, she returned it.
"... She's gentle!" Dawn exclaimed, flabbergasted. Where was the ice queen from earlier?!
"Well, she's a ninja," Ash explained, walking over with Muk in tow. He squatted down himself, letting Muk get what he wanted: cuddles.
"Muk~!" The Sludge Pokémon quickly tackled his trainer, pinning the youth to the ground in an affectionate, putrid hug.
Carefully turning his head away so he wouldn't accidentally ingest any of Muk as he spoke, the trainer continued. "I was a little surprised myself at first. I mean… She's a little stiff and formal, but she's usually alright. I guess being in charge will do that kinda thing to you."
Walking over, Aya nodded. "It is true. In addition, it was a test." Aya put her hands on her hips. "I used to have peers here, but the majority have come to be overly respectful towards me. I appreciate the genuine belief in my ability to lead, but I long for a peer." The gym leader smiled at Dawn, stretching out her hand. "It is always nice to meet another strong woman."
Realizing that Aya was complimenting her and trying to make friends, Dawn's eyes almost sparkled as she reached out to shake hands with Aya. "Ooooh, that's what that was about! Haha, you could have just asked!"
"But, I had to know you would be my equal," Aya reminded.
The tender moment between the two girls was broken by two sets of stomach growls: Ash's and Empoleon's. Both boys at once clutched their rumbling bellies before looking up sheepishly. It was evident that, while Dawn had definitely imprinted as Empoleon's number one when he was a Piplup, Ash had also heavily influenced the water type's growth.
"So, uh… Is there anywhere to eat near here?" Ash asked.
"Certainly! Come! I shall summon our healers! They shall attend to our Pokémon while we have lunch! What say you?" Aya enthused.
"Yeah!" the trainer answered.
"I'm down with that," Dawn agreed.
Leading the way, Aya began walking towards the exit of the garden: the hole Muk had made earlier.
Soon enough, the group was seated on an elegantly simple patio. Ash was stuffing his face with the contents of his boxed lunch while Dawn was marveling over the fine, lacquered wood of the box.
"I'm guessing you guys make these traditionally?" Dawn inquired.
"Why, yes, they're made right in this village! They are made of the densest wood. Sometimes, we use them to block," Aya bragged.
Dawn cooed in admiration. "Artistry and functionality all in one… I can definitely respect that!"
"I can definitely respect the cook," Ash said happily, burping a bit. "Hey, can I get seconds?!"
"Certainly." Turning to one of the young girls mosey around, Aya gestured to Ash. His empty meal box taken away and replaced with a fresh box, brimming with sticky rice and pickled vegetables.
"Yes," he happily purred, at once digging into his dish again.
Meanwhile, in the lawn before the patio, Ash and Aya's Pokémon from the battle before were being treated for their injuries while scarfing down Pokéchow. Likewise, Dawn had also released her Pokémon to get a good meal. Even some of the local poison types that lived among the ninja had come to play.
Overall, it was a very serene atmosphere. It was so peaceful that, at first, no one noticed at first that the little Zubat who had been fawning over Togekiss suddenly flew off, tracing some invisible trail in the sky. However, when Aya's Crobat followed suit, that got everyone's attention.
"Crobat…? Where are you going?" There was no response. "Crobat!"
Soon, the other poison types were moving along, headed in the same direction that the first Zubat had disappeared into. That included Ash's sludge-covered friend, too, who slithered off with the rest.
"Muk, where are you going?!" Ash echoed.
Panic was beginning to spread throughout the ninja compound. Ash looked to Dawn, both of them standing up.
"What is happening?!" Aya demanded, looking at her underlings.
Just then, a young girl decked in purple slid into view. "Aunt Aya!" she cried. "Something is wrong outside of the walls! The Pokémon are all headed towards the northeastern corner!"
"I can see that, dear niece," Aya muttered. "No matter… Ash, Dawn! Most of my strongest warriors are abroad at the moment. Can I rely upon you to aid me in this pressing matter?"
Both the trainer and the coordinator nodded.
"Thank you. Janine, you shall remain here."
"But… Aunt Aya!"
"Do not argue! Your father has entrusted your safety to me. Furthermore, we cannot both be in danger. Remain here and instruct the other youths in the defensive measures." Turning away, Aya began shrugging off her lovely, ornate dress, revealing an outfit much more efficient and reminiscent of her original working wardrobe. "If these fools seek to raid the land of shadows and deception, they will taste the bitterness of defeat!"
"Alright, Aya!" Ash whooped. "C'mon, Pikachu, everyone! We're gonna get Muk back!"
"Pika-Pika!"
