Hey guys, I'm finally back with a new chapter for this fic! I apologize for the extremely long wait for this chapter, but a lot of things have been happening lately, namely I started college again and I'm now living on campus. Before I went to a local community college and commuted to school from home, but now I'm living over two and half hours from home in a dorm with three roommates. Luckily I have my own room and my roommates are pretty cool, so that hasn't really been an issue. However, my workload this semester has been pretty hard, so I don't know how often I'll be able to write. I try to write whenever possible, but please don't expect really fast uploads any time soon. Well that's enough about me, this new chapter will pick up where the previous one left off, and will have Ash challenging the Fuchsia City gym.
P.S. I know this might disappoint some of you, but will excite others, I've decided that if I do start another fic that it will be a My Hero Academia fic. I have the the start all planned out, and not to toot my own horn, but I think it's pretty damn good, and it will have Izuku meeting All Might and receiving his powers under totally different circumstances. After that I plan to do my normal writing format, and do the main story with my own spin on canon events. Izuku will also have a harem in the fic, because I feel there's a severe lack of Izuku x harem fics on this site. Also Izuku won't be receiving any secondary powers, i.e. Spider-man's abilities, like in a lot of fics I've been seeing recently. Another thing I plan on changing won't change the story much per se, but I plan on UA Academy being a college instead of of high school. This way it won't be as weird for Izuku to have a harem, plus I've always felt that it was odd for kids to be doing such dangerous training, I had a similar feeling with Naruto. So to those of you who were looking forward to possibly seeing a High School DxD fic from me, I sincerely apologize. But I've fallen in love with My Hero Academia and would much rather write a fic for that series, plus I would be much more passionate about writing a fic for this series. (If you want the basic premise of how this story would start P.M. me or simply ask in your review)
P.P.S. I just watched Sword Art Online Ordinal Scale the other day, and I have to say that I loved it. If you like Sword Art Online at all, you definitely should try to see this movie, I liked it so much that I plan on buying it on Blu-ray. The film also confirmed that Sword Art Online season 3 will be coming some time soon, which I'm super hyped about (Season 3, along with a Gun Gale Online spinoff anime, have actually just been officially confirmed). Just like with Fairy Tail Dragon Cry, stick through the end credits and you'll get a little scene teasing the next season on the anime. Speaking of third seasons being confirmed, My Hero Academia's third season just got announced! I couldn't be more hype right now! We have the Fairy Tail anime returning next year, which will wrap up the series, and possibly Sword Art Online and My Hero Academia's third seasons as well! 2018 is looking like an amazing year for anime!
P.P.P.S. And to those of you who keep on asking, no, Misty will never join Ash's harem, or be apart of his group. This is absolutely final, no debate whatsoever. I don't particularly like Misty as a character and I don't want to include her in this story anymore more than I have to. I don't care how much you love Misty, or how you think that she probably feels bad about what she did to Ash and wants to make up. After Ash battles Misty I don't plan on having her in the story much after that, maybe a passing mention here or there, but that's it. So please save yourself the breath and stop begging me to add her into Ash's harem, or be apart of his group, because it's never going to happen.
Well that's everything worth mentioning, so let's get to the fic!
"Speech"
"Thoughts"
Pokemon Attack
"Telepathy/Aura Speech"
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, or any of its characters.
(One Week Later: Outskirts of Fuchsia City)
"Arceus I hate walking." Burgundy complained, lagging slightly behind the rest of the group. "I wish we had a car or something."
"Walking is good for you." Cilan said with a smile, as he slowed his pace to keep his girlfriend company. "Besides we get to really experience the beauty and diversity of nature with all the traveling we do."
"You know Cilan, sometimes you're just a little too cheerful." Burgundy said with a twinge of irritation in her tone, before releasing a heavy sigh. "I just want get out of these sweaty clothes and take a hot shower."
"Would you quit your whining already?" Ash asked with a frown, as he turned to face Burgundy. "Fuchsia city is just over this next hill, so we won't have to walk much farther."
"It better be." Burgundy said, crossing her arms underneath her chest and turning her head away indignantly. "Because if I have to walk on this Arceus forsaken dirt road any longer I'm gonna lose it."
"I think you've already lost it." Ash muttered, which earned him a few giggles from his girls. Beginning to crest the next hill, a grin spread across Ash's face as he sprinted ahead of everyone else. When Ash spotted Fuchsia City sprawled before him, his smile widened even further. While Ash waited for the rest of his group to catch up, he took in the incredible few before him. "There it is everyone...Fuchsia City!" Ash's sudden exclamation caused something to stir within his bag. Turning his head around, Ash wasn't surprised when he saw Dartrix's head poking out the top of his bag. "You awake buddy?" Letting out a short yawn, Dartrix nodded his head. Much like Pikachu, Dartrix didn't like staying in his Pokeball very much. Although he would stay in his Pokeball sometimes, he much preferred to cozy up in Ash's backpack. The raven-haired trainer chuckled in amusement when Dartrix hopped out of his backpack and onto his shoulder. "You like the view too?" Dartrix cawed and flapped his wings in agreement.
"Oh, looks like Dartrix is finally awake." Cynthia said with a smile, walking up next to Ash and patting Blade Quill Pokemon on his head. "He slept most of the day didn't he?"
"Well I was training him pretty hard yesterday, he deserves some extra rest." Ash said, as he scratched underneath Dartrix's beak, causing him to coo in pleasure.
"If Dartrix is tired he can have some of these." Dawn said, reaching into her bag and pulling out a small container. Pulling out the container's lid, Dawn poured a handful of Pokemon pellets into her hand. Dawn smiled sweetly as she offered the pellets to Dartrix. "I picked these up when we were at mall in Celadon City. They're Pokemon pellets made specifically to re-energize and restore grass-type Pokemon. Plus they're packed full of vitamins and other healthy things, and they should taste pretty good too." Dartrix stared at the pellets for a few moments before giving them a couple sniffs. Cocking his head slightly, Dartrix leaned forward and grabbed a couple pellets from Dawn's palm. The Blade Quill Pokemon swallowed the food pellets and nothing seemed to happen. However, a few moments later Dartrix's eyes widened, and he began to bounce happily on Ash's shoulder.
"Wow those things really work." Ash said in a surprised tone, as he watched Dartrix hop from his shoulder to Cynthia's, then to Dawn's, then back to his. "Maybe they worked a little too well." When Dartrix lunged forward to snatch another pellet from Dawn's hand, the blue-haired coordinator quickly yanked her hand away.
"Oh no mister, that's enough for you." Dawn said, putting the remaining food pellets back into their container. "These things make you too hyper, so you're only allowed to have one at a time from now on." Dartrix deflated when he heard this, but despite his disappointment he reluctantly nodded his head. With a bright smile, Dawn patted Dartrix on the head. "Good boy."
"Alright that's enough fooling around!" Burgundy exclaimed, as she caught up with the rest of the group. "Can we just get to a Pokemon center already!?"
"Jeez, would you calm down already Burgundy." Ash said, releasing an irritated sigh. "The Pokemon Center is near the center of town. If we just follow the main road it should take us right there."
"Good." Burgundy said, as she adjusted the straps of her bag and began to make her way down the hill. "I'm going on ahead of everyone, because I really need to get cleaned up. If I don't get changed out of these sweaty clothes soon I'm gonna vomit."
"Well maybe you wouldn't sweat so much if you didn't wear a damn button up shirt and vest all the time." Ash muttered to himself, rubbing the back of his head. "That woman it way too hot-headed."
"Sounds like someone I know." Cilan said with a teasing smile, as he stopped next to Ash.
"Hey, I was never that bad." Ash defended himself, turning to face his green-haired friend.
"I don't know about that." Cilan retorted, as he clasped his hands behind his back. "You could be quite the handful sometimes."
"I...well...you..." Ash stuttered out, his face tinting a light shade of red. The raven-haired trainer gave up several moments later when he couldn't come up with a rebuttal. Hanging his head, Ash's shoulders slouched. "I got nothing."
"It's fine Ash, you were younger and less experienced back then." Cilan said with a soft chuckle, as he gave Ash a comforting pat on the back. "You've grown so much since our first journey through Unova. I mean I can hardly recognize you sometimes."
"Thanks Cilan." Ash said, straightening himself back up. "That means a lot coming from you."
"No problem Ash." Cilan said, before he suddenly became slightly embarrassed, which surprised the raven-haired trainer. "And I'm sorry about Burgundy's behavior. today You know she doesn't mean anything bad she says. It's just...you know how her temper can be...especially when she's tired."
"Relax Cilan, you don't need to apologize for her." Ash said with a grin, waving his hand dismissively. "After traveling so long with all you guys, I'm used to her little outbursts. They don't bother me anymore, and like you said she doesn't really mean anything she says."
"That's a relief to hear." Cilan said, as he placed a hand over his heart and released a calming breath. "I know you two bicker every now and then, and I was worried that she was starting to get under your skin."
"It takes a lot more than that to really upset me." Ash said, playfully punching Cilan in the arm. "I don't know how you do it, Cilan. You must have the patience of a saint to deal with a woman like that."
"It can be quite the challenge sometimes." Cilan said with a smile, as he watched Burgundy walking ahead in the distance. "But I really do love her, every part of her. So if loving her means that I have to put up with her temper sometimes, then it's worth it."
"HA! That was a great answer, Cilan!" Ash exclaimed with a grin, wrapping his arm around Cilan's shoulder and pulling him closer. "You should totally try writing poetry or something."
"Well I have dabbled in it before..." Cilan trailed off, as his face turned red in embarassment.
"It's nice seeing those two getting along so well." May said with a smile, holding onto Pikachu as she watched Ash and Cilan continue to banter back and forth.
"Yeah, I'm glad Ash has another guy he can talk too." Anabel added, as she crossed her arms underneath her chest.
"It would be kinda weird if he only hung around with a bunch a girls all the time." Iris said, brushing some hair out of her eyes.
"Well it's easy for Ash to make friends, so I don't think we'll have to worry about that." Roxie said with a grin, as she rested her hands on her hips.
(The Next Morning: Fuchsia City Pokemon Center)
"Man I slept like a log." Ash said to himself, stifling a yawn before doing a few quick stretches. "I must have been more tired than I thought." Working out the kinks in his back, Ash turned to the two Pokemon who were awake with him. "Did you guys sleep alright?" Pikachu nodded his head, as he let out a cute yawn. Standing next to Pikachu was Dartrix, the Blade Quill Pokemon looked to be half asleep, as his eyelids drooped slightly. "I'm glad to see that both of you slept good. Well I don't know about you two, but I plan on going for an early morning jog." Quickly slipping on his hat and shoes, Ash turned back to his weary Pokemon. "Do either of you want to join me? Some exercise will help wake you guys right up." Pikachu smiled and nodded his head, while Dartrix simply hopped up onto Ash's shoulder. With a soft smile, Ash patted Dartrix on the head. "Alright, I guess you don't have to fly, but don't you go getting lazy on me." Seeing Dartrix nod his head, Ash grinned and walked out the Pokemon Center's front doors. After doing a few more stretches to loosen himself up, Ash broke into an easy jog, with Pikachu easily keeping pace with him.
Ash and Pikachu jogged through Fuchsia City, enjoying the early beams of sunlight and crisp morning air. The raven-haired trainer and his Pokemon passed by many places of interest in Fuchsia City, including Kanto's Safari Zone, the Pokemon Zoo, and even Fuchsia City's Pokemon gym. After over an hour jogging, Ash noticed that Dartrix had fallen back asleep on his shoulder. Seeing that Pikachu also appeared to be quite tired, Ash decided to take a short break. Ash spotted a nearby bench and plopped down onto it, releasing a heavy breath. Moments later Pikachu hopped up onto the bench next to Ash and laid down on his stomach.
"Man, I'm whipped buddy." Ash said, as he reached down and gently scratched the top the of Pikachu's head, earning a content sigh from the Mouse Pokemon. "I haven't ran like this in a while." Leaning his head back, Ash stared up at pink-morning sky. However, the raven-haired trainer was shocked when a shadow blurred overhead, leaping from rooftop to another across the street. "What the hell was that!?" Ash bolted up off the bench and immidiately began to scan the roofs across the road. He quickly spotted a person standing atop the roof. From what Ash could make out, the mystery person appeared to be a girl. She was dressed in a one piece black outfit, with a pink cloth wrapped around her waist and pink scarf flowing the slight breeze. The strange girl also had pink and purple gauntlets around her arms and legs. Lastly, she spiky purple hair that was tied back. "That girl looks like a ninja or something." As soon as these words left Ash's mouth, the mysterious girl seemed to notice him. Before Ash even had chance to ash for her name, the ninja girl smiled and waved, before completely disappearing in a cloud of smoke. Ash simply stared for several moments at where the girl had been standing seconds before. Shaking his head, Ash rubbed his eyes. "What the hell was that all about?"
(An Hour and a Half Later: Back at the Fuchsia City Pokemon Center)
"Where the heck is Ash?" Flannery asked, sitting down at a table in the Pokemon Center's cafeteria. "He never misses breakfast."
"Yeah, that guy can almost eat as much as I can." Hilda said with a smirk, before she shoved a forkful of pancakes into her mouth. "Well if he's not gonna eat, then that means more for us!"
"Slow down you glutton." Anabel said with a hint of irritation in her voice, swiping the plate of food away from Hilda. "If you keep eating like this you'll end up getting fat."
"HA! Yeah right!" Hilda exclaimed with a grin, as she snatched her plate of pancakes back. "I've been eating like this my entire life!" With a wide smile, Hilda ate another large forkful of her breakfast. "I train and work out enough to burn off all these calories!"
"Seriously?" May asked in a disbelieving tone, crossing her arms underneath her chest. "I find that kinda hard to believe."
"Don't believe me, just look at Ash." Hilda pointed out, which caused May and Anabel's eyes to widen in realization. "He eats just as much as I do and we're both in great shape."
"She's right...how does he do it?" May questioned, stroking her chin. "Ash's stomach is a bottomless pit for Arceus sake."
"I'd love to talk about Ashy's eating habits all day, but I'd much rather know where he is right now." Cynthia said, as she set down her coffee and took a seat next to May. "I haven't see him all morning."
"Uh, I think I heard Ash go somewhere this morning." Dawn piped in, sitting down next to Hilda. "I'm a pretty light sleeper and I'm pretty sure I heard Ash up really early this morning, around six I think."
"Six?!" Iris exclaimed in surprise, as she suddenly popped up behind Dawn, surprising the bluenette. "Ash hasn't woken that early in years."
"Yeah...not since he was training on New Island." May muttered, her brow furrowing slightly. "Maybe Ash went for an early morning run or something?"
"I guesh tht maksh shenshe." Hilda struggled to say through a mouth full of food, before letting a loud belch. "Holy crap these pancakes are awesome!"
"Damn, did your mother ever teach you any manners?" Flannery asked, as she fanned her hand in front of her nose. "I know I'm not some proper lady, but shit girl that was gross."
"What can I say, I've never really been one for manners." Hilda replied with a smirk, before chugging her glass of orange juice.
"Fuck yeah! That's what I'm talking about! Rockstars don't need any manners!" Roxie cheered, as she high-fived Hilda. "All we need are good times and kickass music!"
"Ash has quite the odd collection of lovers doesn't he?" Burgundy asked, resting her hand on her palm and watching Ash's girls banter from a different table. "They're also quite noisy, so early in the morning too."
"They're all nice girls." Cilan said with a smile, before he chuckled lightly. "But they do all have their own...quirks."
"You can say that again." Burgundy said, locking eyes with Cilan, both of them breaking out in laughter a few moments later.
"Wow, everyone's so energetic so early in the morning, I like to see that." Ash said with a grin, as he suddenly walked into the cafeteria, causing all his girls to perk up. "What? Did I miss something?"
"Other than Hilda acting like a pig, not much." Flannery teased, earning her a punch in the shoulder from the irritated brunette.
"Play nice girls." Ash said, as he kissed both Flannery and Hilda on the cheek, causing their faces to flush red. Walking over to the buffet, Ash's eyes lit up when he saw that they were serving pancakes. With a childlike smile, Ash proceeded to make himself a massive stack topped off with butter and syrup. Sitting down at the table with his girls, Ash began to tear into pancakes.
"So Ash, where did you go?" Cynthia asked, leaning forward in her seat. "You've been gone all morning."
"Oh, I felt like going for a jog this morning." Ash replied, as he swallowed his mouthful of food. "I took Pikachu and Dartrix along with me."
"At least he doesn't talk with his mouth full." Flannery teased Hilda, earning her another playful punch in the shoulder.
"Did anything interesting happen while you were gone?" Dawn asked, as she took a sip of her apple juice. "You were gone for quite a while."
"Actually...something weird did happen." Ash said, causing all of his girls to stop what they were doing and pay attention to him. "Towards the end of my run I stopped to sit on a bench and catch my breath...but as I was sitting there I saw something zip over my head. When I stood back up I saw a purple-haired girl standing on a rooftop across the street...then she dropped a smoke bomb or something and disappeared...it was like she was a ninja or something."
"Ninja?" Iris parroted, before she burst out laughing. "HA! Ninjas aren't real! You must have been imagining things with your little kid imagination!"
"It wasn't my imagination!" Ash countered, his face tinting red in embarassment. "I know what I saw! That girl was definitely a ninja!"
"Come on Ash, don't let her get you all riled up." Dawn said, as he rubbed the raven-haired trainer's back. "You know how she loves teasing you...she loves getting reactions like this from you."
"*Sigh* You're right Dawn." Ash said, taking a breath to calm himself. "I did see a ninja Iris, and I'll prove it to you."
"I can't wait." Iris said with a smirk, as she kicked her feet up on the table.
"So what do you have planned today Ash...aside from your gym battle later?" Cynthia asked, trying to change the subject before Ash and Iris started bickering again. "I believe you mentioned something about a Pokemon zoo."
"Yeah, I actually passed it while I was out jogging." Ash replied, as he took a swig of his orange juice. "It looks like they've expanded the place since I was last there." Setting down his glass, Ash stood up from his chair. "I'm gonna go take a shower, but when I get out we should all go check it out."
"That sounds good to me." Cynthia said with a smile, brushing some hair out her eyes. "It will be a nice little distraction."
"And it won't kill my wallet like our trip to the Celadon mall." Ash muttered underneath his breath, before he walked out of the cafeteria.
(One Hour Later: Fuchsia City Pokemon Zoo)
"WAH!" May cheered, as she ran through the zoo's entrance. "I've never been to a zoo this big!" With a bright smile, the brunette coordinator wasted no time running to the nearest enclosure, which happened to be a large pool full of Lapras. May's eyes lit up when she saw a mother Lapras swimming next to her child. "Oh my Arceus, they're so cute! Ash get over here!"
"Don't worry Ash, I'll keep an eye on her." Dawn said with a smile, patting Ash on the shoulder before she jogged over to where May was.
"I love May, but she can be a real handful sometimes." Ash said, as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Sounds just like you." Roxie teased with a smirk, nudging Ash in the side. "I heard they have a killer Jigglypuff enclosure, so I'm gonna go check that out. I've always wanted to hear those little guys rock out."
"Alright, don't cause too much trouble." Ash said with a grin, which caused Roxie to playfully stick her tongue out at him, before she took off towards where the Jigglypuff exhibit was. "Okay girls, where should we..." Ash stopped mid-sentence when he saw that the rest of his group had already left to do their own thing. Even Dawn and May had disappeared, the brunette coordinator likely spotting another exhibit she wanted to check out. "Man, even Cilan and Burgundy ditched me." Releasing a light sigh, Ash turned his head to Pikachu, who was standing next to him. "I guess it's just you and me buddy." The raven-haired trainer smiled when he heard a squawk come from within his bag. "And you too Dartrix." Kneeling down, Ash let Pikachu hop onto his shoulder. "Well I guess we should walk around a bit, maybe we'll run into one of the girls eventually."
Deciding to enjoy his time alone, Ash took his time examining all the enclosures and exhibits he walked by. The zoo was largely populated with native Kanto Pokemon, with a smattering of Pokemon from other regions. Ash spotted dozens of different Pokemon species as he walked through the zoo, amongst them a group Abra lounging underneath some trees, a flock of Pidgeotto nesting in a large tree, and surprisingly an entire enclosure filled with all the known Eeveelutions, including the newly discovered Sylveon.
"Man, they really went all out with their displays...I guess that's why it's so popular here." Ash said, watching as a large group of excited kids ran past him. As Ash watched two Raichu playing in a nearby exhibit, a sudden thought flashed through his mind. "Hmmm, maybe once I accomplish my dream and become Pokemon master, I should open up a place like this...but fill it with my legendary Pokemon." Pikachu hopped off Ash's shoulder onto the railing next to them, staring skeptically up at his trainer. "Think about it buddy, how many people can actually say they've seen a Darkrai, or a Meloetta? I know they are extremely powerful Pokemon, and there could be dangers that come with opening a place like this, but I don't think they should be hidden away from the rest of the world. People should have the opportunity to witness the grace and majesty of these legendary Pokemon." A small smile suddenly spread across Ash's face. "And they should see that some of them are just as playful and curious as any other Pokemon." Leaning against the railing next to Pikachu, Ash stared up at the clear sky overhead. "What do you think buddy? Do you think we should give it a shot?" A bright smile spread across Ash's face when he saw Pikachu energetically nod his head. "Awesome! Good to see that you've got my back. I'll talk with the girls about this once I've achieved my dream." Ash allowed Pikachu to hop back up onto his shoulder, as he continued to walk through the zoo.
The raven-haired trainer continued to leisurely stroll through the zoo, making his way towards the back of the park. As Ash neared the tail end of the zoo he spotted what appeared to be a small petting zoo. Despite being near the back of the park, the petting zoo appeared to be packed with people. Deciding to get a closer look, Ash approached the fence surrounding the petting zoo. When Ash was close enough he spotted almost a dozen kids running around and playing with various Pokemon. Likely for safety reasons, the petting zoo was filled with mainly baby Pokemon, such as Pichu and Cleffa. The kids would giggle and smile as they feed the small Pokemon food and pet their heads. However, as Ash was watching the kids and little Pokemon run around, he spotted something out of the corner of his eye. Standing on the other side of the petting zoo was Hilda, the brunette trainer was crouched in front of pen filled with several Happiny and a single Chansey, who was presumably their mother. As Ash got closer to Hilda, he could see that she was staring intently at the baby Pokemon, as Chansey led the little ones to an area of the pen where they could be washed. Ash could swear that he heard Hilda breath out soft 'awww' as Chansey proceeded to clean the Happiny one-by-one.
"They're cute aren't they?" Ash asked, crouching down next to Hilda.
"Yes they are." Hilda replied, as she continued to stare at the Happiny, not missing a beat. However, the brunette trainer's face flushed bright red in embarassment when she saw that it was Ash who had spoken to her. "ASH!? When the hell did you get here!? No wait! How much did you see!?"
"Enough to hear you go 'awww' a second ago." Ash teased with a grin, causing Hilda to groan in despair, as she hid her head in her hands. "So you do like cute things, that's quite the shocker."
"Shut up!" Hilda exclaimed in embarassment, as she punched Ash in the arm. "I'm a girl too!"
"I know. I know." Ash laughed, rubbing his sore arm. "So what are you doing here by yourself?"
"Well when everybody split up I was by myself. So I decided to walk around and try to find some Pokemon I'd never seen before." Hilda replied in a surprisingly soft voice, as she clasped her hands together. "Eventually I made my way back here to this petting zoo...and when I saw all these baby Pokemon...and their mothers taking care of...I don't know...it just looked so appealing to me."
"Hilda..." Ash said, his eyes widening slightly. "Are you thinking about having kids?"
"WHAT?!" Hilda exclaimed, as her face turned as red as a tamato berry, steam practically blowing from her ears. "NO! I-I mean...yes someday...GAH! I don't know!"
"It's alright Hilda, calm down." Ash said with a smile, wrapping his arm around Hilda's shoulder and pulling her closer. "There's no need to rush to a decision. We're still young and have plenty of time to think about things like settling down and starting a family. For now let's just enjoy our journey with everyone else. After we're done, and things have calmed down, then we can start looking towards the future."
"You're right Ash." Hilda said, as she rested her head against her raven-haired lover's. "I'll worry about stuff like that in the future...right now I want to focus on helping you achieve your goal of becoming a Pokemon master." Reaching down, Hilda grabbed ahold of Ash's hand, giving it a quick squeeze. "But you know...when the future does come...I think I would like to have a kid or two. It seems like it would be a lot of fun."
"Sounds good to me." Ash said with a grin, before giving Hilda a brief, but loving, kiss on lips. "Now come on, let's try to find the others. I have a gym battle to win."
(Thirty Minutes Later: Outside Fuchsia City's Gym)
"Here we are!" Ash exclaimed, gesturing towards the large Japanese-style mansion in front of him and his group. "This is the Fuchsia City gym!"
"Wow, it's a lot different from the other gym we've been to." Dawn said, as she walked closer to inspect the gym's exterior.
"Yeah, it looks quite cozy actually." Anabel commented, slightly cocking her head. "I really like the architecture."
"I wonder what the interior will look like." May muttered, as she crossed her arms underneath her chest.
"Well let's head inside and find out!" Ash cheered, gesturing for his friends to follow him inside the gym. Walking through the front doors, Ash's group was greeted with a fairly plain looking lobby. However, from his prior experiences in the gym, Ash knew to be on the lookout. "Okay everyone be very careful, last time I was here this place was packed full of invisible walls and hidden traps." Despite being on guard, Ash nearly jumped out of his skin when a sudden explosion of smoke came from behind him. "What the fuck!?"
"I'm sorry to disappoint you." A feminine voice said from within the smokescreen. "But because several trainers were inured by our various traps over the years, we were unfortunately forced to remove them." When the smoke dissipated, Ash was shocked to see the purple-haired ninja girl he had seen that morning standing in front of him. "But despite this, I welcome you all to the Fuchsia City gym."
"AH! You're that ninja girl I saw jumping across the rooftops this morning!" Ash yelled, frantically pointing at the purple-haired girl. "See Iris! I told you I saw a ninja!"
"Huh, I guess you're not a total lunatic after all." Iris said, as she stared at the purple-haired girl in surprise. "Appearing in a cloud of smoke and she even has the entire costume, this chick real is a ninja."
"Please, you flatter me too much." The purple-haired girl said with a light chuckle, waving her hand dismissively. "Oh where are my manners?" With a smile, the purple-haired ninja extended her hand for Ash to shake. "My name is Janine."
"Nice to meet you Janine." Ash said with a smile of his own, as he shook Janine's hand. "My name is Ash Ketchum."
"Oh, you're the Ash Ketchum I've heard so much about lately. You're in the news quite often." Janine said, resting her hands on her hips. "My father has actually told me about you."
"Heh, I'm not that important." Ash said with a slight blush, as he rubbed the back of his head. "So, do you know where Koga is? I'm actually here to challenge this gym."
"Unfortunately my father isn't here at the moment. Several years ago he accepted into Kanto's elite four, leaving his position as this gym's leader." Janine answered, pointing towards a picture on the wall of her father along with Kanto's elite four.
"Oh, okay...so who's-" Ash stopped in his tracks when something Janine said finally sank in. "Wait...you said father just a second ago...does that mean your Koga's daughter?!"
"Yes, it's pleasure to meet you Ash." Janine said, as she bowed slightly. "Ever since I learned of you rechallenging all the Pokemon Leagues in the various regions, I've been eagerly anticipating your arrival."
"So...does that mean you're the new gym leader?" Ash asked, causing Janine to nod her head.
"Precisely. I've been Fuchsia City's gym leader for several years now." Janie replied, as she lifted up the pink band around her waist, revealing several Pokeballs. "I don't mean to brag, but I do have an impressive win record."
"Oh really now?" Ash asked, a smirk spreading across his face. "This should be fun then."
"Indeed it shall." Janine said with a small smile, as she gesture to the sliding doors behind her. "Now if you'll follow me into the inner courtyard we can begin our battle."
(Two Minutes Later: Fuchsia City Gym's Inner Courtyard)
"Wow...I've never seen this part of the gym before." Ash said in awe, doing a slow spin to marvel at the gym's courtyard. The main battlefield consisted of a simple wooden floor in the center of the courtyard. But what really struck Ash were the beautiful cherry blossom trees that surrounded the battlefield, their pink petals seemingly shining in the afternoon light. "These trees are stunning."
"Thank you very much." Janine said with a smile, as she lovingly pressed her hand against one of the tree's trunks. "I helped my mother plant these trees when I was a child. Everyday we'd tend to them and help them grow stronger. Then after several years of growing, they were finally able to bloom with beautiful flowers." Reaching up, Janine gently plucked one of the cherry blossoms from a branch, a sad smile on her face. "I just wish that mother was still alive to see all her hard work pay off. She would be overjoyed to see her trees standing tall and proud."
"Oh...I'm sorry for-" Ash was mid-sentence stopped when Janine held up her hand.
"I appreciate your kind words, but there is no need to apologize." Janine said, as she slowly shook her head. "My mother has been been dead for almost ten years now, I've come to terms with the loss and I'm grateful for the time I got to spend with her, no matter how short-lived it was." Her smile widening, Janine tossed the cherry blossom she had been holding into the air, a gentle breeze carrying it out of the courtyard. "Besides, every time I tend to these trees, I can almost sense my mother's presence...watching over me."
"That's beautiful." May sniffled, wiping a tear from her eye.
"I almost don't want her to lose now." Cynthia muttered, as she crossed her arms underneath her chest.
"If you're ready Ash, let us begin this battle." Janine said with a smirk, outstretching her arm, four Pokeballs appearing between her fingers. "I've been looking forward to this battle for quite some time."
"I've been waiting all day for this battle." Ash said with a grin, as he enlarged a Pokeball in his hand.
As both trainers continued to stare each other down, an official made his way onto the battlefield's sidelines.
"The two-on-two battle between Janine and the challenger Ash Ketchum will begin! Trainers, please bring out your first Pokemon!"
"Let us waste no time." Janine said, as she tossed one of her Pokeballs into the air. "Roserade, front and center!" In a shower of red and blue flower petals, the Bouquet Pokemon gracefully landed onto the battlefield.
"So you specialize in poison-type Pokemon, just like your dad." Ash said, hurling his Pokeball high into the air overhead. "This guy has been dying to stretch his wings, so I figured I'd let him battle you! Gliscor, I choose you!" In a bright flash of white light, the Fang Scorpion Pokemon materialized in the air overhead. Circling the battlefield several times, Gliscor quickly swooped down and landed on his tail in front of Ash.
"Wow, Gliscor's flying has improved dramatically." Dawn commented, a hint of surprise in her voice. "He sure has come a long way ever since Ash first caught him as a Gligar back in Sinnoh." However, Dawn immediately wanted to take her words back, as she watched Gliscor leap over to Ash and crash into the raven-haired trainer. "Okay, I guess somethings will never really change."
"Alright! Alright! I'm glad to see you too buddy!" Ash exclaimed, trying not to laugh, as Gliscor repeatedly licked his face. Gently pushing Gliscor away, Ash got back onto his feet. "I know you're excited to battle after such a long time, but I have one thing I need you to do for me." Gliscor smiled and eagerly nodded his head. "Good, now do you see all these cherry blossom trees?" Again, Gliscor nodded his head. "Well I need you to do your best to avoid damaging them. They mean a lot to Janine and it will make her upset if we harm them. Do you understand?" Gliscor smiled once again and gave Ash a quick salute. "Awesome! Now let's win this battle!"
"If both trainers are ready, then let the battle between Roserade and Gliscor begin!"
"You may have the first move, Ash." Janine said, as she bowed slightly.
"Alright then! Gliscor, gain some altitude!" Using his tail as a springboard, Gliscor launched himself high up into the air, using his wings to glide above the battlefield.
"It'll be a shame to ruin such a beautiful day...Roserade, use Rain Dance!" Raising her petal hands into the air, Roserade began to do a slow and graceful dance, chanting underneath her breath. Moments later the Sun was blocked out by a blanket of dark clouds, which began to our down rain.
"What's she planning? What advantage would she gain by using Rain Dance?" Ash thought, his eyes narrowing slightly as he racked his brain. After a few seconds of brainstorming, Ash believed he had figured out Janine's strategy. "She must know that Gliscor is part ground-type, so she plans to Rain Dance in junction with Weather Ball, making it a water-type attack." A devious smirk spread across Ash's face, as new strategy flashed through his mind. "Alright Janine, I'll take your bait!" Looking up, Ash saw that Gliscor was still circling overhead, keeping a safe distance from Roserade. "Gliscor, swoop in and use Fire Fang!" Following Ash's order, the Fang Scorpion Pokemon dove straight down, gaining an impressive amount of speed, before leveling out a few feet above the ground. As Gliscor drew closer to Roserade, he opened his mouth wide, revealing his flaming teeth.
"Roserade, use Weather Ball." A large ball of water formed in front of Roserade's blue petal, before she fired the attack at Gliscor.
"Just as I thought." Ash thought, his smirk widening slightly. "Gliscor switch to Ice Fang and sink your teeth into Weather Ball!" Janine's eyes shot wide open when she heard this command. She could only watch in surprise, as Gliscor swapped from Fire Fang to Ice Fang in the blink of an eye. Trusting his trainer's judgement, Gliscor sank his frost coated fangs into the speeding ball of water. Then to everyone's shock, Gliscor's attack froze the ball of water solid, turning it into a large chunk of ice. "Now smash that ball of ice into Roserade!" Finally realizing Ash's plan, Gliscor confidently sped towards Roserade at an incredible speed, closing the distance between them in less than a second. With the ball of ice still in his mouth, Gliscor slammed the chunk of frozen water into Roserade's chest with such force that it exploded into hundreds of smaller fragments. The power behind Gliscor's attack sent Roserade flying across the battlefield, eventually crashing into the ground in front of Janine.
After Roserade made no movements for several moments, the official made his way over. Crouching down next to the Bouquet Pokemon, the official saw that it was knocked unconscious.
"Roserade is unable to battle, the winner is Gliscor! Janine, please bring out your final Pokemon!"
"What an ingenious improvised strategy. That's not something any average trainer could think of." Janine thought, as she returned Roserade to its Pokeball. "No wonder he's sweeping through all the leagues. Now I understand why father spoke so highly of him." Sliding another Pokeball out of her sleeve, Janine stared at the red and white sphere. "It's like he's in a league of his own...but that doesn't mean I can give up. I have to face him with everything I've got, or else it wouldn't be fair to either of us." Taking a deep breath, Janine tossed her second Pokeball high into the air. "Crobat, fly into the sky!" With a pop and flash of white light, the Bat Pokemon materialized in the air above Janine.
"Let the battle between Crobat and Gliscor begin!"
"Since your Gliscor is quite fast and maneuverable, I figured that I'd bring out my fastest Pokemon." Janine said with a small smirk, as Crobat zipped around through the air. "Let's see if you can keep up."
"It's true that Gliscor can't match Crobat in a speed battle, so I have to figure out a way to take that speed away from her." Ash thought, racking his brain to come up with a plan. However, Janine wasn't going to give him any downtime.
"Crobat, close the gap and use Bite!" In a fraction of a second the Bat Pokemon was on top of Gliscor, sinking its into the teeth into the Fang Pokemon's right shoulder. Gliscor howled in pain, as Crobat's fangs dug deeper into his skin.
"Throw him off Gliscor!" Growling in frustration, Gliscor grabbed ahold of Crobat with his claws. With a strong pull, Gliscor yanked Crobat free and hurled the Bat Pokemon towards the ground. "I still need deal with Crobat's speed!" Ash's mind raced, as he scanned around the battlefield, trying to spot something he could use to help stop Crobat. When Ash spotted several large mounds of dirt near the side of the battlefield, an idea suddenly sparked in his head. "Gliscor! Head towards the side of the arena and wait for my command!" Gliscor cocked his head in confusion, before he shrugged his shoulders and perched himself near the edge of the arena.
"He's got something up his sleeve again." Janine thought, as her eyes narrowed slightly. "I don't want to fall into his trap, but I need to take advantage of Crobat's speed and keep up the pressure." Janine bit her bottom lip, as she struggled to think of the proper plan of action. After several moments of internal debate, Janine decided to press her attack. "Crobat! Swoop in and use Aerial Ace! Gain as much speed as possible!" The Bat Pokemon quickly gained altitude, climbing higher and higher into air, until it was just a speck in the sky overhead. Then Crobat dove straight down, gaining an incredible amount of speed, as it rapidly descended towards the arena below. Just a few feet above the ground, Crobat pulled out of its dive and rocketed towards Gliscor, energy coursing off its body.
"Wait for it..." Ash thought, watching as Crobat quickly closed the gap, trying to time his counterattack perfectly. When Crobat was about thirty feet away, Ash put his plan into action. "Gliscor, use Sand Attack!" The Fang Scorpion dug his claws into the mounds of dirt behind him, before flinging the wall of muck at Crobat. Because of the incredible amount of speed it had gained, Crobat was unable to evade the blanket of dirt in time. Sand Attack hit Crobat dead on, causing the Bat Pokemon to wildly veer off course. Crobat sputtered and coughed, as dirt got in its mouth and eyes, making it extremely hard to fly. After several moments of disorientation, Crobat eventually crashed down into the battlefield. "Now Gliscor, while Crobat is unable to fly away, use Thunder Fang!" Springing off his tail, Gliscor pounced onto Crobat. Opening his mouth wide, Gliscor revealed fangs coursing with electricity. Then, appearing almost vampire-like, Gliscor sank his sparking teeth into Crobat's side. The Bat Pokemon screamed in pain, as the super-effective attack hit, sending powerful jolts of electricity through its body.
When Gliscor released Crobat, the Bat Pokemon was lying on the ground, unmoving. The official made his way over and saw that Crobat was indeed knocked unconscious.
"Crobat is unable to battle, the winner is Gliscor! Since all of Janine's Pokemon have been defeated, the winner is Ash Ketchum!"
"Another brilliant, on the fly, strategy..." Janine muttered underneath her breath, a small smile on her face as she returned Crobat. "Looks like I still have a long way to go, before I can reach father's skill level."
"You were great buddy!" Ash cheered, pulling Gliscor in for a tight hug, much to the Fang Pokemon's joy. "All the training you've been doing has really paid off!"
"It warms my heart to see such a strong bond between trainer and Pokemon." Janine said with a soft smile, as she approached Ash and Gliscor. "That was an excellent battle Ash, I was truly outclassed."
"You're a great trainer Janine." Ash said, patting Gliscor on the head. "I'm sure with a little more training, that you'd be able to give me a real run for my money."
"I would love to battle you again some day...after I've trained more of course." Janine said, before she began to rifle through her pocket. "Now before I forget...I believe you've earned this." Extending her hand, Janine handed something to Ash.
"What's this?" Ash asked, quirking an eyebrow when he saw what Janine had given him. "A Soul Badge? But I already have one."
"True, you received a Soul Badge after you beat my father..." Janine said with a smile, as she crossed her arms behind her back. "But this is your first time challenging me, so consider it a memento of your battle against Fuchsia City's new gym leader...and let it serve as a reminder that you owe me a rematch someday."
"Heh, sounds good to me!" Ash exclaimed with a grin, shaking hands with Janine. "I'll definitely be back here one!"
"And when that time comes I will give you a battle to surely remember." Janine said with a sly smirk, as a small, spherical object slid out of her sleeve. "Well Ash, I'll be rooting for you during the Indigo League, so win it all!" Tossing the sphere onto the ground, Janine disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
(One Hour Later: Outskirts of Fuchsia City)
"That girl was quite eccentric." Iris commented, crossing her arms underneath her chest. "I mean who just disappears into smoke like that."
"Well she is a ninja." Ash teased with a smirk, as he playfully nudged Iris's arm.
"Arceus, how long are you gonna hold that over me?" Iris asked in a slightly irritated tone, pinching the bridge of nose.
"For a while." Ash replied with a toothy grin, moments before the ground beneath them began to shake violently.
"What the hell is going on?!" Dawn exclaimed, as she grabbed ahold of Ash's arm.
"Why is the ground shaking like this?!" May screamed, squeezing Ash's other free arm.
"Is it an earthquake or something?!" Cynthia yelled over the loud rumbling, as she struggled to keep her balance.
"No...I know what it is!" Ash said, managing to stay on his feet. "I recognize this sensation!"
"Ash! What's happ-" Hilda was cut off when a large creature burst out of the ground in front of Ash's group.
The massive Pokemon was largely green and black, with a few white hexagonal spots on its snake-like body. Most of Ash's group stared up at the imposing Pokemon in shock. However, the raven-haired trainer approached the large Pokemon without a second thought. Everyone was surprised when the massive Pokemon lowered its head and allowed Ash to pet it.
"Come on Zygarde, couldn't you have take a more inconspicuous form?" Ash asked with a smirk, as he patted the legendary Order Pokemon's head. "You scared the hell out of everyone."
And done! Well Ash has defeated the Fuchsia City gym and Zygarde has arrived on the scene! I know some of you might be a little disappointed with the battle, but I really wanted to showcase how Ash has evolved as a trainer, and how his strategies have improved. Once again I apologize for the extremely long wait for this chapter, but I've been completely swamped with school lately, and I'm sorry to say this but that takes priority over anything else. I don't know when the next chapter will be out, but I'll have to update my Fairy Tail and Akame ga Kill fics before I work on this one again. So please just be patient, and don't bother me asking when I'll be updating. A chapter will come eventually, so just wait please. Remember to follow/favorite if you enjoyed, PLEASE REVIEW (I NEED YOUR FEEDBACK!), check out my profile and other stories, and PM me ideas you might have for any of my fics. So until next time, I'm outta here!