Rental Pokemon
Kumquat Island was quite different in comparison to other Orange Island settlements the group had visited, the island was filled with hotels, spas, various tourist traps and vast open beaches. This was the first time that an Orange League Gym was in a city, it brought back fond memories of the Indigo League as every Gym Ash fought in was within one of Kanto's major cities.
"Just think Pikachu, within a few minutes we'll be challenging the final Gym Leader!" Ash excitedly exclaimed while returning Lapras to his Pokeball.
"Pika pika!" Pikachu excitedly cried out.
"Ron?!" An older woman squealed out, an armful of shopping bags dropped from her grasp as she shot across the beach. "Ron, you're finally paying me a visit?!" Ash and the others slowly turned towards the shouting and Ash didn't have much time to react as the older woman was quick to pull him in for a tight hug.
"Ack!" Ash gasped out.
"Oh Ronnie, I was worried you wouldn't want anything to do with me!"
"...Did she just call Ash, Ron?" Tracey asked.
Chloe's cheeks puffed out while a dark red color formed across her face as her hands tightly clenched. She didn't appreciate seeing another woman touch her boyfriend. "Hey lady, hands off my boyfriend!"
"Huh, what's this? My little Ronnie's got himself a girlfriend?!" The older woman let out a loud squeal before giving Ash a tighter hug. "Oh I can't wait to be a grandmother!"
"Ack!" Ash gasped out.
"Pika..." Pikachu's cheeks sparked as he prepared to electrocute the stranger.
"His name's not Ron, it's Ash! Ash Ketchum!" Chloe shouted while attempting to pry the woman away from Ash.
"Ash K-Ketchum...?" She didn't appear to know who Ash was but the Ketchum name did carry weight with her. She pulled away and glanced into Ash's eyes before quickly pulling away. "My apologies, I should have known... people always did say my ex husband resembled Red Ketchum."
"Ex husband, Ron?" Chloe tilted her head. "Wait a minute, you're Ron's mother!" She thought it was just a coincidence but now things were starting to make sense. She'd never met Ron's mother as Ron's parents got divorced fairly early on with Ron's father winning custody over Ron as his mother was deemed 'unfit' for parental duties, she didn't know the exact details or where Ron's mother went off to.
"Yeah, that'd be me. Luana Oneoff, owner of the Kumquat Island Hotel and Gym!" The red head beamed. "Say why don't I book you all a room? My treat and a way of saying sorry for that rather embarrassing incident."
Ash's eyes were quick to light up upon hearing that she was the Gym Leader and he was rather quick to forgive her, it was just a case of mistaken identity after all and she hadn't meant him real harm. Chloe however was still lightly glaring at Luana as Ash spoke. "You're the Gym Leader?! We actually came here looking for you, I only need one more badge to face off against the Orange League Champion!"
"Ah, an Orange League Challenger! I actually have a tight schedule today but-I can squeeze you in." Luana pointed towards a tall and luxurious looking hotel that sat along the island's coat. "The Gym is actually inside of my hotel, if you all follow me there then we could get started right away."
"Well that's a new one." Brock commented as he'd never heard of a Gym being located within a hotel.
"Of course we're ready!" Ash clenched his fists while an excited expression spread across his face. They had more than enough supplies to last until Pummelo Island and their Pokemon were still freshly healed. He was eager to get going and learn what sort of battle style Luana specialized in. Luana smiled before turning to lead the group towards her hotel.
"Of course the offer still applies," Luana spoke while stepping through the hotel doors. "You all are more than welcome to stay here for the night."
"Whoa..." Tracey gasped out.
"This is way out of our price range." Chloe gasped as quite the luxurious sight stood before them, it was a very classy motel with marble interior and crystal chandeliers. There was even a large fountain that at in the center of the hotel's lobby.
"She did say it was free though." Ash spoke, unlike the others his eyes remained focused upon Luana as he remained eager to battle. Luana glanced back towards and flashed an amused smirk while lightly shaking her head as she opened another set of doors which led to what appeared to be a standard Pokemon Gym stadium though there was an odd machine that sat along the sidelines which greatly resembled the Pokemon Transfer machines they kept inside of every Pokemon Center. "Um, what's that?" Ash couldn't help but ask.
"Hm? Oh I just realized that I haven't explained the rules to you yet." Luana laughed out while making her way to the machine, her fingers tapped a button resulting in a singular Pokeball falling from the left slot. "You see I have quite a large number of Pokemon, ones which I have trained to obey anyone so long as they don't attack yours truly. The rules here are quite simple, each of us will receive three Pokemon at random and we'll then use those Pokemon in a typical one on one fashion and whichever side loses all three Pokemon first loses."
"Alright I think I understand." Ash gave a nod of understanding while looking towards the machine. Knowing what moves the Pokemon had should be simple enough, a quick scan with the Rotom Phone would give him what he needed to know. "I'm ready to begin when you are."
"Pika." Pikachu snapped his fingers, a look of frustration could be seen as he'd hoped to battle here.
"Cheer up Pikachu, there's still the Champion!" Ash grinned while giving Pikachu's back a light pat. "You'll get to battle him for sure!"
"Pika!" Pikachu smirked.
Luana hit a few more buttons on the transfer machine resulting in three Pokeballs rolling out into the right slot while two rolled into the left slot. Luana picked the two Pokeballs up and placed them next to the trial Pokeball, she didn't know what was inside so it was still random and therefore playable. "Alright Ash, pick up those Pokeballs and we can begin. Now remember, you can switch at any time but that isn't necessarily a good thing as it'll let me know what Pokemon you have and vice versa. Only switch out if it suits your strategy." Luana advised. "Now are you ready to send out your first Pokemon?"
"I am, together then?" Ash questioned to which Luana gave a nod of confirmation.
"Right you are, now let's go!" Luana and Ash each tossed a Pokeball forward.
"Alakazam!" The fully evolved Psychic type shouted as he burst out in front of Luana.
"Farfetch'd!" A Farfetch'd burst out and waved it's leek at Alakazam in a menacing fashion.
The Rocket trio and Wobbuffet were watching from outside the Gym's window and couldn't help but burst out in laughter at the sight.
"Farfetch'd...?" Ash sweated lightly. He had nothing against the species but Alakazam was one of the toughest Pokemon he'd faced throughout his journey while he had little to no experience with the Kanto bird. He quickly pulled out his Rotom Phone to scan the species for some pointers and to find out what moves it knew.
"Farfetch'd the Wild Duck Pokemon, the stalk this Pokemon carries in its wings serves as a sword to cut down opponents. In a dire situation, the stalk can also serve as food."
"Alright Farfetch'd let's try Brutal Swing!"
"Far..." The leek that Farfetch'd carried began glowing a bright pink color as he performed a powerful swing before slamming the leek down atop Alakazam's head.
"Ala..." Alakazam went cross eyed upon receiving the powerful blow to his head, the Psychic type teetered back and forth before collapsing onto his back as swirls filled his eyes.
"Whoa!"
"Pika!" Ash and Pikachu gasped out.
"I think Farfetch'd just performed a critical hit!" Brock exclaimed.
"W-Way to go, Farfetch'd." Ash sweated.
"Farfetch'd!" Farfetch'd smirked while waving his leek as if to say 'Bring on the next opponent!'.
"Return," Luana swiftly returned the downed Alakazam to his Pokeball before reaching for another one. "Alright, time to fight!"
"Flygon, fly!" A large green striped insectoid Dragon cried upon bursting free from her confinement. Red goggles covered the Dragon Pokemon's eyes which filled with determination as Flygon gazed towards her opponent.
"Who's that Pokemon?! It's awesome!" Tracey gasped.
"Flygon the Mystic Pokemon, Flygon whips up a sandstorm by flapping its wings. The wings create a series of notes that sound like singing. Because the "singing" is the only thing that can be heard in a sandstorm, this Pokemon is said to be the desert spirit."
"Ground/Dragon, eh?" Ash slid the Rotom Phone back into his pocket while diverting his gaze towards the other rental Pokeballs before quickly shaking his head.
"Dragon Claw!"
"Fly!" Green aura surrounded Flygon's claws as she swooped towards Farfetch'd before slashing the bird across his face!
"Farfetch'd!" Farfetch'd grunted out as Flygon knocked him back, he appeared to have taken a significant amount of damage but remained able to continue.
"Use Brave Bird!"
"Fetch..." An orange aura surrounded Farfetch'd as he took to the sky.
"Sandstorm!" Luana called out.
"Fly!" Flygon repeatedly flapped her wings causing a fierce sandstorm to envelop the battlefield, obscuring the view resulting in Farfetch'd missing his target as he went crashing into the Gym's wall!
"Fetch!" Farfetch'd grunted as he slowly slid down the wall.
"Let's finish this with Dragon Claw!" Luana called out.
"Fly!" Flygon's claws became engulfed in a green aura once more as she lashed out at Farfetch'd upon his recovery, Farfetch'd uttered out a final grunt as he collapsed against the battlefield.
"Fetch..." Farfetch'd groaned as swirls filled his eyes.
"Farfetch'd return, you were great out there and deserve a long rest." Ash smiled at the Pokeball before placing it aside as he reached for another. "Alright I choose you, whoever you are!"
Ash was soon greeted by quite the lovely sight as a beautiful white and green colored feminine shaped Pokemon burst out. The Pokemon's body greatly resembled and made it appear as if the Pokemon were wearing a dress while what appeared to be green hair sat atop her head. At first glance this Pokemon easily could be mistaken for a human and it appeared Brock made that mistake before as he made no attempt to try and flirt with her.
"Whoa, who's that Pokemon?"
"Pika..?"
"Gardevoir the Embrace Pokemon, Gardevoir has the ability to read the future. If it senses impending danger to its Trainer, this Pokemon is said to unleash its psychokinetic energy at full power."
"So you're Psychic/Fairy? That's so cool!"
"Gardevoir..." Gardevoir faintly blushed at Ash's compliment.
"Fairy types are immune to Dragon types, that means Ash is at an advantage here!" Tracey exclaimed.
"Not quite, Flygon still has Ground type attacks." Brock reminded him.
Luana flicked her gaze between Flygon and the final Pokeball as if she were trying to decide rather or not it was worth switching out for the final Pokemon. Sure Flygon may be at a slight disadvantage but whoever dwelled within the final Pokeball could have it even worse than Flygon!
"Moonblast!"
"Gardevoir!" An orb of pink energy formed between Gardevoir's hands before firing off towards Flygon. Most Pokemon would struggle tracking Flygon through the sandstorm but Gardevoir was easily able to track his movements on account of her telepathy, causing the orb to make direct contact with the dragon!
"Fly!" Flygon grunted out.
"Earthquake!" Luana called out.
"Fly!" Flygon slammed his tail against the ground causing the battlefield to violently shake about.
"Lift yourself up with Psychic!"
"Gardevoir..." Gardevoir's eyes glowed blue as she hoisted herself safely above the battlefield.
"Smart move..." Luana complimented with a light smirk.
"Thanks," Ash smirked while throwing out his arm. "Alright Gardevoir, use Dazzling Gleam!"
"Gardevoir!" Gardevoir became surrounded in a sphere of rainbow colored energy which swiftly expanded across the field, striking Flygon!
"F-Flygon..." Flygon weakly groaned out as the Fairy attack made contact with her. Her body gently swayed before she crashed against the field as swirls formed behind her goggles.
"Alright Gardevoir, that was amazing!" Ash cheered.
"Pika pi!"
"Gardevoir..." Gardevoir smiled at the compliment.
"Not bad," Luana returned Flygon to her Pokeball and closed her eyes as she reached for her final Pokeball. 'Please be one of the strong ones!'
"META!" A loud metallic voice rang across the Gym as a Metagross burst from the ball.
"Whoa, that ones kind of scary..." Chloe commented with a slight shiver.
"And appears to be quite strong!" Brock exclaimed.
"Who's that Pokemon?" Ash wondered as he retrieved his Rotom Phone once more.
"Metagross the Iron Leg Pokemon, it analyzes its opponents with more accuracy than a supercomputer which enables it to calmly back them into a corner."
"Meteor Mash!"
"Meta!" Metagross' body glowed blue as he rushed across the field. "Meta!" Metagross slammed his legs up against Gardevoir's body causing her to painfully grunt out.
"Gardevoir..."
"Psychic!"
"Gardevoir!" Gardevoir's eyes glowed bright blue while a similar color surrounded Metagross' body as she hoisted him upwards before slamming him against the ground!
"Meta..." Metagross lightly grunted out before delivering a harsh glare towards her.
"Hyper Beam!"
"Meta!" The familiar orange-yellow beam shot from Metagross' mouth and soared across the field before making contact with Gardevoir. Gardevoir dropped to her knees as her breath began growing heavy, Ash frowned at the sight and quickly reached for her ball.
"Gardevoir return for now and rest up, we might need you later." No sense in wearing her out if he still had a Pokemon left.
"Quite honorable." Luana gave Ash a respectful nod.
"I choose you, whoever you are!"
"Sala!" The Hoenn pseudo legendary Dragon type roared out.
"Whoa! Who's that Pokemon?!" Ash gasped out as stars filled his eyes.
"Salamence the Dragon Pokemon, while basking in the joy of flight generally keeps this Pokemon in high spirits, Salamence turns into an uncontrollable menace if something angers it."
Salamence leered at Metagross to which the metallic Pokemon ignored as he didn't react. Salamence uttered out an irritated huff in response.
"Alright Salamence, let's try Flamethrower!"
"Sala!" Salamence roared shortly before a powerful stream of fire erupted from his throat, blasting Metagross with a fiery inferno!
"M-Meta..." Metagross grunted out upon feeling the extreme heat strike his body.
"Bullet Punch!"
"Meta!" Metagross' legs glowed a bright red color as he shot across the field at incredible speed before repeatedly punching Salamence in a rapid fashion. "Meta! Meta! Meta!"
"Sala!" Salamence gritted his teeth as he grunted out.
"Salamence use Focus Energy!"
"Sala..." Salamence growled out before taking a deep breath as he took focus.
"Meteor Mash!"
"Dodge by flying up then use Flamethrower!"
"Sala!" Salamence roared out, the Dragon type swiftly took flight as Metagross charged at him. Salamence then flashed Metagross a smirk shortly before firing a powerful stream of fire down upon him!
"M-Meta..." Metagross groaned out as the fire burned even more intensely than it had before thanks to Focus Energy. The metallic Pokemon shivered before collapsing to the battlefield floor as swirls formed within his eyes. "Meta..." He uttered out a defeated groan.
"Alright Salamence, that was great!"
"Pika pi!"
"Sala." Salamence huffed. 'He went down too fast if you ask me.'
"Way to go Ash!" Chloe cheered.
"You're ready to face off against the Orange League Champion now!" Brock exclaimed.
Luana uttered out a light sigh as she returned Metagross to it's Pokeball before flashing a light smile as she reached into her pocket.
"Well done Ash, you proved that you're able to overcome a challenge while utilizing Pokemon that aren't your own. You definitely proved yourself worthy of the Jade Star Badge and with that, you're now ready to face off against our champion. I wish you luck as he's quite the powerful opponent but I'm sure you'll fare well against him." Luana smiled while holding out a swirled purple shell that had a gemstone at it's center.
"Thanks Luana, those Pokemon sure were something! You're definitely a skilled trainer to have gotten them to where they are." Ash grinned as he returned the Pokeball's before taking hold of the badge. "Alright, we just got the Jade Star Badge!"
"Pi Pikachu!"
"Tox!" Pikachu and Toxel posed alongside Ash as he performed his signature pose.
Luana giggled out lightly before directing her attention towards Brock, Chloe and Tracey. "It's getting late so why don't I get you all a room? You can stay here and enjoy the pool, we even have a complimentary breakfast!"
"That'd be great, thank you so much!" Chloe beamed while giving Luana an appreciative bow.
"Right, we can set off for Pummelo Island after breakfast!" Tracey exclaimed.
Brock sprang forward and dropped to a knee as he extended a hand towards Luana. "Luana, such a generous gift shouldn't go unrewarded. How about the two of us go out for dinner? And then-"
"Croagunk!" Croagunk jabbed Brock in the back causing him to crash against the ground.
"Ugh..." Brock groaned out while Croagunk proceeded to drag him away.
"Croa croa croa..." Croagunk croaked out with laughter.
"Alright, let's go swimming!" Chloe dragged Ash towards the pool after the group changed into swimwear. Brock happily skipped past them in anticipation of scoring a date with a beautiful lady. "We've been traveling non-stop lately so might as well have a bit of relaxation before the Orange League starts tomorrow!"
"Heh, you're right... I could use a break." Ash sweated.
Ash and Chloe stepped through the lobby door only to freeze up as somebody was blocking their path. Ron stared right back at them with a suitcase in hand.
"Ash, Chloe." He greeted.
"Ron." Ash simply spoke. He was a bit hesitant as he wasn't sure if Ron still liked Chloe or not.
"Hey Ron, it's good to see you again!" Chloe smiled at her friend. "Is your girlfriend with you?"
"Nah, I broke up with her. She kept calling me, asking me where I was every hour on the hour." Ron rolled his eyes. "I actually left Kanto to get away from her and thought I could hide out here, reconnect with my mother."
"That's good, she seemed to miss you." Chloe stepped aside to allow Ron to pass. "Good luck!"
Ron gave them a wave as he walked past, Ash's doppelganger made his way into the hotel and pulled out an old photograph from his pocket as he began looking around. His eyes soon landed upon Luana as she stepped back into the hotel's lobby. "Mom?"
Luana turned upon hearing the words, her eyes lit up upon spotting Ron and she quickly raced towards him before pulling him in for a tight hug. "Oh Ron, I'm so glad that you're here!"
"Hey mom, it's good to finally meet you..."
Flygon's one of my favorite Pokemon but I didn't want to mislead anyone or give false hope so Tracey was the one to praise it rather than the ones that'll be around in Flygon turf. This battle was fun to play around and experiment with, maybe sneaked some hints in there too? ;)
Next time, Ash faces off against the Orange League Champion!
"It's been fun reading this story it's a bit sad seeing the finale just around the corner" It's more of a 'season finale' than a series finale, Johto will be in a sequel story to this and I'll be putting it up not too long after the finale! :)