"Just put the box there Ash. Thanks for your help." Ash summoned his innate strength and pushed the heavy box filled with documents onto the shelves. He gave off a sigh of relief before glancing at his teacher who was doing stock checking.
"You're welcome Mr Brawly." Seeing that Ash was done, Brawly ticked off the last remnant of items on his list before exiting the storage room, locking the door once Ash has exited the room with him.
"Everyone is getting ready for the upcoming mock battles huh, can't lend a hand to help their teacher out just for a moment." Ash chuckled when his teacher shook his head in a disapproving manner, though he can tell that he meant it as a joke.
"Well it is our first physical exam." Unlike his previous battles, this one would be recorded and would ultimately dictate their academic performance. Months of knowledge and practical training would be put to the test, and to be frank, Ash was nervous that he might screw this one up.
"I trust you are training hard?" Ash rubbed the back of his neck, its not like he had a choice to not train. With the weeks leading up to the exam, Korrina and Bea's have actively seek him out for their sparring session. But he never held it against them, especially when they always treat him to something nice like ice cream or even dinner afterwards. There are times where he would argue with them over who should pay for the ice cream and dinner, but Ash always end up on the losing side. Besides, they were improving his skills as a trainer as well, so it's a double win.
"Yeap, Korrina and Bea won't stop pestering me." His teacher in question grinned, speaking in a teasing tone that made Ash wish he could crawl into a hole and die.
"Isn't that nice, having two girls constantly begging for your attention." Ash sighed, not this again.
"They're just friends, please refrain from making these comments in public." Brawly noted the tone from Ash's voice and smiled, he understood Ash's desire to stop others from drawing false conclusion to his friends. However, he couldn't help but to josh his student who seemed to only befriend girls.
"No need to get so uptight about, I personally find it relieving that Bea is dependent on you. She has always strive for independence and want to do everything alone, so I'm happy to see that she's making friends and have someone else to rely on." The Kanto native was curious how well his teacher knew Bea, from the offhand comments regarding the pressure of the world, to how he was unwilling to step in when Bea was out of line during the first time they interacted with each other, Brawly seemed to know the gray haired teen.
"Do you know Bea well sir?" Brawly gave a small nod, walking with his students down the school hallways that was devoid of people.
"I know her parents well, though can't say we get along swimmingly." The tone of disdain from his normally calm and laidback teacher was evident even to the eye.
"Different ideals?" Brawly chuckled at Ash's statement, he was that obvious huh.
"Pretty much, I guess she told you what kind of father she has." Ash stared ahead of him, muttering his words quietly.
"I avoid raising that issue when I'm with her." He would never pry into the familial issues others as he tend to steer away from tense and difficult conversations. When he's around his friends, only fun and silly conversations are brought up to mind.
"I understand. But Bea is a nice person, as I'm sure you know." Brawly stood in front of the vending machine, scouting out a soda drink that he thinks Ash would like. He smiled when he spotted a lemonade drink and pressed the corresponding button, watching the can rolling down the pick-up compartment.
"She is." Ash managed to catch the lemonade tossed from his teacher. He expected that Brawly would buy a drink for him to reward his efforts, which admittedly made him happy that he was being rewarded. Can't say he wasn't parched after all the moving around.
"Anyway, thanks for the help. You should get ready for your exams, train hard with your Pikachu alright? I have high hopes for you Ash." Ash nodded, he assumed that Brawly says that to everyone of his students but he appreciates his word nevertheless.
"Thanks, I will try my best." Brawly nodded and entered the teacher's office.
"That's all I asked." Ash heard the faint words from his teacher before disappearing into his office. He opened his can drink and started to walk towards the exit of the school. Given that he has nothing to do at the moment, he might as well go home and take a power nap or something. He already spent enough time honing Pikachu's skills, the rest boils down to his ability as a trainer to strategize and outsmart his opponents.
As the jet black haired teen exited the school, he spotted someone familiar sitting on the giant stairway that connects the road to the school grounds. She was looking through her phone with her partner pokemon next to her, seemingly waiting for someone.
"Bea." The gray haired teen turned and waved to Ash, she walked towards him and glanced at the lemonade drink he was holding while holding Clobbopus in her arms.
"Hi Ash."
"Shouldn't you be in the gym?" Her daily routine included 2 hours in the gym, sometimes he would join in but most of the time Ash would just ducked out. Recently, he spent most of his off time skating with Korrina, and he was thoroughly enjoying his experience. The rush and the adrenaline from skating was addicting.
"I need your help." Bea spoke humbly which wasn't a rare sight as most people think, particularly for Ash who have seen this side of Bea hundreds of times.
"Hmm? What is it?" It didn't sound urgent or serious, so he assumed it wasn't an emergency.
"I want you to review my battle strategies for the upcoming practical exam." The boy in red blinked, crossing his arms as he processed what Bea just said. Battle strategies are basically your materials you personally prepare for the exam, to openly share it to others is considered ludicrous, especially coming from Bea.
"Shouldn't you keep that a secret?" Bea flashed a friendly smile, ushering him to walk with her as she lead him to their favourite cafe. Once they found a table and ordered their drinks, Bea finally replied Ash's question.
"Ash we battled with each other so many times now, I know every trick up your sleeves, and I'm sure you know mine. Besides, I need an expert opinion about this." It was certainly flattering that Bea trust him wholeheartedly, that or she is deliberately showing her battle strategies openly just to throw him off.
'I don't think Bea would do that.' He secretly wondered if that is the case. Sure she wants to be the best, but she would never resort to cheap tactics and deception just for the sake of winning. His train of thought was swiftly broken when he realized he hasn't replied to Bea's question.
"Expert huh." The Galar native nodded, her eyes gleamed when the waiter placed her chocolate mousse cake in front of her, which was odd considering Korrina was normally the one who would order that. Maybe living together with Korrina had changed her preference too.
"As far as I know, you are the best trainer in class who embodies both strength and values. I mean if we do end up battling each other, I'll just think of a new strategy on the spot." Bea has always held him in a high regard after their battle with each other, and he would admit that he wish he can live up to her expectations. He wasn't a saint that embodies all the values of justice, nor was he a powerful trainer that can bend people to his will. He was simply just a trainer with a Pikachu.
"Flattered by the compliment, but to give away your strategies to even a close friend is-" Bea narrowed her eyes, leaning towards him with an impatience expression painted on her face.
"Ash are you going to help me or not?" The young man nodded as he supported his cheek with his hand, giving a small smile to the Galar native.
"Fine, when have I ever say no to you." Bea smirked, pleased that she has that power over him and the fact Ash has never decline her request. Well, except the gym part but she was willing to let it slide.
"That's right." Bea patted the seat next to her, implying that Ash should sit next to her to get a better view of her battle strategies that she wrote down in a notebook. He complied quickly and found himself sitting next to Bea who leaned towards him almost immediately, with her Clobbopus sitting on her lap.
"Let's see here- oh Clobbopus! Didn't see you buddy." The tantrum pokemon waved its tentacles to Ash to express its greetings.
"He's excited to see you." Bea placed her partner on top of the table, giggling when he stared at the Chocolate mousse cake with with unending curiosity. She took her fork and gave a small piece to her fighting type, his eyes immediately lit up at taste of sweet food on its tongue.
"Likewise buddy, now back to your strategies. Hmm, I see you are very focused on countering special attackers." Ash analyzed the various strategies written inside her book, there was even simple illustration that shows her how she should respond to different battle styles from her opponents. From status inflictors that stall out battles, to speedy hit and run tactics. Bea was well aware of her classmates' fighting styles.
"That's right, long range moves are notoriously difficult for fighting pokemon to handle. Hit and run tactics are a pain to deal with, especially with Clobbopus' all in style of combat. My plan is to charge up Waterfall and act as a gap closer to trap them in a bind." This strategy was similar to how Bea used her Clobbopus use Waterfall to propel itself to disrupt his Double Team strategy. Chances were if Ash wasn't using an electric type, he was screwed.
"That way they can't escape and you can apply constant pressure." Ash browse through most of her battle tactics, and to be honest it was really impressive.
"Mhmm." Bea was simply enjoying her dessert while Ash was reviewing her plan of attack.
"That's brilliant, but I could see that being predictable too."
"Which is why I'm saving that as a finisher. If I'm against an opponent who wants to stall me out, I can keep using Bulk Up to pressure them to make a move, or else they would have to fight my unstoppable juggernaut." Her unstoppable juggernaut was just sitting there, playing with the utensils on the table.
"It seems that you have a strategy against all the different type of fighting styles. Personally, I don't see a single flaw but-" Ash's look of concern worried Bea, did she left out something? Was her strategies inadequate and lackluster? He just said he didn't see a single flaw right?
"But?" Ash raised her notebook and pointed at a page that showed their classmates.
"Bea, you made a profile of everyone in our class and wrote down their strengths and weaknesses. But you didn't write down mine." She chuckled and placed down her fork, no wonder Ash looked worried. He felt like he was the anomaly, the excluded one.
"That's because I know you well." Ash furrowed his eyebrows, that didn't really seem like a good explanation. Misty and Korrina's name was here, and she wrote in great detail on how she should fight them.
"You know Korrina and Misty well too but their profile is here." Ash's expression of graveness made Bea panicked, not because he seemed scary, but because she can't tell him the real reason why his name is not on the list.
"I-It's nothing alright? Its just that we spare with each other so often, there's no need to write down your profile. I already know your cheese tactics." She's definitely hiding something, but Ash didn't see the need to pressure her. Perhaps she was hiding her battle tactic against him in another book because she is asking him to review her strategies. That could be plausible.
"Alright then." Bea sighed in relief, glad that Ash dropped the conversation.
"So what do you think? You think I can be first place?" Ash rubbed his chin, scouting out their classmates and their respective starters. In truth, most of them would be easy to deal with because they rely on one tricks, though that could change during the day of the exam where all form of surprises awaits them.
"Hard to say with confidence, regional starters are a pain to go against. But if you manage to get in close with them and launch the first attack, I will say you win most matchups." If Clobbopus can trap his opponents in a bind and they lacked the tools or skills to escape his grip, chances are Bea would win the match without a sweat.
"How about you Ash? Do you have a plan or strategy for the exam?" It may seemed like a stupid question, but Bea wanted to ask an obvious question to keep the conversation going.
"Of course I do." Bea raised her eyebrows, Ash was being unusually confident.
"Care to share? Or is it a secret?" It was definitely a secret and he didn't want to share it with others.
"A secret." Bea nodded and resumed back to eating her dessert, though Ash could clearly see she was disappointed that he wasn't willing to trust her with his strategies.
'I mean she shared her battle strategies with me, that shows that she really trust me right? I should show her mine too.' His conscious started to hammer him and alas, he gave of an exaggerated sigh and ran a hand through his hair for a dramatized effect.
"But I guess I can share it with you since you shared yours." Ash reached for his notebook hidden behind his jacket, a trusty book that contains the information of not just his competition, but also the phone number, birthdays and special occasions of his close friends. Old fashion for sure, but Ash liked feeling of a book on his fingertips once in a while.
"Ash there's no need to-"
"Its fine, you can help me spot out the flaws. I need an expert opinion." Bea rolled her eyes, that was her line. She leaned into Ash and glanced at Ash's notebook that was messy to say the least. His handwriting was readable but not exactly beautiful. She analyzed each individual strategies Ash have, for the most part he was relying on the Electro Ball combo.
"I see you're are using the Agility + Electro Ball combo for most matchups. Its very hard to play against that if they don't have any form of defence or counter." Against pokemon he has a type advantage over, a combination of Thunderwave, Agility and Electro Ball can easily seal the deal.
"Mhmm but I can rely on Double Team too, my goal is to be as annoying as possible and bait them to make a mistake, then swiftly punish them." Bea nodded as her eyes never left the notebook, she flipped through the pages and was particularly drawn to one person in particular that Ash highlighted with a marker.
"You're pretty focused on Paul." Bea glanced at the Kanto native who nodded in agreement.
"He is in my opinion, one of the hardest matchups for me. Electric moves isn't going to go much against his Elekid, not to mention it has the speed to go toe to toe with my Pikachu. Additionally, Elekid can use alternative moves against my Pikachu such as physical moves like Low kick and Quick Attack while Pikachu is heavily reliant on electric attacks to dish out damage."
"And you can't paralyze an electric type now." Bea swore that paralysis worked electric types before, yet according to their teachers, a sudden evolution has completely augmented their nervous system to make them immune to all forms of paralysis.
"Exactly, so he's gonna be tough for me to go against." Indeed it was, Bea was sure that Paul have a high chance of beating Ash. But if the edgy teen gets overconfident and screws up his attacks, Ash can easily turn the tides of battle and defeat him.
"I can deal with Paul relatively easy, Clobbopus's Timber works wonder against paralysis and I can bait him to get close with Waterfall." Paul loves finishing his opponent in an up close and personal manner. So Bea can use that fact to her advantage and trap his Elekid in a bind.
"Exactly but remember this is not a knockout exam. It's to see how many matches we can win against our classmates. Gary might be able to win against everyone in class if he dish out his Water Pulse and Rapid Spin strat." Essentially, Squirtle retreats inside his shell and spins around while firing high pressure Water Pulses from the safety of his shell. This completely flood the entire battlefield with water and allow Squirtle to utilize his innate ability Rain Dish to heal up gradually. It's a very solid strategy that leaves no counter play if you can't disrupt the initial setup, so Ash's best bet to defeat Gary's Squirtle is to knock it out before it can get the ball rolling.
"Tch such a cheap strategy." Ash chuckled at Bea's expression, she seemed mad and disgusted at the fact Gary can use the same strategy over and over again to secure his victory.
"Hey I'm using Agility and Electro Ball, so that's a cheesy strategy too." Bea turned to him while shaking her head, she seemed to defend him despite he was using a cheesy strategy that leaves no counter play.
"At least you are vulnerable when you are doing it! Gary just order Squirtle to hide in its shell and nothing can touch it." Ash calmed Bea down, she raised her voice loud enough to draw attention from the other customers.
"No need to get mad Bea, it's just a pokemon battle. If I lose to him then so be it." The Galar native sighed, eating the last bits of her desserts begrudgingly.
"You should have won that matchup." Ash sighed and patted her shoulders, she shouldn't be mad over his sake.
"Its fine, I'm not mad, you shouldn't be too." Bea nodded and wipe her mouth with the tissue before returning back to Ash's notebook. She flipped through the pages until she saw Korrina's profile as well as her own.
"Ooh you have a plan for Korrina and me- uh I think I shouldn't see this part Ash." Ash waved her off, pushing the notebook closer to her.
"Its fine, to be honest the strategy is exactly what you expect." Bea reluctantly read her profile, wondering what Ash wrote about her. She was admittedly nervous if Ash deemed her a threat to him, which should be a compliment in its own right.
"Double Team to confuse Clobbopus and keep constant distance. Yeap, that's as obvious as it can get." It was the same strategy he utilized against her when they first fought each other.
"I don't really have a strategy against you, Timber ruins my Electro ball strategy and Double Team is unreliable. The best I can hope is that I knock this little guy out with Pikachu's electric attacks before it gets close." Ash patted Clobbopus's head, this little one would be huge problem to deal with if his Double Team strategy fails. A sudden laugh from Bea surprised Ash, he glanced at her and find it mildly infuriating and cute that she was laughing at him.
"What's so funny? Are you mocking my strategy?" Bea shook her head, recomposing herself in the process.
"No, I'm laughing because we're sharing our battle strategies with each other so openly. I don't think anyone in their right mind would openly share their battle tactics with their classmates." That make sense, it is pretty stupid to expose your strategies so openly to others.
"I mean I know you long enough to know everything about you, and likewise right?" Bea's cheeks went pink over his words, he made it sound like they were intimate. She placed her hands on her lap and thought about how much they knew each other. She only Ash for a few months yet it felt like she knew him for a lifetime. She shared many of her insecurities, dreams and even desserts with him, while she struggled to do the exact same thing to her own parents or her other friends back in Galar. It was confusing, but she was happy that she met Ash, truly she was.
"N-Not everything, but close enough I guess." She whispered to herself, rubbing her thighs together.
Deciding to take break from reviewing battle strategies, Ash pulled out his phone when he noticed he missed a message from Misty. He scrolled through the numerous messages and replied it quickly.
"Hmm, Misty and Dawn are out celebrating May's birthday." All Bea know about May was that she was a coordinator who is in the same class with Dawn. Although Misty did mention that May was once their close friends, perhaps they had a fall out with each other?
"May's the coordinator right? The one with who dates Drew?" Ash nodded and placed his phone on the table, eyeing Clobbopus who poked his phone every now and then.
"Yeap, looks like I'm having cup noodles for dinner." Bea wasn't surprised by Ash's intake of cup noodles given that she does that too during the night. That being said, the thought of Ash hunching over his computer slurping over some overly salted noodles with preservatives didn't seem healthy or happy.
"What? That's so unhealthy." Ash raised his eyebrows as a deadpanned expression painted his face, says the person who has an obsession with desserts.
"Geez mom, calm down. It's not like I have it everyday." Bea scowled at the mom comment, but the brief image of being Ash's mommy certainly crossed her mind... snapped out of it Bea!
"Why don't you join Korrina and I for dinner?" She managed to squeeze her words out, avoiding eye contact with Ash as she cool her face down from the various thoughts that ran through her mind.
"You are still staying at Korrina's place?" Bea turned to Ash and nodded, but Ash swore he saw a hint of conflicting emotions behind her eyes. Did something happen between Bea and Korrina?
"For the time being yes." As much as he liked going over to his friends house to have dinner with them, he didn't want to burden or annoy Korrina's scary looking grandfather who seemed capable enough to snap his back in half with one singular strike.
"Are you sure her grandpa won't mind?" Gurkinn would love to meet Ash given that Korrina and even herself mentioned him numerous times during the dinner. Naturally Gurkinn was curious over the young man who befriended his granddaughter and her friend, the two girls seemed to hold Ash in a high regard.
"Not at all, in fact I think he wants to meet you." It was unsettling thought that the Korrina's grandfather want to meet him, what if he hates him? Does he disapprove his friendship with Korrina? You know the overprotective grandparent?
"Really? Why?" Bea smirked at the nervousness laced behind Ash's voice.
"Well Korrina has mentioned you a couple of times during dinner, so it got him curious." That didn't sound reassuring.
"So as long I'm not intruding, I don't mind dinner." Bea grinned and took her phone out, she was certain that Gurkinn would be fine with inviting Ash to dinner.
"Great, I'll call Korrina now."
"Thank you for picking me up sir." Ash sat at the back seat of Gurkinn's car, shifting comfortably into the seat as Bea sat next to him. The car was an old white Hyundai and despite its age, the car looked brand new and it was well taken care of by its owner. Ash himself was not really a car guy, but he could appreciates the efforts and time that goes into car maintenance.
"You're welcome, glad that you can join us for dinner." Korrina's description of her grandfather is strict and honour bound who constantly strive for success and improvement. But right now he seemed like a friendly chap, friendly enough to hold a conversation anyway.
"Are you staying over?" Staying over? When did that came from?
"No sir, I'm just here for dinner." Ash glanced at Bea who shrugged at him, she was surprised as well.
"Oh, I see." Why did he sound disappointed?
"Why did you assume I'm staying over sir?"
"Just call me Gurkinn, as for why, I thought Korrina was inviting you for a stay over." Korrina glared daggers at her grandfather, when the hell did she asked Ash that!
"Grandpa!" The small cheeky grin on her grandfather's face only annoyed her further.
"Hehe, we're pleased to have you anyway Ash. I hope you don't mind steamed soy sauce fish, it's my specialty." As the car pulled up to the house, Ash glanced at Korrina's house that seemed to borrow the traditional Kalos style architecture. It was a large house in its own right, so there was no doubt that Gurkinn's status and tittle as a gym leader carried over to Sinnoh.
"I don't mind at all." Ash entered the house and felt strangely at home with the warm lighting and charming decor. Gurkinn immediately went towards the kitchen and took out the ingredients from the fridge, shouting to his granddaughter and her friends in the process.
"Korrina, Bea, why don't you two entertain our guest?" Korrina nodded and slung her school bag behind her. She was looking forward to the cold shower that awaits her upstairs but first, she needs to be a hospitable host.
"Your grandpa seems friendly." Ash spoke with a hint of amusement in his voice.
"He is friendly to others, but he can be so childish sometimes."
"Young at heart huh." Korrina nodded before walking towards the stairs with Bea, pointing her thumb towards her room.
"Why don't you come upstairs Ash, we can talk there. When grandpa cooks, the whole house is engulfed in smoke and steam." Surprised by the invitation, Ash complied and followed the two girls upstairs, feeling nervous at the fact they were bringing him to their room. In hindsight, this was not the first time he visited a girl's room since he lives with Dawn and Misty, but this was different. Korrina and Bea weren't their roommates, they were his friends.
As he entered Korrina's room, he marveled the simple design that really bring out Korrina's personality and traits. Posters of different fighting type pokemon and famous roller skaters were plastered over her wall. Tired from today's events, Bea decided to sit on her bed and placed her bag down near the study desk she is sharing with Korrina.
"I'm heading off to shower first." Korrina took her towel from her hanger and took off her scrunchie, revealing her long flowing blonde hair. This only further exacerbated Ash's feeling of being out of place as Korrina walked off to shower. He glanced at Bea and sighed at the grin plastered on her face.
"Just sit anywhere you like Ash, Korrina and I don't mind." Deciding to sit on the study chair, he smiled when he saw a Riolu plushy is sitting on top of Korrina's bed.
"A Riolu plushy." Bea chuckled when Ash attempted to pick the plushy up only to hesitate and sat back down to his sit. Picking Korrina's precious plushy without informing her might be considered a death sentence.
"It belongs to Korrina." Ash spun round the chair in a childish manner, his legs almost hitting the leg table causing Bea to smile in amusement. This was the first time a boy came to her room, granted this wasn't her own room but she was sharing it with Korrina. So Bea was quite nervous at what Ash thought about their room. As the two exchange a brief conversation over the charming looking room, a knock on the door spook Ash.
"Bea I'm done." That was rather quick, how on earth did she shower so quickly with her long flowing hair? Better yet, why is she wearing a pair of tight tank top and shorts? Ash watched as she sat on her bed, eyeing her rather vulnerable clothing wear that showed much of her skin. Not wanting to leer at her any much longer, Ash turned to Bea and to his dismay, she was stripping her clothes off in front of him!
"Hey! Hey! Hey, I'm still here!" Bea paused from taking her top off before she flickered Ash's forehead, causing Ash to reluctantly open his eyes and blinked at the sight of Bea's sport bra. She was uh, pretty endowed that's for sure.
"Relax, I'm wearing a sports bra perv." Why is she showing no sign of embarrassment or shame? Sure she's wearing a sports bra but she is stripping her clothes in front of him! Not only that, but she did it so casually too.
"That doesn't mean you should do that in front of me!" Bea sighed and crossed her arm beneath her breast, pushing it upward slightly just to tease Ash further.
"You seen me wearing this in the gym before." Ash was at a loss for words, so he turned to the only person he knew would back him up in the situation that begged for modesty and rational thinking.
"That's different! This- Korrina help me out here." To his displeasure, the Kalos teen was on Bea's side.
"If you seen her in her sports bra and she's okay with it, then what's the problem?" Is he the only one with common sense here? He glanced at Bea's wicked grin and felt annoyed at the fact the two were enjoying his flustered reaction. As much as he liked hanging out with these girls, they also enjoy the fact he was the only male friend within the group, which meant they can tease him like this just to get a reaction from him.
"I- whatever." Seeing that Ash has given up his argument and the fact he was averting his gaze, Bea decided to head to the showers. Though she swear she saw Ash taking a small peak with the corner of his eyes.
"Alright, alright I will go to the bathroom now, don't be mad." He breathed a sigh of relief when Bea exited the room, good Arceus what was that girl thinking? He turned to Korrina who sat across him, hugging her Riolu pushy with much affection. It was rather cute seeing her like that, especially with her long flowing blonde hair that begged his hands to run through.
"Misty and Dawn said you were used to this." Korrina spoke suddenly, surprising Ash who was calming himself down from the tense and steamy situation that happened earlier. He was surprised by Korrina's words, Misty and Dawn told them? What else did they tell them during his absence?
"They told you?" It was true that he was used to watching Dawn and Misty wearing skimpy clothing or worn out shirts and shorts. But that didn't meant it didn't faze him, he was just so used to it that he doesn't question their modesty anymore since this was their house, and they have the right to wear whatever the hell they want.
"Pretty much, which is why we're comfortable around you. I mean you were practically naked with Misty and Dawn in the onsen right?" Why does she have to bring that up? He was flattered that the girls trust him, really. He did feel like he achieved the impossible, even though society shouldn't be praising him for not being a creep. Not taking advantage of a girl during their moment of vulnerability should be normalize, period. It should be the rule, not the exception.
"That's- let's forget about this okay?" Korrina smirked at Ash's discomfort but complied nevertheless. As the two engaged in idle chit chat, Bea came back with a black tank top and a pair of blue shorts, which made Ash very conscious of her toned thighs.
"Gurkinn said dinner is ready." Ash nodded and headed downstairs with Bea and Korrina behind him, he smiled at the sight of the marvelous dinner that Gurkinn made for them. The meal was a mixture of Kanto and Kalos style cuisine, the soy sauce steamed fish, the staple cassoulet that had every meat imaginable mix into one dish and the exquisite bouillabaisse that an assortment of seafood. Gurkinn certainly pulled all the stops for this one.
"This looks wonderful, it looks a feast fit for a king." Gurkinn chuckled when Ash marveled at his cooking, he is proud of his skills as a chef so it was nice to know that Ash appreciates his efforts.
"Thank you for the compliment Ash, come please sit." Ash sat cross Bea and Korrina as Gurkinn's Lucario handed out the plates and utensils, it was weird to see the normally merciless and powerful pokemon acting as their waiter and butler. Hell, he even had a napkin draped over one of his arms.
"Thank you Lucario." The Aura pokemon nodded and retreated back into the gardens once he was done, making Ash smile in amusement over the rather interesting way of living for Korrina's family.
"Korrina please help our guest out with the meal."
"Wait I can take it by myself-" Korrina didn't even object and took Ash's plate, and spoon a portion of the cassoulet on his plate, subsequently helping him choose out the variety of seafood and pieces of steam fish for Ash. It made Ash felt like he was at home again where is mother would help him filled up his plate before he could even standup and take the food for himself.
"Thanks Korrina." She nodded and sat back down, handling some of the food to Bea in the process. Gurkinn certainly raised Korrina to be kind towards guests and to treat them with utmost respect.
"I heard from Korrina and Bea that you are a skilled trainer Ash." The young teen paused from eating, he glanced at Gurkinn before placing his spoon on the plate. Bea did mentioned that the two of them mentioned him a lot in front of him, so he was curious what the old man actually thought of him.
"Just trying my best."
"No need to be so humble, I have seen your sparring sessions with Korrina before." That surprised Ash, the way Gurkinn stared at his soul unnerved him greatly. Beneath the kind and hospitable exterior lies a calculative and observant old man who seemed to be judgemental and strict.
"Y-You have?" The old man nodded, eating his meal casually as his teeth chattered against the metal spoon.
"Mhmm, I would usually arrive earlier and wait for Korrina to finish her sessions just to beat the traffic, and to see who's hanging out with my granddaughter." Korrina was livid over the fact her grandfather would do that, she dearly hoped that he doesn't do that whenever Ash and her was skating together. There are times where she have to place her arms around him to ensure he gets the technique rights and she dearly hoped her grandfather didn't get the wrong idea.
"Grandpa!" Gurkinn gave a firm glare that shut Korrina up almost immediately.
"Manners! No shouting at the dinner table." Ash chuckled at Korrina's pouting face, before indulging himself in the meal. As his mother's only son and the only male family member in her life, he could understand where Gurkinn was coming from. If someone ever tried to flirt with his mother or show interest in her, he would freak out and stalk the man to ensure he was a decent person too. Overprotective? Yes, without a shadow of a doubt. But given that his mother was the only person he has left as family, he would do anything to ensure her happiness and safety.
As Gurkinn and Ash talked about the Kanto native's interests, the old man from Kalos was suddenly reminded of something rather important midway through the conversation. Such was the miracle of old age.
"Ah Bea, your parents called." The fighting type specialist glanced at Gurkinn before quickly wiping her mouth with her napkin, causing the people around her to chuckle at her messy eating.
"What did they say?" Gurkinn sighed and forced a smile that seemed to hide something important.
"They are extending their stay in Galar, it seems that you are staying with us a little longer." Bea nodded wordlessly though Ash could tell that she was disappointed and maybe heartbroken? What's going on here? Bea has been staying with Korrina for a few weeks now, almost a month actually. How long is this trip for Bea's parents?
"I'm sorry for intruding and the inconvenience." Gurkinn shook his head at Bea's downtrodden voice, he smiled and crossed his arms.
"It's fine, its great that Korrina has company. Makes an old man like me happy knowing she's making such good friends. I don't mind your company at all Bea, and I'm sure Korrina won't mind right?" Korrina swung her arm around Bea's shoulders, pulling her closer into a small hug.
"Of course! Stay with us as long as you like Bea." The Galar native gave an emotional smile, she lowered her head and mouth her gratitude softly.
"Thank you." Gurkinn smiled slightly before frowning, an expression that Ash managed to catch on. If seemed that something as amiss and it had to do with Bea and her parents. It looks as if Gurkinn knew about this too, though Ash decided not to pursue that question in front of the girls.
As Ash mulled over what could had happened to Bea's parents, Gurkinn poised a surprising request.
"Say Ash, how about after this, let's have a little sparring session?" Ash had no problem declining a request for a battle, but seeing the glint of determination and passion the old man's eyes, and the fact he cooked this lavish meal for him, he can't exactly say no.
"Grandpa!" Korrina was sure her grandfather is up to his usual schemes again. She glared at him which caused him to gulp nervously, normally he would have glared back at her but considering that it was about Ash, he knew that she cared for the boy very much.
"Don't worry, I will go easy on the lad." Korrina crossed her arms, not liking that her grandfather who's is considered a renowned gym leader and martial art expert is picking on a young student who doesn't even have his training license yet.
"I would accept your battle sir, but my Pikachu is at school." Gurkinn grinned and waved Ash off, he already knew how to solve the issue.
"I will loan my Lucario to you." For a strict and serious old man, seeing him getting excited over a pokemon battle is heartwarming. Almost on cue, Gurkinn's faithful Lucario entered the room and stood next to Ash, extending his arm as a form of service. Ash smiled at the gesture and bowed to the pokemon, knowing full well it must be hard for such a powerful pokemon to listen to a novice like him.
"Gurkinn, Ash is just an inexperience trainer just like us-" Bea spoke out firmly, she didn't want Ash to battle Gurkinn considering the old man doesn't hold back, even though he stated he will.
"It's just a friendly battle girls, no need to be so worried for the boy." The two females sighed seeing that Ash himself seemed to be fine with the idea. They returned back to their meal, which made Ash slightly concerned that he pissed them off.
"So Ash what say you?"
"I accept." As soon as they finished their meal and washed their dishes, Gurkinn didn't hesitate to bring Ash out to the backyard. The spacious battlefield has certainly been well maintained, so it was no doubt that the old man often hone his skills on this very ground.
Ash took his place opposite of the former gym leader with Lucario standing next to him. He noted that the Lucario was wearing its Mega Evolution bracelet, though it was highly unlikely that Ash could tap into that power considering he never bonded with the Aura pokemon in the first place.
"Thank you for lending me your strength Lucario." The bipedal pokemon nodded and stared at his master with a glint of determination in his eye.
"Do you know the Lucario line moves?" Ash gave a small nod, the extensive sparring experience with Korrina's Riolu had allowed him to grasp the fundamental basic of what a normal Riolu or a Lucario would have in their movepool.
"I know a fair bit." Gurkinn nodded, that saves him the time needed to explain to him.
"I trust the battles with Korrina's Riolu taught you much." He glanced at his granddaughter and her friend who stood on the sidelines, Korrina rubbed her arm in an embarrassed manner when Gurkinn gave a grin regarding their sparring sessions with each other that was secretly disguise as an excuse to hang out with Ash.
"Indeed." Seeing that the battle was about to commence, Korrina and Bea made their way towards Ash, giving him words of encouragement despite knowing that he will lose the battle.
"Good, ladies if you don't mind." His fiery Blaziken stood next to him with its arms crossed, waiting for the two girls to give their support to the young opponent patiently.
"Good luck Ash." Korrina did a minor fist pump in front of her chest, further boosting Ash's confidence and spirit.
"I don't expect you to win, but give it your best shot." Bea spoke softly, though her words were laced with the determined spirit he knew well, he gave the two girls a firm nod and placed his hands on their bare arm as a form of reassurance, which made Gurkinn raised his bushy eyebrows.
With the two girls out of the way and safely at the sidelines, Ash stared at Gurkinn's intimidating looking Blaziken. He never fought a fully evolved pokemon on equal grounds before and no, the Braviary and Golbat battles didn't count since he was now using fully evolved Lucario.
"I will let you have the first move Ash." The old man placed his arms behind his back, hiding his calculative and analytical nature behind his poker face of a smile. Ash narrowed his eyes and started to plan his attack, he knew that he couldn't defeat Blaziken given that he has a type advantage and the fact he has more competent and experience trainer. But he would give this battle his best shot.
"Power-up Punch." With its paw glowing a bright shade of orange, Lucario closed in on his comrade, directing most of his energy into his left paw.
"Blaze Kick." The Blaziken didn't waste time and engulf his legs in bright orange flames, it jumped towards the Lucario and attempted to aim for the head with a furious assault.
"Deflect the legs with Bone Rush." Lucario immediately utilized the energy formed on his palm formed by Power-up Punch and redirect that energy to conjure a bone shaped staff. The two pokemon traded blow for blow as the Blaziken nimbly dodged the attacks and countered each individual blow with his fire engulfed legs.
"Detect." Seeing that the battle would go on forever as the two pokemon are well acquainted with each other's moves and attacks, Gurkinn decided to push Ash a little further. Immediately, Blaziken's eyes gleamed red and it did a backflip to create distance between himself and Lucario. Lucario attempted to rush in when he realized that Ash didn't gave him the command.
"Disengage and Aura Sphere." Lucario utilized the extra distance between the fiery avian and conjured a globe of pure energy. It started to slowly gather, making Korrina and Bea clenched their fist over the intense battle that was taking place.
"Feather Fall." Using the falling feathers as a form of distraction and to create pressure, Ash was certain that Gurkinn wasn't going easy on him given he just used a variation of the Feather Dance move. He cooled his head and decided to not risk it.
"Release the attack to the feathers." Lucario hurled the ball of intense energy towards the feathers, disintegrating all of them in one swoop before the dust settled. Ash stared at his panting Lucario and realized that he spent too much time charging the attack and it maybe costly to ask him to hold out for that long.
"Flame Charge around the field." Blazing around the field in flames, it slowly gain momentum and soon enough a red whirling blur of fiery red surrounded the battlefield. Gurkinn's Mienshao pushed the Korrina and Bea back slightly to avoid the risk of being burned, but the two girls were having none of it as they screamed for Ash's name, fearing for his safety amidst the giant fire whirl that surround him.
"Stand down and be patient." Ash shouted as he shielded himself from the small sparks of flame cackling from the pyronado around him. He could tell his Lucario was getting impatient and uncomfortable with the rising heat given he was a steel type.
"Sense him Lucario." Deciding to utilize the moment to rest Lucario's mind, the Aura pokemon nodded and decided to meditate in the battlefield to calm his anxiety and rest his spirit.
"What's Ash doing?" Bea could barely see through the flames, but she noted that Lucario was simply meditating while Ash was taking off his jacket to cool himself down. She bit her lower lip at how extreme Gurkinn was going with the battle, this was not going easy on Ash, it was the complete opposite.
"He's letting Lucario to feel Blaziken's presence." Korrina knew that Ash was aware of Lucario's innate ability to sense others. She watched her grandfather staring at Ash with a serious expression, unfazed by the giant fire whirl he created as it had no effect on him.
"Flare Blitz." With a loud shout from his opponent, all Ash saw a flash of burning red charging towards his meditating Lucario. As the flames around his started to subside, Ash saw the blazing trail of flames and knew that Blaziken was close by.
"Counter." Just at the Flare Blitz was about to connect, Lucario's body glowed blue and immediately opened its eyes to counter the attack with the use of excessive force, punching the Blaziken right in the chest as it sent him flying. Surprised by the precise attack, Gurkinn smiled and decided to end the battle. He had seen what he needed to see.
"Finish him with Phoenix Dive." Ash barely registered the command from his opponent and the time to think about a counter play when he's Lucario was immediately knocked out by Blaziken who charged at Lucario with full force, surrounded by scorching flames of a giant phoenix.
"Lucario!" The Aura pokemon was knocked out cold by the super effective attack, which caused Korrina and Bea to rush towards him. Mienshao merely snuffed out all the flames present on the battlefield before walking towards Blaziken with a shook of head, annoyed that she have to clean up after him.
"Grandpa you said you would go easy on Ash!" Korrina sounded genuinely angry which baffled Gurkinn considering this was not the first time he did it, well not to a novice trainer anyway. He was about to calm his granddaughter down and explained himself when Bea joined in the fray.
"Gurkinn to order such a brutal attack-" The old man gulped when Bea stood in front of him with her fists clenched, boy did she sound mad. This was the first time he had ever seen her like this, even during the tense battles where she lost to Korrina or himself, Bea never was like this.
"Geez relax, Lucario already knew what was coming. As for you Ash, I apologize for launching such series of attack. I merely just wanted to see how you perform in battle." Ash nodded as Lucario started to regain consciousness when Gurkinn sprayed a Hyper Potion on him. It nodded at his master before Blaziken helped him up and carried him to the nearby bench, giving him room to meditate to heal his wounds.
"That's fine I know I can't beat you anyway." Ash wore back his Jacket, though he left it unzipped. He felt the cool air of night on his sweaty skin and sighed at the dangerous situation he was in. He wasn't exactly scared he would be engulfed by the flames, more of surprised that Blaziken can do something as amazing and advance as a Pyronado. It was essentially a huge upgrade to Fire Spin.
"The purpose of this battle is not to show strength, but character. You outperform my expectation Ash." That was a huge compliment in Ash's book, to receive praise from such a seasoned gym leader was an amazing feat. Gurkinn extended his hand for a handshake, which Ash immediately shook.
"Please come and have dinner with us again." Ash smiled and nodded, surprised by the turn of events that transpired. Half an hour ago he was having a nice calm meal, the moment he was in a fire vortex fighting a Blaziken that seemed to on another level.
"Sure." Ash smiled when Bea handed him a wet towel, he gave his thanks and wiped his body with it, feeling the cooling effects onto his skin.
"That's was amazing Ash, you and Lucario were really in sync!" Ash chuckled at how excited Korrina was, though he would agree with her statement. He never thought Lucario would listen to his every command, especially when he asked him to stand down and be patient.
"I never seen a pokemon submitting to a stranger so quickly, much less a Lucario." Bea added as the 3 of them sat on the bench next to the battlefield. Bea was especially impressed by Ash's critical thinking skills, though she has to say how he managed to stay calm during the fire storm was beyond her.
"It's nothing, thanks for listening to my commands Lucario." The Aura pokemon opened his eyes and gave Ash a curt nod before resuming his mediation. The young Ketchum chuckled before Gurkinn approached him with a drink in hands, he gave it Ash who took it in thanks. He was getting thirsty from all the sweat he produced.
"Ash are you planning to go home soon?" Ash took a large gulp and replied to Korrina's question, nodding to her as an answer.
"It is getting late, so I think I will take a cab." The two girls sighed, they felt like they barely talked to Ash since he was mostly talking to Gurkinn.
"So you're not staying? That's disappointing." The old man spoke with a dejected face, comically so if Ash may add. Korrina scowled and grabbed his shoulders, giving him a disapproving look fit for a mother.
"Grandpa stop it, let Ash do what he wants." Her grandfather's ability to guilt trip people to do what he wants was legendary.
"Alright, alright, come on Ash, I will give you a ride back home." Ash nodded, he expected that much. He stood back and up and placed the glass onto the kitchen sink. He would have wash it but Gurkinn stated he should leave the washing to them.
"Bye Korrina, bye Bea. I will see you tomorrow?" The two girls nodded as Ash stood in front of the doorway, Korrina's grandfather was already outside waiting for Ash to say his goodbyes. The Pikachu trainer waved the two off and attempted to enter the car when Korrina shouted.
"Wait!" Ash stopped, watching the Kalos teen running upstairs before coming back down shortly with a familiar jacket in her hands.
"Your jacket." Her bashful tone and the way she avoided eye contact with him was adorable, Ash took the jacket from her hands, not oblivious to the fact her grandfather was staring at their interaction.
"O-Oh thanks." Waving good bye to the girls one last time, Ash entered passenger seat with his blue jacket placed neatly on his lap.
"Buckle up." With that, the car's engine was revved up and soon they were in motion.
The drive back home was quiet, awkwardly so. The chatty and friendly Gurkinn he knew was replaced by the serious and gruff expression Korrina often referenced about regarding her grandfather. Ash watched the rows of street light that passed by in a blurry motion and noted that night sky was clear of clouds.
"Bea and Korrina often speak highly of you Ash." The silence was broken by Gurkinn's unexpected comment. Ash gave his attention to the elder man and nodded cautiously, not sure how he should respond to that.
"I-I'm flattered." Gurkinn nodded slowly, eyeing the road.
"Korrina told me about Bea, and how they had a rough start. It is thanks to you that Bea's perspective as a trainer has changed and that Korrina managed to find someone who enjoys skating as much as she does. For that I thank you. You made a positive impact in their lives." He was surprised that Korrina told her grandfather how Bea and her first interacted, for him to take Bea in so openly and to care for her was highly generous and kind of him. Though Ash could tell where Korrina got her kind and compassionate heart form.
"Considered that they are willing to hangout with me, I do what little I can do." Ash spoke softly, eyeing the window to the outside world.
"All of you are close friends yes?" It seemed that Gurkinn was questioning his relationship with the girls, not surprising in the slightest.
"Mhmm, along with Misty, Serena and Dawn." He worried that Gurkinn has ill thoughts regarding his friendship with the other girls, did he think he's a playboy or something? It is highly suspicious that his closest friends were all girls.
"Good, that's good." It didn't seemed that Gurkinn was disapproving his friendship with the others, in fact he seemed happy. The still silence set in for a brief moment as the two ran out of things to say, which was odd because Ash knew Gurkinn wanted to talk to him about something important.
"Bea's parents called last night." Ah, he knew something was up.
"What did they say." The former gym leader sighed in a disappointed manner, with an expression of displeasure painted on his old wrinkled face.
"They "complained" that Bea had an argument with her father over a video call, that resulted in their desire to stay in Galar longer." Ash was utterly dumbfounded by the reason for their delaying their return to Sinnoh, it was because of an argument with Bea?
"They are prolonging their return to Sinnoh just because of an argument with their daughter? How childish and petty can one be?" Ash didn't bother to hide his disgust and dissatisfaction, no matter how bad or heated an argument you have with your child, you should still take care of them and not toss them to the care of others. Any problem can be resolved through talking, that was what Ash firmly believes.
"Exactly, regardless of any bad blood or disagreements, you should still be there for your child who needs your guidance and support." Gurkinn seemed to share his sentiments, which was good since he would lose his respect for the man if he agreed with Bea's parents way of punishing Bea for arguing with them.
"Did they say what's the argument about?" Gurkinn nodded, making a U-turn on the road as he missed the turn. Though in truth, he wanted to prolong the conversation with Ash.
"They stated that Bea had disagreement with her father over battle philosophy and goals. They complained that Bea has changed drastically, a change that coincidentally happened right after day you lectured with Bea." The look of guilt on Ash's face was evident, causing Gurkinn to smile.
"I'm not blaming you Ash, far from it. I'm glad that you are able to knock some sense into the young girl. But her parents is the typical strict Arcanine parent, who overvalue power and achievements over virtues and honour. They are very controlling, leaving no room for Bea to grow by herself." She should have the choice to pursue what she wants, and not let her parents dictate her life.
"I know." Personally for Ash, he felt responsible for Bea's parents cold shoulder to her. Despite he knew he was doing what's right for Bea, it also meant she had to go against her parents who raised her.
"That's why I'm having this conversation with you, Bea is at a very rough spot right now. She's torn between making her parents proud and upholding her own values and ideals. Personally, I would be happy that she stays with us for the rest of her schooling. I see her as my second granddaughter now to be honest heh." Ash's lips curled up as he stared at the towering buildings that surround them, they were near the heart of Jubilife city.
"Does Bea know the reason for her parents-" He spoke with a hint of sadness behind his voice.
"I didn't tell her but she's a smart girl, I'm sure she already figured the reason out by herself." Gurkinn glanced at Ash for a brief moment, feelings of empathy were certainly present within the teen.
"That's heartbreaking, no child deserve to be neglected by their parents." Gurkinn nodded, agreeing with his statement
"Precisely, Bea is a good girl. It just that her parents are so obsessed with achieving tittles and recognition. I would have lecture them but I don't want Bea to hear me shouting at them." Ash chuckled, knowing that Gurkinn's desire to leave Bea out of the messy situation. As they pulled up to Ash's apartment, the young teen exited the car with his blue jacket draped over his hand.
"Thanks for the ride Gurkinn." He placed his hand on the roof of the car, supporting his weight.
"You're welcome Ash, I know you are a kind person, so try to help Bea out anyway possible alright? She doesn't like to disappoint people, particularly people who have stood by her." Ash nodded, knowing full well that Gurkinn wants him to do something. Given that he was responsible for Bea's change, he would also be responsible for dealing with her overbearing parents.
"I will do my best to help her." The old man nodded and soon enough, he drove off into the distance. With a tired groan, Ash walked to his apartment, anticipating a nice shower and a comfy sleep.
