Chapter 9: Clemont's Got a Secret!
After getting through the gate on Route 4, Ash and his friends arrive at the Lumiose City, while walking on the streets, they notice some Furfrou with different styles passing by.
"Wow, is that Furfrou? They all look different." Serena asks.
"It seems so, they look like they have been groomed." Ash says.
"Wow, I really want to see how they groom." Bonnie says in excitement.
Just then, they see a Furfrou walking towards them, it doesn't have a style, but he is sniffing on Ash.
"What's wrong?" Ash asks Furfrou, then it barks, "You seems different. Are you Ash Ketchum?"
"Yes?" Ash asks. "That is me?"
Furfrou says, "I heard about you from a lot of people. And I want to be your Pokemon."
Bonnie asks, "Trenor, what does he say?"
"It seems like this Furfrou wants to be Ash's Pokemon,"
"Seriously?" Clemont asks in shock. "Just like that? No reason?"
"I guess so." Serena says. "Pokemon sure are mysterious."
"Okay, Furfrou. Here is the Pokeball." Ash says as he hands out the Pokeball. Furfrou then touches it and gets inside. After 3 shakes, it is signaled captured.
"Wow, that was an easy catch." Serena says.
"You are right." Ash replies as he sends him out. "By the way…"
Ash takes out a style case, Luke asks, "What are you doing?"
Ash says, "I want to give him a style. Since we saw a lot of Furfrou having one."
He turns to Furfrou and asks, "Furfrou, do you want me to style your fur?"
"You can do that?" Furfrou asks in shock.
"I can try." Ash says as he shows the forms from the Pokedex. "So?"
"Then I want a Star Trim." Furfrou says.
Ash then takes out the scissors and the dye color to help him. As Ash is doing so, Serena says, "Wow...I don't know Ash can groom, too."
"Well, although I am his brother, but he never did this before. Right? Pikachu?" Trenor asks.
"Yeah." Pikachu says as he nods his head.
Luke says, "I wonder what he couldn't do."
"Who knows?" Serena says.
After Ash finishes it, Furfrou looks at his reflection in the fountain. It really is a Star Trim and he says, "It is perfect!" He then licks Ash.
"Hahaha...stop it, Furfrou, it tickles." Ash says while laughing.
Clemont says, "It looks really like the Star Trim we see in the books. Ash, you are a genius."
"Thanks, Clemont." Ash says.
Eevee asks, "Ash, can I have a groom, too?"
Ash says, "Of course, Eevee." After Furfrou gets off Ash and plays with Pikachu and Dedenne, he starts to groom Eevee. Serena also helps Ash groom as they enjoy their company while the others are relaxing.
After Eevee is groomed, they decide to continue walking as Serena decides to speak up.
"Although I have been here since I was little, I still like this place." Serena smiles as she watches the tower. "And there's Prism Tower. It a really beautiful sight."
Ash says, "Yeah, it is where the Lumiose Gym is."
"So are you going to challenge it?" Luke asks.
"Well..." Ash then explains his previous experience at the Lumiose Gym.
"Huh? You need four badges to enter?" Trenor asks, "It is weird to hear that."
"Indeed. The last time I heard about the requirement is from Norman, the Petalburg Gym Leader. He also asks for four badges to enter his gym." Luke says.
"Well, we should skip Lumiose City and head straight to Cyllage City." Bonnie says.
"But I was looking forward to exploring Lumiose City." Says Serena.
"Well we can do that the next time we come here." Says Bonnie. Clemont and Bonnie then tried to pull the four away. Trenor asks, "What is going on-"
"Hey, Clemont, Bonnie." They hear someone calling for them. They turn around and see a man with an Ampharos.
"Papa?" "Ampharos?" Clemont and Bonnie say.
"Your father?" Luke asks as they nod.
"It a pleasure to meet all of you, I'm Meyer and I'm a engineer here in Lumiose City." Ash, Trenor, Luke and Serena then introduce themselves to them.
"Look, papa. This is Dedenne, Clemont let me keep him." Bonnie says as she shows him the mouse Pokemon.
"I see." Meyer smiles, then turns serious. "So where were the two of you. I haven't seen you in days." Meyer asks.
"Oh that, well-" Clemont says until Bonnie interrupts. "We've been on a journey along with Ash and his friends."
Meyer then hangs his head before saying. "That's just...WONDERFUL! I'm happy for both of you." Meyer then hugs his two children.
"As for all of you thank you for taking care of my Clemont and Bonnie." Meyer continues.
"It's no trouble at all sir." Ash says.
Then Meyer says, "By the way, Clemont. Although it is good to be strict for the trainers, but only strictness is not enough to help trainers improve. I hope you can be the Gym Leader that you're proud of."
"Gym Leader?" The four are shocked as the two siblings are nervous.
"Well I'm must be going I got job to do. I'll see you soon." Meyer then rides off with Ampharos.
Luke asks, "Clemont, you are a gym leader?"
"Care to explain?" Serena asks as they all look at the two siblings.
Clemont says, "I can explain…"
At the park, Clemont says, "Well then truth is... I'm the Gym Leader of the Lumiose Gym."
Ash asks, "But why did you set up traps in your gym? If I didn't use my powers, I could have been falling from the tower."
"Well...my Gym Leader duties kept me so busy that he had no time to follow his passion of inventing new things. So..."
(Flashback)
Clemont is seen building a robot, he programs and then says, "It is done."
Bonnie rushes into the room and says, "Clemont, you have another challenger."
"Coming." Clemont says as he trips from the wires, causing the robot to hit the wall.
"Ahh...Clembot!" Clemont says as he checks on it. Bonnie asks, "What is that?"
"Oh, this is a robot I built that can stand in for me as Gym Leader."
"Cool." Bonnie says.
As they head to the battlefield, Clemont turns on the robot.
"Welcome to the Lumiose Gym." Clembot says.
"I want to have a gym battle." Clemont says.
"How many badges do you have?"
"Um...I have none..."
"None? You will need 4 badges to challenge this gym."
"Clemont why is doing that?" Bonnie says.
"Don't worry I programmed a protocol in case of an emergency. Activate Master Regeneration." Clemont says.
"Password required." Says Clembot.
"If I remember correctly, Sandwich." Clemont says.
"Password denied." Clemont is shocked by this.
"What its Sandwich, you're wrong." Clemont says.
"Clemont, just say the correct password." Says Bonnie.
"Please come again." Then Clembot unleashes two rods and tries to shock them. Clemont and Bonnie then run to the lobby, but Clembot locked the door behind them. Since then they were unable to get back in.
(Flashback End)
"So you are kicked out of your own gym?" Luke asks.
"I have tried to get in in a lot of methods, but they are unsuccessful." Clemont says.
"Well, we should go check it out." Ash says as they head there.
But when they get there, they see trainers complaining.
Clemont asks, "What is wrong?"
"This gym is quite rude." A trainer says.
"Is it because you didn't have 4 badges?" Serena asks.
"Well...I got four badges, but it was because that I lost the gym battle, the robot just shock me and throw me out of the tower." Another one says.
"I will never go to this kind of gym anymore." Then they all leave.
"So this is what Papa means…" Bonnie says.
"What should we do..." Clemont says in defeat.
"Of course, you should get in and take the gym back." Ash says.
"But I don't know the voice code..."
"Just stay calm and think about it." Serena says.
"I know. Even if I know the voice code, I only have an unexperienced Bunnelby, I can't beat him."
"You don't know if you don't try out." Ash says.
"Clemont, let me ask you, why do you want to become the gym leader in the first place?" Trenor asks.
"I believe that becoming an Electric-type Gym Leader would attract stiff competition from challengers and ultimately make me even stronger." Clemont replies.
"Then use the spirit to get the gym back." Luke says as Clemont regains his confidence.
As they get in using the secret passage, they are spotted by Magnemite and Magneton. They are using Discharge at them.
"Watch out! Serena!" Ash says as he covers in front of her.
"Ash!" Serena says, but is relief that Ash is fine.
"Don't worry, love. I have a Earth Plate with me." Ash says as he uses Earth Power to stop them.
"Why are they attacking us? Aren't they your Pokemon?" Luke asks.
"Because Clembot has probably asked them to chase away the intruders!" Clemont says.
They manage to sneak into the battlefield and face Clembot.
"Welcome to the Lumiose Gym." Clembot says.
"Clembot! Activate Master Regeneration." Clemont says.
"Password required." Says Clembot.
Clemont closes his eyes and thinks, then he says, "Ah, you can start today. I'm Clemont the Gym Leader."
"Password accepted. Battle mode now operational." Clembot says.
"Way to go! Clemont." Trenor says as Clemont nods.
As Clemont and Clembot are standing at both sides, Clemont says, "Bunnelby, come on out!"
As the Pokemon is out, Clembot says, "I will be using this Pokemon." He sends out a Heliolisk.
"Heliolisk?" Clemont says as it is happy to see Clemont.
"Heliolisk, right now I will need to battle you, just give it all you got."
Heliolisk nods and prepare his battle stance.
"Now let's start with Thunderbolt." Clembot says.
"Just as I programed..." Clemont thinks.
Bunnelby defends with its ears by using them to throw dust into the air, just as in Bunnelby's very first battle against Pikachu. Bunnelby then uses Double Slap while Heliolisk counters with Dragon Tail. After Bunnelby lands a hit on Heliolisk, it digs into the ground, but is unearthed when Heliolisk unexpectedly uses Bulldoze.
"I don't remember teaching that move to him." Clemont says.
"So Clembot teaches the move himself?" Ash asks, "Even it is just a robot, it's intelligence is quite amazing."
Knocking Bunnelby into the air with its attack, Heliolisk attacks with another Dragon Tail. Bunnelby tries Double Team, but is countered easily by a Parabolic Charge attack from Heliolisk.
"Maybe I should think outside the box to win, that is what I learned from Ash." Clemont says.
Clemont has Bunnelby use Dig again and then Double Team while still underground. When Heliolisk uses Bulldoze, all of the copies leap out of the ground and are hit with Parabolic Charge, but the real Bunnelby continues burrowing and lands a super-effective hit on its opponent, finishing Heliolisk off with a Mud Shot attack.
"Heliolisk, are you alright?" Clemont asks. Heliolisk nods happily at him.
"Master recognition mode complete, welcome back, Master." Clembot says.
The group all comes to them, Ash says, "Clemont, how about I help you fix it, too?"
"That will be a great help." Clemont says.
Clemont and Ash reprogram Clembot to remove the Badge restriction and violence towards challengers. Clembot then becomes much more amiable and Clemont is satisfied with Clembot's programming.
Back at Meyer's electronics shop, Meyer says, "So let get this straight, you build that to take over the Gym, then it kicked you out, and today you took the Gym back?"
"I am sorry, Dad." Clemont says.
"Well, I am glad you did take your gym back." Meyer says in an assuring tone.
"Dad, I want to go on a journey, I want to see more of the world and thanks to Ash and his friends, I want to feel the amazingness of the journey." Clemont says.
"Yeah, Papa, I want to go too." Bonnie says.
"Well...That...is...WONDERFUL! Good friends are the most important thing in the world, you may continue traveling with Ash and your friends." Meyer says as everyone is happy.
That night, in Clemont's room, Clemont asks, "So Ash, are you going to challenge the gym?"
Ash says, "You say that you want to battle challengers with 4 badges, then I will gather 4 before I come back here."
"I see." Clemont says.
Luke says, "Typical Ash."
"Yeah, but one thing I want to say is that I want to battle you, not Clembot."
"Sure, I will give you a battle I will never forget." Clemont says as they promise each other.
"So it is a promise." Ash says.
"Sure." Clemont replies.
Here is a new chapter, and Clemont gets his gym back. The next chapter will be mainly in Lumiose City and Ash's house. I hope you enjoy this chapter much.