Hello, back with next chapter! I had a little fun writing it along with some of my own ideas. Don't own Pokemon, enjoy!
Chapter 26: Celadon Scentsations
Angelina finally arrived in Celadon City about a day later after eating lunch at a public restaurant. It was large, certainly, and definitely bustling, but unlike the swarming madness of Goldenrod City, Celadon exuded a calm, cosmopolitan air. The people shopping were polite, but went about their business as usual, and it wasn't uncommon to see people arranging flowers or sipping coffee in coffee shops. She thought it was impossible to find the gym with all of the skyscrapers in such a big place. She wandered for a half an hour, until her nose picked up a heavenly scent which lead her toward a store that just kicked Ash out. It was painted a dark, natural, green. On the bay window, in pretty script writing said "Perfume Shop".
"I suppose the gym battle can wait." Angelina said, watching the trainer mutter under his breath and walk away. She opened the door and walked inside, surprised to see Ash's Pikachu and his two companions.
"Hey," Angelina waved. "Long time no see!"
"Hi Angel," Misty greeted, holding Pikachu. "Are you shopping, too?"
"Just looking around actually," Angelina replied.
"Us, too." Brock said. "But Ash isn't interested and just wants a gym badge."
"Well that's typical," Angelina scoffed. "He's too young to understand there's more to life than Pokemon training. Give him time, he'll come around eventually."
Suddenly, a girl with green hair interupted, "Hello, welcome to Perfume Palace."
"Oh, hello." Angelina smiled, almost forgetting she was in the perfume shop. "I'm new here and thought maybe I'd look around before-"
"Would you like to sample some of our perfumes?" asked another girl with blonde hair.
"Sure." Angelina nodded and was led over to a chair to sit down. The two girls and another with purple hair surrounded her.
The girl with green hair picked up a heart-shaped bottle. "Try this one, it's new, it's called Bellossom's Sweetness." She sprayed the perfume on Angelina's wrist.
Angelina raised her wrist and sniffed. "It smells just like Sweet Scent."
"We're having a perfume sale." The green haired girl replied.
"How much does this one cost?" Angelina asked.
"It's on sale for ten dollars," said the blonde haired girl.
"Hmm," Angelina thought. "I need more convincing." She looked over at Misty. "What do you think, Mist?"
"Let me sample," Misty held out her wrist and the girl with green hair prayed on the perfume, she sniffed it. "Yeah, this one's really sweet."
"I see you really enjoy my perfume," said a voice behind Angelina. It was young woman with dark blue hair in an exotic bun and light green eyes dressed in a lovely multi-colored kimono.
"In deed I do," Angelina nodded. "I'm Angelina Murakami from Pallet Town. I just had to come here before I went off to battle the Celadon Gym Leader."
The woman smiled. "Its nice to meet you. My name is Erika, the manager of Perfume Palace, and I respect those that take interest in my product. I'll give you a 5% discount and let you in on a secret of the Celadon Gym."
"Really? Thank you." Angelina said, bowing graciously. She took out a five dollar bill and payed for her perfume bottle. "So what's the secret? Do you know where it is?"
Erika giggled, "Yes, I happen to know a lot about the gym. I am the Celadon Gym Leader, and I'd be honored to challenge you for my Rainbow Badge."
"Oh wow!" Angelina squealed in delight. "Awesome, thank you so much!"
"Ash sure is missing out." Brock said. "He'd be jealous if he found out that Erika accepted Angelina's challenge."
"Of course," Misty agreed. "Ash had been talking non-stop about what Pokemon to use for his next gym badge, but now he blew his chance by critisizing Erika's perfume."
"Ready to go?" Angelina asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet excitedly.
Brock laughed. "Sure, Angel. We'll come watch your battle."
Angelina now arrives at the Celadon Gym, it was a glass-like building that resembled a greenhouse but the roof was in the shape of the flower on a Gloom's head. She was lead into a large stadium where her battle with Erika would take place. It had grassy flooring with a few dirt patches in some places, small trees that were growing, and some bushes and shrubs were planted into the floor. There were also benches on the side, where Brock and Misty were sitting with other people who were also interested.
"I assume you'd know the rules since this is your fourth gym battle. We will be using two Pokemon each. Substitutions are aloud and the battle ends when one side is unable to battle." Erika informed, standing on the left side of the battlefield while Angelina took place on the right. She now wore a tight green and white dress that went a little past her hips, red high heels, and a red headband in her shoulder-length dark blue hair.
"Well actually, I'm going for my seventeenth badge so I shouldn't let you down." Angelina grinned, throwing out a Pokeball. From the white light appeared a white fur-covered Pokemon with a shallIow gray face and a bushy white mane. It had a gray blade-like tail on its backside, a gray-colored appendage-like horn on the side of its head, and a feline-like body. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is my Dark-type Pokemon, Absol."
"Interesting choice, hope your actions don't prove your words wrong," Erika said. "C'mon Gloom! Let's show them what we're made of!" she tossed a Pokeball revealing a Grass Pokemon that Angelina previously own before evolving into Bellossom. "Start off with Petal Dance!" Gloom started spinning around and released pink petals at Absol, hitting it and knocking it down.
"Shadow, use Ice Beam!" The Dark-type got back up and sucked in air, then blasted a beam of blue ice at Gloom, knocking it off of its feet.
"You think your Absol can win using such weak attacks?" Erika questioned. "You've got a lot to learn about Grass Pokémon. Gloom, use Acid!" The Pokemon pointed the flower on its head at Absol and began to spin around, firing a black sludge at it from the middle of its flower.
"Shadow, Protect!" Angelina commanded. Absol's eyes glowed red and surrounded itself in a golden shield. The Acid attack had no affect as it slid off like water.
"Gloom, use Sleep Powder!" Erika odered, watching her Pokemon release an indigo powder from the flower on its head.
"Dodge with Quick Attack!" Angelina said quickly. A white trail of energy glowed behind Absol as she managed to escape the dust of sleep-inducing pores and charge towards her opponent.
"Gloom, Mega Drain, when she's close!" Erika commanded, and Gloom suddenly glowed with green energy that it waited to direct at Absol, and drain away her energy.
"Hit it dead-on with Flamethrower!" Angelina countered. She didn't know how much damage Grass moves would do to Absol, and she wasn't taking a chance and allow her Dark Pokemon near its opponent without a close range attack.
Shadow opened its mouth and released a spiraling orange stream of fire from its mouth. The Fire-type attack engulfed Gloom entirely as it collapsed on the ground in pain, not able to move.
"Gloom! Oh, my goodness! Take a rest, my friend." Erika exclaimed, recalling the defeated Grass Pokemon. "Okay Weepinbell, its your turn!" she tossed another Pokeball and a yellow bell-shaped Pokemon appeared.
"Weepinbell, the Flycatcher Pokemon. The leafy parts act as cutters for slashing foes. It spits out Poison-powder to immobilize the enemy and then finishes it with a spray of acid."
Angelina pocketed her Pokedex and recalled her Absol. Then she tossed out another Pokeball. "Let's go, Sparkette!" her Raichu appeared on the battlefield.
"Electric types don't do much damage against Grass-types!" Brock called from the stands. Angelina nodded back. She knew he was right, but she should be okay long as she just used her Raichu's normal attacks.
"You're going to regret using your Raichu," Erika said. "Weepinbell, start off with Razor Leaf!" Weepinbell starts spinning around in a circle, releasing multiple razor-sharp leaves from its body and flying at Raichu.
"Sparkette, dodge with Quick Attack!"
Raichu got on her four legs and started running at a fast speed towards Weepinbell. Darting away from the razor-sharp leaves as they embed themselves in the grass behind her like ninja stars and eventually tackling the Grass-opponent into the ground.
"Are you okay, Weepinbell?" Erika asked, she smiled watching her Pokemon bounce back up. "Great, use Acid! Show they how Grass Pokemon can burn their foes!" Weepinbell released a hissing blob of dark liquid from its mouth, sailing towards Raichu and causing the ground to steam as droplets fell from it.
"Dodge and use Slam!"
Raichu jumped out of the way and the Acid attack hit the floor, burning a hole through the patted dirt flooring. Then she used the momentum of her speed and hit Weepinbell with a powerful tackle. Weepinbell fell back, but bobbled back up.
"Use Wrap Attack!" Erika commanded.
"Watch out!" Angelina yelled. Her Pokemon couldn't even move quick enough as thick brown vines were wrapped tightly around her body and cried out in pain as she was being squeezed. She panicked and didn't know how to help her Pokemon, but then she remembered what Brock told her, and gasped when the plan formulated in her mind. "Sparkette, give it your best Thunderbolt!"
Raichu charged up, under the strain of Weepinbell's vines, and released many powerful bolts of yellow electricity from its body. Weepinbell cried out in pain from the Electric attack, it was enough for Raichu to squim out of the Grass-type's grip.
"Awesome!" Angelina cheered. "Now finish up with Volt Tackle!"
Raichu runs at Weepinbell once more. Her body is surrounded by golden electricity, and tackles into it, sending it flying into the gym wall and falls to the ground in defeat.
"Weepinbell, return!" Erika said, recalling her fainted Pokemon. "You're really good, Angelina. One of the best trainers I've seen in a long while. Unfortunately for you, I've saved my best Pokemon for last. Go Tangela!" she hurled her final Pokéball into the grassy arena, and from it emeged a large Pokemon with thick blue vines covering its body. Its eyes and feet were visible, and it wore a pair of red shoes.
"Tangela, the Vine Pokemon. Its vines snap off easily and painlessly if they are grabbed, allowing it to make a quick getaway. The lost vines are replaced by new growth the very next day."
"That's what I thought!" Angelina said, pocketing her Pokedex and recalling her Raichu. Just then, she remembered something: Azumarill had a double-weakness to Grass-type Pokémon, and her newest Pokemon Misdreavus wasn't that weak to the type, and Bellossom was equal. "Oh, crud. Uh…." she had to think quickly. 'I could use Misdreavus, which might knock out Tangela, but she's slow and therefore she might not be able to attack before she gets K.O. Oh, well.'
"Mistress, I choose you! Use Shadow Ball!" Angelina called out her ghost Pokémon. It opens its mouth and fires a purple and black ball of energy from its mouth at Tangela. She was surprised that Misdreavus attacked first, but it would be her last attack as the Grass-type leapt out of the way instantly and the ghost-energy passed by harmlessly before dissipating into the air.
"Tangela, use Vine Whip!" Erika said. Blue vines rose from Tangela's body and rammed into Misdreavus, knocking the Ghost-type back. "Now use Sleep Powder!" A sparkly lite blue powder started to emerge off the Grass-type and float towards Misdreavus.
"Get out of the way! Use Icy Wind!" Angelina shouted. Misdreavus quickly moved away from the glittering powder and blows sparkling blue snow out of its mouth. The strong wind struck Tangela and immobilized its whole body in ice, unable to attack.
"Yes!" Angelina exclaimed. She jumped up into the air excitedly and made a 'V' for victory with her fingers on her right hand.
"You are remarkably strong, Angelina. Here's the Rainbow Badge. Congratulations on your victory!" Erika said, holding out an octagonal shaped badge to Angelina. She thought it was the prettiest badge yet with its different colors. "How about you come to the Pokémon lecture? You don't really need it, but I'll tell you where to catch some great Grass Pokémon!"
"Sure," Angelina said. "Sounds like fun!"
Angelina caught up with Brock and Mist, sitting with them and other Pokemon trainers inside one of the many green-rooms. There was grass on the floor, bushes and Grass-type Pokémon everywhere, as well as many trees and flowers. Erika sits on a stump and tells everyone a story about an Omanyte. "….And so, Omanyte bid farewell and promised to one day return to visit the friends who changed his life on that far away beach. The end."
"Great story," Brock said, whipping away his tears.
"Pikaa!" Pikachu agreed.
"Trainer Erika," called out one of the students, everyone turned and saw the green-haired girl from the perfume shop and she was accompanied by a little blonde-haired girl wearing an orange dress. "I'd like to introduce our new student, Ashley."
"Oh welcome," Erika said sweetly. "Nice to meet you."
"Thank you, ma'am," said the girl shyly.
Angelina took a closer look at the girl and recognized the familiar face. 'Ash? What's he doing here in a dress?'
"You sure are a shy young lady," Brock observed. "But don't worry. All the girls wanna make you feel at home here at the gym."
"Um, Erika, why don't I show Ashley around for a minute?" Angelina suggested.
"Sure, but be right back." Erika said.
Angelina pulled Ash away from the crowd.
"Ash, why are you dressed as a girl?" Angelina whispered loudly.
"Hey! How'd you know it was me?" Ash cried.
"Oh, I'm very smart, Ash." Angelina replied mockingly. "I'll bet even Misty and Brock know you're you!" she added just as the two people mentioned strode over.
"You guys, everyone's waiting!" said Misty.
"So Ashley, you into Pokémon training?" Brock asked.
"Oh, yes!" said Ash.
Misty gave him a funny look. "You don't look like you're ready for a battle. I mean, sure, Angelina wears a skirt, but it's stylish. Nobody wears that-"
"Okay, Misty that's enough!" Brock cut in, leading Ash away.
Angelina sat down again in her spot, not too far from Erika.
"Well, Angelina, thank you for showing Ashley around," said Erika sweetly.
"No prob," Angelina nodded a smile.
"Erika, may I ask a question?" Misty asked.
"Why of course you may, Misty."
"I was wondering why we all sit with Gloom?" Misty asked curiously. "I always thought that because of its terrible smell, it was almost impossible to get anywhere near Gloom. So how come this Gloom doesn't smell bad to me at all?"
"Well, Misty, that's a very good question." Erika replied. "Gloom only smells bad when it thinks it's in danger. As long as you let Gloom know you want to be its friend, it won't smell bad. And that brings me to my story. A long time ago, when I was a little girl, I got lost in an alley and a Grimer chased me. I was so scared! Then Gloom came along, and scared away the Grimer. And we've been friends ever since."
"It's all because of her friendship with Gloom that Erika became a Grass Pokemon trainer." said the green-haired girl.
"I wish Ash could have heard that story," Misty said wryly.
"I heard it," Ash replied.
"HUH?" everyone stares at Ash who quickly ducks his head and stammers out. "Please don't stare at me like that. I'm a very shy little girl!"
Misty thrusts her face up close to Ash's. "You look awfully familiar. Have we met before?"
"Maybe you met my sister," offers Ash lamely.
Pikachu wanders over, staring up at Ash. "Pi? Pikapi!" and then it tries to hug its trainer.
"Hey, knock it off!" Ash snapped through gritted teeth.
"Pika?" Pikachu looked up with electricity sparking from its cheeks. "Chuuuuuuu!" it zapped Ash with its electric shock, Ash's disguise fell off.
"It's Ash!" Brock and Misty gasped.
Angelina rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, it's me." Ash admitted.
"You're that boy!" Erika cried.
"Erika, you wouldn't let me in so I had to wear this stupid disguise so I could sneak in and battle you for a badge, and now I wanna challenge!" Ash shouted.
'This is gonna be amusing,' Angelina thought, she followed Brock and Misty into the stands while Ash and Erika took their places on the gym floor.
"I accept your challenge, it's my duty under the League Rules." Erika replied. "We'll each use three Pokemon!"
"All right, then I'll use my Grass Pokemon, too!" Ash said, and threw out a Pokeball. "Go Bulbasaur!"
"Bulba!" croaked the Bulb Pokemon.
"This outta be easy! Tangela, I choose you!" Erika threw her Pokeball and released the Vine Pokemon.
'Oh real smart, Ash,' Angelina narrowed her eyes as Ash gets Pokedex information on Tangela. 'Using a Grass Pokemon against a Gym Leader who specialises in Grass Pokemon.' She watches the battle as Bulbasaur attacks with Vine Whip and Tangela responds with Constrict. Tangela is pulled in and releases it's Stun Spore on Bulbasaur.
"Bulbasaur, return!" Ash recalled its Pokemon and minimized the Pokeball.
"Poor Bulbasaur," Erika sighed. "Later I'll give you some Paralyz Heal."
"Thanks, but no thanks," Ash refused. "I don't need your help." And he pulls out a Pokeball. "I choose Primeape!"
"He caught a Primeape?" Angelina asked.
"Long story, though." Misty grimaced. "Now's really not a good time."
"Okay, tell later." Angelina waved and resumed to watching the battle just as Ash placed Primape's Pokeball back onto his belt.
"Go, Charmander!" Ash threw out another Pokeball.
"Char!" squeaked the tiny red lizard.
"This will be easy." Erika pulls out a Pokeball and throws it. "Weepinbell go!"
"Bell!" croaked the Flycatcher Pokemon.
"Weepinbell, Razor Leaf!" Erika commanded.
Weepinbell spun around and released tiny yellowish-green leaves toward Charmander.
"Charmander, Flamethrower!" Ash yelled. "Full blast!"
"Chaaaaaaaar!" Charmander blasted fire at the leaves that now rained upon Weepinbell that was scared and dodging the burning leaves.
"Yes, way to go!" Ash cheered. "Skull Bash, now!"
Charmander strikes the distracted Weepinbell head-on and knocks it unconscious.
Erika gasped, holding out her Pokeball, "Weepinbell, return!" the knocked-out Pokemon disappeared through a red beam.
"Ash is doing well!" cries Brock.
"He might actually win!" gasped the girl with green hair.
"He's a lot more impressive than he looks!" cries another with purple hair.
Misty smiles at this, and while Angelina notices, she too acknowledges with a smile that Ash is doing very well.
"Your battle skills are impressive, Ash." Erika admitted. "But there's one thing you don't have, empathy with your Pokemon! Without it, you won't become a great Pokemon trainer like me."
'Empathy?' Angelina's eyebrow twitches annoyedly. 'Since when would a Pokemon trainer need THAT!'
"Now I'm going to give you a lesson in empathy! Gloom, go!"
Ash and Charmander look on in shock at the Weed Pokemon, and it suddenly releases a foul-smelling gas.
"CHAAAAAAA!" Charmander was gagging and too busy covering its nose to attack, it was knocked out.
"Charmander, return!" said Ash, as the Pokemon disappeared in a red beam.
"Poor Ash," Erika laughed. "Your Pokemon could use a little more training!"
'Hmm, Ash is down to his last Pokemon,' Angelina observed. 'Oh what's this?' she then saw Pikachu jump onto the field and talking to Ash. 'So Pikachu wants to battle, great!' she smiled as Ash hugged Pikachu and got to his feet.
"Heartwarming, but something stinks!" Jessie's voice interrupts.
"What?" Ash looks up.
At the top of a pillar was Jessie and James.
"Your Pokemon skills are stinking up this gym, even worse than Gloom." Jessie commented rudely.
"It's Team Rocket!" Misty cried.
"Oh, man! Do you guys ever quit?" Angelina yelled.
"Hey!" shouted Meowth. "Dat's not nice!"
"Well, neither are you!" Angelina retorted.
"Let's just get on with it!" screeched Meowth.
"Prepare for trouble!"
"And make it double!"
Jessie and James leap down fifty feet and land safely on the gym floor.
"To protect the world from devastation!"
"To unite all peoples within our nation!"
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"
"And last but not least," Meowth jumps in while holding a small black box. "To blast this dump sky high!" he presses a button that sets off an explosion inside the gym.
"Jessie!"
"James!"
The blast sents Team Rocket high into the air.
"Where'd you put that blastball!" James was strangling Meowth.
"Near us so I wouldn't lose it!" Meowth gagged.
"At least we still have the secret formula!" laughs Jessie.
"What?" Ash exclaims.
"Team Rocket's blasting off again!" the three disappear in a sparkling star.
Fire exploded everywhere. Angelina ran for the door, but she couldn't see anything except fire and smoke. A crowd was running in one direction, and Angelina ran after them. A chunk of burning wood fell in front of Angelina, and she screamed as loud as she could. There was only one thing to do. Angelina jumped over the roaring flames and dashed outside. Misty and Brock were using their Pokémon to extinguish the flames. Angelina called out Wartortle and they helped out the fire.
"Oh, no!" cried Erika.
"What is it, Erika?" Angelina asked.
"I can't find Gloom anywhere! Have you seen it, Angelina?"
"No, I haven't."
"What if Gloom…." Erika looks toward her burning gym. "What if Gloom's still inside?"
"I'll go get it!" Ash shouted.
"No, wait!" Angelina yelled.
"Ash, don't!" Misty cried, but Ash had already disappeared into the gym.
Angelina stayed back with the others, doing the best they could to put out the fire. Minutes later, Ash emerges from the flames carrying Gloom while everyone looks on in wonder and surprise.
"Ash!" Brock yelled.
"That was great!" Misty said.
"Thank you, Ash!" Erika said gratefully. "With deep gratitude, I present to you the Rainbow Badge." she holds out a small rainbow colored flower-shaped badge.
"What's that for?" Ash asked.
"I think you earned it," Erika offered, turning to her Pokemon. "Don't you, Gloom?"
"Gloom Gloom!" agreed the Weed Pokemon.
"Thanks a lot!" Ash takes the badges and holds it out for his Pokemon to see. "Take a look Pikachu. A Rainbow Badge!"
"Pi-Pikachu!" Pikachu cheered.
"Congratulations, Ash!" Brock praises.
"Thanks." Ash smiled, then realizing something and turning back to Erika. "Oh, but what about Team Rocket? They got away with your secret perfume formula."
"No they didn't." Erika giggled. "The bottle they stole only had one of their perfumes secret ingredients... essence of Gloom!"
"Bye Erika!" Angelina waves.
"Goodbye, Angelina!"
Angelina now pedals down the road and finally catches up to Ash and Co.
"Hey, Ash? Don't you ever, ever try to pull a stunt like that again." Angelina warned the young trainer. "You looked so stupid."
"Okay, Angel."
And so, in a race for a Rainbow Badge, it's Ash by a nose. But the most valuable of all, Ash and Angelina have learned an important lesson; you can't judge a Pokemon by its smell.
§To Be Continued§
*Based off the episode "Pokemon Scent-sation!"
*The Pokemon that Erika uses is the same line up from the Yellow Game.
*Angelina battles and defeats Erika for the Rainbow Badge.
*Ash cross-dresses to get inside the Celadon Gym, Angelina sees through it first.
*Ash battles Erika, but is disrupted by Team Rocket.
*Ash earns the Rainbow Badge by saving Erika's Gloom.
So Ash and Angelina both learned a lesson and earned their 6th badge each! Very silly that Ash had to disguise himself with the help of Team Rocket, but the rest was all good! Thanks for reading, chapter 27 is on the way!