"Arrokuda, I haven't seen a Pokemon like that before," Ash said, picking up his Rotom Phone and pointing it to Arrokuda.
"Arrokuda, Rush Pokemon and Water-type. If it's inside any movement around it, this Pokemon charges for it straightaway, leading with its sharply pointed jaw. It's very proud of that jaw"
After doing so, Ash put Rotom away and smiled. "Hopefully this will be a good battle," he said and Nessa nodded. "Let's hope so," she also said and then the battle could start properly.
"Rookidee, use Peck to Arrokuda!" Ash exclaimed and the little bird Pokemon rushed on the trip, the beak glistening brightly.
"Dodge it and use Aqua Jet!" Nessa, in turn, instructed Arrokuda, and it plunged into the voyage like a rocket covered in water, dodging the Rookidee's blow by plunging up and then plunging straight down, and struck the Rookidee directly on its back before this had time to do anything.
"Rooki!" Rookidee exclaimed as he hit the ground, but quickly got up and Ash shouted again, "Use Peck again!"
Rookidee made his move again and this time Arrokuda didn't have time to dodge, but Rookidee hit it and the water curtain around it disappeared and it hit the ground shouting "Kuda!"
Ash exclaimed happily, "Good, Rookidee!" and raised his fist resolutely. Sitting on the edge of the field, Pikachu also cheered, shouting, "Pika pikapi!" but Riolu, sitting next to Pikachu, instead said through Aura, "Patience, Master, the battle is not over yet, so save your cheering to the end."
"You're right," Ash also said, using Aura to help, then straightened his cap to a better position and smiled resolutely. "The battle may not have started properly yet, but I'm still going to focus on it to the fullest," he announced and Nessa put her hands on her hips and grinned.
"Nice to hear, because we're going to be fully involved too," she said, then held out her hand straight. "Arrokuda, use Bite!"
Arrokuda did as he was commanded and big, shining and sharp jaws appeared in front of it and Ash exclaimed, "Rookidee, dodge it!"
Rookidee dodged and Arrokuda could not use his Bite for it. "Rookidee, use Peck again!" Ash exclaimed and Rookidee plunged into the journey again.
"Dodge it!" Nessa shouted at Arrokuda, but Arrokuda was not fast enough. Rookidee got hit on it, but this time the blow seemed to be somehow different.
"Huh?" Ash said, confused and sitting in the auditorium, Gou exclaimed to him, "Ash, that wasn't Peck, but Pluck. Rookidee learned a new move!"
Ash realized the situation and looked proudly at Rookidee. "Great, Rookidee!" he exclaimed and Rookidee looked pleased with himself. "Now use Pluck again in Arrokuda!"
"Don't rush Ash!" Nessa exclaimed. "We still have something left. Arrokuda, Bite, again!"
Arrokuda made his move again and this time Rookidee didn't have time to dodge. "Rooki!" it exclaimed as it fell to the ground. "Now, Arrokuda, Bite again and then Aqua Jet!" Nessa shouted and looked confident.
Arrokuda made his move to Rookidee again, who tried to get up but fell to the ground again when the Arrokuda move struck again.
"Rookidee, can you continue?!" Ash shouted and Rookidee got up on a shaky leg and looked determined nonetheless.
But Arrokuda had not stopped yet. "Now, Arrokuda, Aqua Jet!" Nessa exclaimed and a curtain of water formed again around Arrokuda and it plunged towards Rookidee.
"Dodge it!" Ash exclaimed, but too late. Arrokuda hit Rookidee and Rookidee fell to the ground again, shouting "Dee!" This time familiar spirals appeared in its eyes and the referee shouted, "Rookidee is unable to battle, so the winner is Arrokuda!"
"Well, Ash, what do you say now?" Nessa asked, grinning with her hands on her hips and Ash returned Rookidee back to its Pokeball. "Thank you, Rookidee, you did your best," he said, holding the ball in his hand and then he looked up at Nessa.
"That's not saying anything yet," he said resolutely, and at the same time heard Riolu say through his head through Aura, "Isn't it? Sometimes the first Pokemon decides a lot. If I had been there, then..."
"Shut up and on the field, you get to be next, if you once know it so well," Ash said through Aura, but out loud he said, "Riolu, you're next."
Riolu sighed, stood up and stepped on the field in front of Ash. "Oh, you have Riolu," Nessa said, looking thoughtful. "Okay, let's see what this match will look like. Arrokuda, be ready again!"
****
It was quickly over. Riolu's Vacuum Wave quickly found out about Arrokuda and the referee soon declared it overthrown.
"Thank you, Arrokuda," Nessa said as she returned her Pokemon to its ball. Then she picked up the next ball and exclaimed as she magnified it, "Milotic, show your beauty!"
A beautiful Water-type Pokemon appeared in front of her and exclaimed, "Tic!" Ash looked at it and then smiled.
"Oh, Milotic? Sure, we're ready with Riolu. Riolu, Vacuum Wave again, but now to Milotic!"
As Riolu made his move, in the auditorium, Serena picked up her Rotom Phone and pointed it to Milotic.
"Milotic, Tender Pokemon and an evolved form of Feebas. Water-type. Its dwelling place is the bottom of the big Lakes. Those who behold its loveliness are said to have their hearts purified"
"Milotic is really beautiful," Serena said, watching as Nessa's Pokemon dodged Riolu's Vacuum Wave and Nessa instructed it to do Aqua Tail.
"Mmm.. what did you say?" Gou asked a little distracted as he was immersed in watching the match.
"Forget it," Serena sighed and shifted her gaze from Milotic to Ash. She smiled. Ash seemed to really enjoy the match and Serena enjoyed seeing him excitedly. She felt the red rose on her cheeks and soon she was already in her own little dream world.
Gou had been disturbed by what Serena had said. He turned to look at the girl to ask her about it, but noticed that Serena was in quite a different worlds. He noticed that the girl was staring at something on the ground with a dreamy grin on her face and a delicate red on her cheeks.
Gou slowly shifted his gaze to Serena's look at the object and realized it was Ash. Oh, I see, he thought and grinned to himself. He looked out of the corner of his eye at Serena, who had blushed as Ash had grinned from this at the field. Gou shook his head slightly. Those two are hopeless, he thought and rolled his eyes.
For unlike Ash, Gou had no dense. Yes, he noticed Serena's feelings and had noticed that Ash could also have some feelings for the girl. But he had also noticed that Ash was dense like a rock, and had apparently not noticed Serena's very obvious clues. She should acknowledge her feelings for Ash, Gou thought. Otherwise, that idiot won't realize them.
But that, too, had its own problem. Serena was apparently too shy to take the initiative, so she wouldn't quite easily tell it. And Gou wouldn't help, nope.
For he actually enjoyed this. It was satisfying to watch those two, it was his little fun. Maybe I'll let this go on for a while longer, Gou thought and grinned to himself. But if neither of them accomplishes anything, I intervene.
****
Let's move back to the battle between Ash and Nessa:
Riolu and Milotic looked at each other, measuring each other with their gazes and each waited for their trainer's next command.
The battle had already progressed to the point that both Pokemon had taken hits from each other's moves. A deal that does a lot of damage could now make a clear mark on both.
Nessa held out her hand and exclaimed, "Milotic, use Disarming Voice!"
Milotic opened her mouth and sent a beam of purple hearts in a loud shrieking voice, and at the other end of the field Ash exclaimed, "Vacuum Wave, Riolu and dodge that Milotic move!"
Riolu made its move that hit Milotic, but it didn't have time to dodge Milotic's move, so it hit Riolu. And because the move was Fairy type, it did pretty much damage to Riolu, who was a Fighting-type.
"Ri!" Riolu exclaimed aloud, but through Aura it said to Ash: "I'm sorry, Master," and then it fainted and to its eyes appeared spirals.
The referee was just announcing the final result, when Nessa's Milotic suddenly fainted too and spirals appeared in its eyes as well. The Riolu's move was damaging enough for it anyway, and the Pokemon of both of them fainted at the same time.
"Riolu and Milotic are both unable to battle, so the situation for this match is a draw!" the referee called and Ash and Nessa called their Pokemon back to their Pokeballs.
"Thank you, Riolu," Ash said to his Pokemon after returning it to his ball and Nessa did the same to Milotic. After that, she turned to look at Ash again and grinned wide.
"Well, Ash, it would then be one Pokemon left on each," she said, bringing out her last Pokeball. Then she threw it in the air and exclaimed, "Go, Drednaw!"
A Pokemon resembling a large blue turtle with a horn-like thing on its forehead appeared in front of her.
"Drednaw, a brand new Pokemon for me," Ash said, taking Rotom up again. He targeted it at Drednaw and Rotom said:
"Drednaw, Bite Pokemon and Evolved form of Chewtle. Water and Rock-type. This Pokémon rapidly extends its retractable neck to sink its sharp fangs into distant Enemies and take them down."
"I see," Ash said, putting off Rotom with some degree of undefined look on his face. "I only have one Pokemon left, so my choice is pretty clear. Pikachu, I choose you!"
Pikachu jumped in front of him and said resolutely, "Pika!" Sparks flew from his cheeks and Nessa smiled.
"Ash, you know Nessa can Dynamax Drednaw if she wants!" Gou shouted from the stands and Ash frowned.
"No, I didn't know," he said and Nessa smirked. "But thanks for letting me know, I can prepare for that now!"
How exactly does this match end? Ash thought and said to Pikachu, "Pikachu, be prepared! This match might get pretty tight!"
"Pika!" exclaimed Pikachu his cheeks sparking and looked determined.
The match started and after a few good attacks, it seemed that Pikachu was in the lead. Since it was an Electric-type Pokemon, its moves were very damaging to Drednaw, who was a semi Water Type.
But then the direction of the match seemed to change. "Drednaw, come back!" Nessa exclaimed and returned Drednaw to its ball. Ash looked at her confused, but suddenly it dawned on him what Nessa was going to do.
"Pikachu, ready, she's going to Dynamax Drednaw!" Ash said to Pikachu and it nodded resolutely. "Pika!" it exclaimed and both of them watched closely what would happen next.
Nessa grinned and she pressed the band on her wrist. As a result, Drednaw's Pokeball grew bigger and Nessa threw it in the air. In doing so, Drednaw appeared in front of her, but it had grown considerably much larger.
"Well, Ash, the parts seem to have changed a little bit," Nessa said carefree. "Let's see how this match really ends. Drednaw, Max Geyser!"
Drednaw roared and made a huge wave of water towards Pikachu. Its move also caused it to start raining in the Gym and in the auditorium, Serena and Gou looked up in amazement when they noticed it.
"Pikachu, quickly, dodge it and use Thunderbolt!" Ash exclaimed and somehow Pikachu managed to dodge the Drednaw's move. In doing so, it jumped into the air at the same time and made Thunderbolt, exclaiming at the same time, "Pikaa!"
Thunderbolt hit Drednaw and it leaned back and roared. It still managed to stay upright and Ash looked at it with his hands clenched in a fist.
Dynamax will remain in effect for three turns, he thought. If Pikachu manages to dodge Drednaw's attacks during that time, we can strike properly when it returns to normal form. Then he grinned. But let's take all the pleasure out of this too.
"Drednaw, Max Strike!" Nessa exclaimed and Drednaw roared again and then left fuchsia cracks towards it towards Pikachu.
"Pikachu, jump in the air and use Thunderbolt again!" Ash exclaimed to Pikachu.
Pikachu nodded, jumped in the air, and made Thunderbolt again toward Drednaw. At the same time, it managed to dodge Drednaw's move, but Drednaw didn't have as good luck with Pikachu's Thunderbolt.
It hit Drednaw again and Drednaw roared again. "Quick Pikachu, do Thunderbolt one more time!" Ash exclaimed and Pikachu did as instructed.
Thunderbolt hit Drednaw again and this time it crashed to the ground with a spectacular bang. Its body shone as a fuchsia for a while and at the same time it shrank to normal size. When it was again completely normal in size, they saw that familiar spirals had appeared in its eyes.
"Drednaw is unable to battle, so the winner is Pikachu and so the vicktory of this Gym battle is the challenger Ash!" the referee declared and Ash jumped excitedly into the air and raised his fist resolutely into the air.
"Yeah! Pikachu, we did it, we deserved our second Gym badge!" he exclaimed and in the meantime, Nessa returned Drednaw to its Pokeball. "Thank you, you did your best," she said, and then walked toward Ash.
"You deserve this," Nessa said as she reached the boy and handed him a small badge reminiscent of three adjacent blue drops of water on a brownish background. "Water badge. Take it, you've earned it, our recent match was awesome"
Ash accepted the badge with a smile and then lifted it into the air. "Oh yeah, I just got a Water badge!" he exclaimed and Pikachu also jumped into the air, exclaiming, "Pika Pikachu!"
Ash put the badge in his case, where he already had one badge. Then he heard a shout from behind him, "Ash!" and when he turned, he was to fall when Serena ran straight towards him and then hugged tightly.
"Ash, that match was awesome!" she exclaimed as she pulled a little further away and her cheeks glowed pink. "Especially the way you treated Pikachu with Drednaw, it was awesome!" Then she smiled her familiar, beautiful smile and Ash felt a strange, hot feeling on his cheeks.
"T-thanks Serena," Ash staggered, wondering why Serena's smile and hug made him feel like that at the time. Next to him, Pikachu rolled his eyes at him and Nessa and Gou exchanged the conspirator's gaze.
"Okay, love birds, isn't it time for us to leave," Gou said and left to push Ash and Serena from their backs towards the door.
"Love what... wait, I didn't have time to ask where we're going next! I don't know what the next Gym is!" Ash exclaimed as Gou pushed him and Serena toward the Gym door, looking determined.
"Rotom tells us that," Gou said and then pushed Ash and Serena into the courtyard of the Gym and Pikachu walked over to them with a grin on his face, the reason for which Ash didn't know. Then Gou turned for a moment to talk to Nessa before closing the Gym door.
"Thanks for the match, it was pretty awesome," he told Nessa from the doorway and Nessa smiled with her hands on her hips.
"It really was, I enjoy it too," she said and then grinned cunningly. "But to get those two together, they can't seem to do it themselves," she said, lowering her voice and winked.
Gou grinned. "I'll do it," he said conspiratorily. "Immediately, as soon as I have enjoyed this for a while on my own, small amusement"
Nessa laughed and then Gou closed the door and turned to Ash and Serena, who looked him in amazement. "And what was that about?" Ash asked, raising his eyebrows and putting his hand in the gust.
"Nothing," Gou said vaguely. Then he went for a walk. "Come on, let's find the Pokemon Center, I want to rest a bit before we leave to continue our journey," he said and Scorbunny on top of his head nodded with his ears to follow Ash and Serena.
Ash and Serena shrugged and went for a walk after Gou. Pikachu jumped to his usual place on Ash's shoulder and together they all set out in search of their way towards Pokemon Center.
****
Gou lay on his back on the bed in the Pokemon Center room and stared at the ceiling. Scorbunny, Skwovet and Eevee were playing something on the floor with Ash's Pikachu and Serena had gone to the bathroom.
"Rotom, which Gym will we have next?" Ash asked Rotom and sat on his bed in a cruciform seat. Riolu, who had just returned from Nurse Joy's care, looked over his shoulder with interest and Rookidee sat on Ash's head.
"Next up is Motostoke City and its Gym Leader Kabu, who specializes in Fire-type Pokemon," Rotom explained and Gou raised his head.
"Well, we're leaving for that place tomorrow, aren't we, Ash?" he said and Ash nodded with a grin.
"Yeah," he said, raising his fists resolutely upright. "And that's where I got myself my third badge. I was just wondering what kind of Poke.."
Ash's sentence was interrupted, for just then Serena rushed out of the toilet with tears in her eyes and looking hysterical. She held something in her fist and there was a faint complaint in her mouth. Next to her, Braixen patted her tenderly on the back and looked soothing.
Ash and Gou were immediately worried when they suddenly saw her like that, yet Ash was more than Gou. "Serena, what's the matter?" Ash asked anxiously and got up and went to the girl who had sat down on her bed looking like she had lost someone really important.
Ash sat down next to her and Serena stared blankly in front of her. "Serena, is... has something happened?" Ash asked and wondered what could be the kind of thing that would suddenly get a girl out of her mind.
"It... it broke," Serena said softly, still staring ahead, and Ash asked in amazement, "What broke? Serena, tell me."
Serena slowly turned her gaze to him and said, "The blue ribbon you gave me once then. I was tightening it on a bow in my hair when it suddenly just snapped across! I don't understand how it's possible, it's a thick act. But... but it however, it is in two pieces and cannot be repaired! "
She opened her fists and Ash saw them holding two pieces of blue ribbon. "Maybe some trick could be found," he thought in a low voice, but Gou, still sitting on his bed, snorted.
"Oh, c'moon, it's just a ribbon, not any more marvelous," he said, but Serena angrily raised her head and looked at Gou eyes with lightning.
"Just a ribbon? JUST A RIBBON?!" she shouted and Ash began to feel like she was overreacting a little too much now. "For me, it's not 'just a ribbon.' There are a lot of memories involved, especially how I got it," she snapped, and Braixen looked at Gou with a look that made his objections dry up pretty quickly.
He sighed and said, "Whatever, but it is still the same ribbon." Then he picked up his Rotom Phone and delved into browsing it for the next couple of hours.
Ash felt bad for Serena and he remembered that he had still not given the red ribbon to Serena he had received from Marlene at the time.
But even though this was the situation now, he still didn't feel like the right moment to give it to Serena. But then when is, he thought and watched as Serena tried to tie the parts of the ribbon together. She did knit them, but now there was a knot in the middle of the ribbon, and it was no longer as good as before.
Serena tied the tied ribbon back into her hair, and went to look in the mirror at the end result. Ash felt how that red ribbon almost called him out of his backpack and he sighed to himself. I'll give it to her tomorrow, Ash decided. As long as I first find a suitable opportunity for that.
****
The next day, they first ate breakfast and then left the Pokemon Center for their next destination.
They walked along the streets of Hulbury and enjoyed the sunshine the weather offered them. Serena was no longer so terribly sad about her ribbon, but Ash still wanted to give her that red ribbon once he had so decided. He was just trying to figure out what would be the best way to do it, just handing out the ribbon felt boring.
They stopped at a small cafe to eat something before continuing their journey away from Hulbury, and sat down on the outdoor terrace to eat.
While eating, they watched other customers of the cafe and some caught their attention.
It was a man and a woman in their twenties who looked in love with each other and they watched as the man gave the woman a beautiful bouquet of flowers. The woman seemed pleased with it and hugged the man tightly.
Serena breathed and smiled in delight, a romantic person when she was. Gou, on the other hand, smirked to himself as he had imagined the couple being replaced by two people sitting next to him. And Ash.. well, Ash stared and then suddenly got up so fast that the table was crashing.
Serena and Gou stared at him, but he didn't care about them now. That's it! He would give a ribbon with a bouquet of flowers! Serena should like it, she loved all those sweet things.
"Uh... Ash, is everything all right?" Serena asked a little worried, but Ash didn't listen. He blinked around. Where would he find flowers now? Then he suddenly spotted a street corner shop that looked like a florist. Aha! There!
"I'll be back soon!" he exclaimed and set off to run in the direction of the florist. Serena, Gou, and Pikachu stared at him in wonder. "Ash! Where are you going?!" Serena exclaimed and was about to follow him, but Gou blocked.
"Let him go, he clearly has some plan in mind," he said and guessed what Ash was going to do, he had also seen that florist. "He will come back once he has taken care of his case" Serena sighed.
"Yeah," she said, and sat back in her chair, looking at Pikachu, who wondered in amazement at his trainer's back. "I'm just wondering where he's going."
You'll see for sure soon, Gou thought and then sat down next to Serena as well and then smiled to himself. This would definitely be interesting!