Inside of the classroom of the Battle Club…
"So…I take it that you both wish to partake in a Gym Battle with Brock of Pewter City Gym?" An old man, who was the teacher of the class, asked Ash and Dawn.
"Well…just Ash is here for that. I'm here to train for my upcoming Pokemon Contest in Cerulean City. But Ash here is all for battling Brock and winning!" Dawn answered.
"Is that so?" The old man asked.
"Of course! We had some trouble battling against Brock before and while we're mainly here to train, I guess I can stand to learn a few things about Brock and his Pokemon if it makes a victory all the more likely!" Ash answered.
"Well then. This class is the place for you, my boy! Why don't you have a seat over there in the middle row?" The old man suggested.
"Uh, okay! Uh, Dawn? Can you please sit down with me? I tend not to do well with paying attention in a classroom setting," Ash asked.
In response, Dawn blushed for a second before answering, "S-Sure thing! It would be a bit boring training on my own anyway."
"Uh…did you just blush, Dawn?" Ash asked.
"W-Well…," Dawn nervously buffered before continuing, "Why don't we just sit down for now? Class will begin soon and with it your chances for victory can improve."
"Um, sure?" Ash agreed as they sat down right next to each other. As they did so, their hands touched, with the pair blushing for a moment before moving their hands away from each other.
The pair tried to ignore their racing thoughts and tried to focus on their respective training before Misty and Iris finally arrived and sat next to them.
"Well, it's about time you finally decided to do more to prepare for a Gym Battle," Misty said with some annoyance.
"Yeah, yeah. I lost. I already understand that I need to do more preparation for future Gym Battles, too. You don't need to remind me any more," Ash responded with annoyance.
"Look, Ash, I have many reasons to be annoyed with you, perhaps even angry. But, believe it or not, I do want to help you. You and your Pokemon do have some potential after all," Misty said somewhat reassuringly.
"Really?" Ash was surprised.
"Uh huh. You just need to be less of an egotistical jerk and listen to me more," Misty bluntly said.
"And there goes the insult," Ash grumbled.
"Maybe you should think a bit more before you say something. Both of you. You are kinda coming off like little kids right now," Iris noted.
"Wait…How am I a little kid?!" Ash yelled.
"Yeah! He's the one who insulted me and the Gym Leaders of Kanto!" Misty bit back as both teens growled in each other's faces before Dawn pushed them away from each other.
"Yeah…Iris has a point. You'd be better off remembering that we're supposed to be friends here. We're on a journey together. While our reasons may not be totally connected to friendship, we'd do better to not be down each other's throats all the time," Dawn reminded.
Both Ash and Misty looked at each other guiltily. However, before they could say anything, class finally began a minute later.
"Welcome to class, young Trainers. My name is Mr. Alexandrite, and I'm here to help you with preparing for your upcoming Gym Battle against Brock. First question, and be honest here. How many of you have already challenged and lost to Brock?" The old man asked as Ash reluctantly raised his hand along with a few other Trainers. "I see…Well, there's no shame in losing a Gym Battle. Sometimes even if you go in with a type advantaged team, you can still lose."
"And why would they do that? Isn't type advantage pretty much an automatic win? Sounds pretty basic if you ask me," Trip, who was sitting right in front of Ash and company, asked. "...Then again, what should I expect from Trainers that live in the boonies to not understand that?" Trip whispered under his breath, though Ash, Misty, Dawn, and Iris could hear it and were not happy.
"Not a bad question, Trip. But type advantage is only one part of the equation. Just battling with a type effective move or Pokemon won't guarantee victory. Remember, the power of a Pokemon should be taken into account as well. And Gym Leaders typically raise their own Pokemon to be very strong," Mr. Alexandrite explained.
"Hmm. Fair point. It will definitely take quite a while to grow strong enough to take on a region's Champion after all. Still, even in that case, the opposing Trainers and their Pokemon could certainly have trained more," Trip said. He then whispered, "Looks like these Trainers neglected in that regard as well."
Once again, Ash and company were very unhappy with the verbal jab that Trip was making. Dawn, however, in spite of her anger, tried to comfort Ash before he could say anything.
"They most likely did train. Or if they didn't they just thought they could manage against the Gym as is. Once again, however, there is no shame in losing. You can always try again and do better next time. Part of the reason this class exists is to make a victory easier for newer Trainers. Now, who can tell me what the abilities of Brock's Geodude and Onix are?" Mr. Alexandrite asked as Trip raised his hand before anyone else could. "Yes, Trip?"
"That's such a basic question. I've read a booklet a little while back that goes into detail on what Pokemon Kanto Gym Leaders use and their abilities as well. Onix has the ability Sturdy, which can keep a Pokemon from being knocked out in one hit or by a move that is a guaranteed knockout. Geodude, meanwhile, has the ability Rock Head, which can prevent a Pokemon from taking damage from recoil damaging moves," Trip answered.
"Very good, Trip!" Mr. Alexandrite congratulated Trip for his correct answer.
"Hmph. Thanks for the compliment.…But I don't see how that was worthy of praise. Even a young child could have gotten that question correct," Trip said the latter part under his breath, angering the Trainers who heard him once more.
"Uh, Mr. Alexandrite, I think that it is also important to know that Aerodactyl is one of the Pokemon that Brock uses!" Misty said as she raised her hand, hoping to silence Trip's ego and rude remarks.
"What?!"
"He does?!"
"Well, so much for winning a badge here."
"You are correct. Aerodactyl is a recent inclusion to Brock's team that has been used for higher level Gym challengers. However, due to her inexperience and short time in the modern world, she has also been used for lower leveled challengers in order to throw a curveball for Trainers to have to outhink if they believe type advantage alone will win them a badge," Alexandrite explained.
"Wait. You weren't with us. How did you…?" Ash was confused.
"Hmph. Looks like we'll actually have quite a challenge to have to deal with in our upcoming battles. That is, if anyone other than me can actually beat Brock," Trip smugly said, not bothering to be quiet this time as everyone else present looked either mad or nervous.
"Well…Next up, we'll be going over the types that can be used against Rock and Ground types, which make up the bulk of Brock's used Pokemon. Now, some types that would be great against a Rock or Ground type include Fighting, Water, Grass, Ice, and Steel. While using a Pokemon of one of these types could prove to be beneficial, you can also manage with teaching a move of one of those types to your team if you don't have a Pokemon of those respective types. As someone who's been teaching this class for years, I can do a pretty good job at understanding the types of moves that a Pokemon can learn to be effective against a Rock-type. Now, who would like to get some assistance in knowing a good move for your Pokemon to know?" The teacher asked.
This time, Ash raised his hand before anyone else could. "I would like to learn a move that could be helpful for my Pokemon!" Ash said.
"Very well then. Please bring up the Pokemon that you would like to be looked over and I'll let you know some moves you can work on once class is over," Mr. Alexandrite said.
"Sure thing! Pikachu, let's go on up and see what we can do!" Ash said as he and Pikachu walked up to the front of class cheerfully. "So, Mr. Alexandrite, what would be a good move for Pikachu to learn for the Gym? Pikachu initially didn't stand much of a chance against Brock's Onix, after all."
"A Pikachu? Against a Rock Gym?" Trip was shocked.
"Well, let's see…There are many moves that a Pikachu can learn to deal with Rock-types. Just to name a few, there is Grass Knot, Brick Break, Dig, and my personal favorite, Iron Tail," Mr. Alexandrite answered.
"Really? All those moves? Looks like we'll have a lot of training to do in order to prepare for our rematch. Brock won't know what hit him!" Ash said as Pikachu nodded in agreement and Snivy reluctantly smiled at Ash's ignorance and overconfidence, even if she did respect him for it.
"Now, now, Mr. Ketchum. You should know that…," Mr. Alexandrite began.
"Allow me, Mr. Alexandrite," Trip said as he stood up. "Simply put, you are being an ignorant fool right now. A Pokemon can only learn and use four moves at a time under normal circumstances. While some stronger Pokemon, especially those used by Champions like Cynthia and Alder, can use more than four moves in one battle, your average Pokemon can learn only four moves at a time and has to risk losing that move for good if they want to learn a new one," Trip explained.
"Once again, thank you very much, Trip. You may now sit do-," Mr. Alexandrite said before being interrupted once more.
"Besides that, your Pikachu is very ill fit for a battle with a Rock or Ground type. In fact, he'd do next to no damage at all against Brock's Pokemon. What a rookie mistake. Even those that understand the basics should know that! You're better off just moving back to your home in the boonies of the boonies where you belong than challenging gyms like you are!" Trip said egotistically with a laugh, leaving the entire class to be mad.
"Hey! Don't speak about him or anyone else here like that!" Misty yelled, surprising Ash and his friends.
"Okay? Who said that?" Trip asked.
"That would be me! Misty Waterflower, and Gym Leader of the Cerulean City Gym. I'd say you're disrespecting every Trainer here by talking all high and mighty like you have been!" Misty responded.
"Yeah! Every Pokemon and Trainer can be strong! You should not treat us or anyone else like dirt because you think they're not as smart as you!" Ash agreed with Misty, as he mouthed a thank you, which Misty nodded to.
"I wasn't saying your rat was weak on his own. Just in a Gym where he shouldn't have been used at all!" Trip responded, trying to hide his annoyance.
"Well, why don't you have a battle to prove it? Ash here was able to defeat Brock's Aerodactyl in his last Gym Battle! That has to be better than whatever you accomplished!" Misty bit back, causing the class to cheer, except for a frustrated Trip and the teacher.
"Now, now, Trip! And you too Misty! Please sit back down and be quiet for the rest of class. I don't think you'd want to be kicked out of class for disorderly conduct, now would you?" Mr. Alexandrite warned.
"N-No sir…," Trip reluctantly said as he sat back down, with Misty sitting back down quietly as well.
A little after class…
"Pikachu, use Iron Tail on that target!" Ash yelled out as Pikachu jumped toward a target in front of him, his tail glowed white for a moment before it went back to normal, much to Ash and Pikachu's shock. Pikachu smashed into the target, looking a bit dazed after the fact. "Pikachu, are you okay?" Ash asked in concern as Pikachu nodded. "Good! Now, let's try it again! The sooner we get that move mastered and we finish getting stronger with Dawn, the sooner we can move on to our rematch with Brock and get our first ever Gym Badge!"
Meanwhile, Dawn and her two Pokemon were practicing as well.
"Piplup, spin in the air and use Bubble Beam! Buneary, jump into the sky and use Ice Beam on the ground!" Dawn commanded as both Pokemon did just that. Piplup created a typhoon of bubbles that all burst into an amazing sparkling display while Buneary created a massive ice block. "Buneary, use Dizzy Punch on that ice block!" Buneary complied, punching the block into a Pikachu statue that Buneary looked at all heart eyed.
"Now, Piplup, use Bubble Beam on Buneary!" Dawn commanded as Piplup sent out a flurry of bubbles towards her other Pokemon. "Buneary, use Ice Beam to counter that Bubble Beam!" At this, Buneaey ended up freezing the attack, resulting in the bubbles bursting into pretty sparkles. Axew, on the sidelines, looked at the display in awe as he cried out.
"Axew says that your move was pretty. I take it that you'll do well in that Contest that's coming up soon, right?" Iris asked, trying to understand Contests better.
"Uh huh! We've been working very hard on our techniques. It's taken some time, but I feel as though we've made lots of progress. And once we work on our battle skills as well, we'll be taking home that first ribbon in no time!" Dawn said all pumped up as Piplup and Buneary nodded as Buneary gave a short look over to Pikachu both lovingly and curiously, seeing that Pikachu was still having trouble using his Iron Tail move.
"At least one of you is doing better already. Ash and Pikachu look like they still need some work before they challenge Brock again," Iris noted.
"Yeah…But if anyone can do it it's them! They've already gotten so powerful in such a short time!" Dawn reminded Iris as Piplup nodded and Buneary gave a lovestruck gaze.
Back with Ash…
"Pikachu, use Iron Tail once more!" Ash commanded Pikachu, who jumped at a target with a glowing tail. This time, his tail glowed for a bit longer, actually managing to hit the target, though the tail stopped glowing a few seconds later right as the target began to break. Pikachu fell back down to the ground, looking at the damaged but still intact target. "Well, Pikachu, looks like we really are beginning to improve. You know, when we first got here, I have to admit I was a bit nervous. I mean, Brock was so strong and I was barely able to do anything against him and his Pokemon. But now, I'm starting to think we may be able to pull out a win this time around. We just need to keep it up and master Iron Tail!" Pikachu responded with a nod.
"I still wouldn't be too overconfident, Ash. Brock is most likely training as well for a future Gym battle challenge. But…it's nice to see you are getting a better mindset on how to handle Gym battles," Misty admitted as she approached the young Trainer.
"Misty?" Ash turned to look at her with curiosity and a bit of regret.
"Uh huh. I was doing a bit of training alone when I thought that maybe working with someone else may be a good idea to help me and my Pokemon improve our power and skill," Misty said.
"And, let me guess. You decided to go with me because I was available," Ash partly teased only to see that Misty looked fairly sad. "Uh, Pikachu? Why don't you and the others take a break? I want to make sure Misty's okay." At this, Pikachu nodded and went off to tell the others. "You know, I'm sorry for all the jerkishness on my part. I didn't want to bring you down or anything. And…to be honest, it turned out you were right about a lot of things. I coulda waited to challenge Brock's Gym."
"Thanks, Ash…the truth is I also wanted to apologize. You see, back at home, I have to deal with my sisters's condescending behavior a lot. Even though I was a Gym Leader, they still believed I was inferior in many ways! From not being as pretty or talented when it came to stuff like dancing. I was even called a weaker Gym Leader, when they've only had the role for shorter periods compared to me! I-I just wanted to prove to them and myself that I was better than them and that they'd stop seeing me as a weak link," Misty confessed.
"So…that's why you were unhappy with my overconfidence. It felt like an insult, especially after all that your sisters have said," Ash realized.
"Yeah…I do have mixed feelings when it comes to you. You can be very bratty, immature, and way too naive."
"Gee, thanks," Ash snarked in annoyance.
"But at the same time I've been able to see that you can be very caring and filled with potential. I don't want to see that potential ignored or stomped out like my sisters tried to do with me," Misty explained.
"And that's part of why you're still willing to help me, even with the sarcasm, ego, and disagreements?" Ash asked.
"Y-Yeah. I think you can be so much better than you are right now. I want to see you and your Pokemon prove my more cynical side wrong," Misty said.
"Nice to see we can kinda get along when our tempers aren't high, Misty," Ash said kindly as he turned to look at his Pokemon, seeing that they were all taking a break from their training with him to relax, play, and eat some fruit and Pokemon food. "Oh, and thanks for helping me and those other Trainers out with that Trip kid."
"Don't mention it. I can't stand to see Trainers that treat other Trainers and Pokemon like trash. Let's hope to never see that Trip kid again," Misty said, not knowing that this wish wouldn't come true.
While Ash and Misty were talking…Ash's Pokemon along with Axew were playing games and eating food that Iris had put out for the Pokemon to eat.
Pikachu and Aipom were playing with each other and Axew, kicking around a small inflatable ball around the court.
Meanwhile, Butterfree was in the middle of drinking honey from a small bottle that Iris bought from a store earlier and Pidgeotto was flying laps around the arena they were in.
As for Snivy, she was eating an apple while watching the others play and eat, trying to be indifferent to what everyone else was doing.
After a good few minutes of playing, Pikachu and Aipom decided to sit down and eat the rest of their food. However, as the two were about to take a bite, quite a bit of Aipom's food suddenly disappeared. The monkey was quick to notice this and turned to yell at Pikachu, believing he was responsible for taking her food. Pikachu innocently and honestly denied doing so, wanting to avoid getting into a fight as. Aipom didn't seem to believe him and was ready to use a Focus Punch on the electric mouse. Pikachu jumped out of the way, with Pidgeotto being hit by the attack instead. Angered by the attack, Pidgeotto used her Gust attack, hitting all the group's remaining Pokemon except for Snivy, who jumped out of the way, seeing a brief glimpse of a black Pokemon with a hint of red and white as she dodged.
Very shortly, everything went into chaos. Ash's Aipom, Pidgeotto, and Butterfree all began firing attacks across the room, causing damage and scaring Piplup and Buneary. Pikachu, Piplup, and Axew tried to stop the fighting, pleading with Ash's other Pokemon to put a stop to it. Sadly, the other Pokemon were too mad and caught up in the fighting to stop. Fortunately, Snivy decided to do something about the fighting and used her Vine Whip to separate Aipom and Pidgeotto. However, the two still struggled to escape Snivy's grip and Butterfree was still freaking out. Finally, Ash and the others also noticed and decided to intervene.
"Stop it! All of you!" Ash cried out, getting the attention of all his Pokemon.
"Look, I don't know what caused you all to fight, but this has got to stop! You're all friends here!" Dawn yelled.
"I could trans-," Iris began, only for Misty to motion to let Ash and Dawn handle this first. "Fine."
"Dawn has a point. Whatever caused all this fighting shouldn't overshadow the fact that you're family. We're supposed to work together, not jump down each other's throats!" Ash scolded as Aipom, Pidgeotto, and Butterfree all looked guiltily.
"Perhaps it's about time you three apologize," Dawn suggested. While a bit reluctant to do so, the trio eventually apologized in Pokespeak and looked a lot happier.
"Ya see? It's good to see that you three have started to forgive each other," Ash said.
"Uh huh. And it's nice to see that some of our other Pokemon were willing to put a stop to the fighting," Dawn noted as Pikachu, Piplup, and Axew looked a bit flattered, with Snivy shrugging. "I have to wonder, though. What did begin all this?"
` "Well, you know I could have told you much sooner," Iris huffed. "So, what did happen, you three?" As all the other Pokemon explained, Iris began to get an idea on what exactly occurred. "Right…so, apparently, all this started because some strange Pokemon stole some of Aipom's food when she was very hungry."
"So, essentially Ash's Pokemon all fought because Aipom got hangry and the other Pokemon picked fights over being disturbed, right?" Misty asked as she looked in disbelief.
"Yep," Iris confirmed as the others groaned. Snivy, remembering the Pokemon from earlier and told Iris about it. "Oh! Snivy says she thinks she saw the actual food thief. Apparently, it was a black Pokemon with red feathers and white claws."
"Wait a second. I think I remember seeing a Pokemon in the Pokedex that looks like that!" Ash realized as he got out his Pokedex and played the entry.
Sneasel, the Sharp Claw Pokémon. Sneasel can extend or retract its claws instantly during attack.
"So, Snivy, does this look like the Pokemon you saw?" Ash asked as Snivy nodded.
"Looks like we found out what Pokemon our food thief is," Misty said.
"The only question is where did that Pokemon go, Right, Iris?" Dawn asked as she turned and saw that Iris and Axew were looking very scared as they looked away from the entry, shivering as they did so.
"Uh…are you okay, you two?" Misty asked in concern.
"Yeah. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were scared of this Sneasel," Dawn said as she tried to console Iris.
"Scared? Phht! O-Of c-course not! Why would we b-be scared of a f-freezing cold bully like that S-Sneasel was being!" Iris lied. Badly.
"Uh…is this like Misty and her ridiculous fear of bugs?" Ash asked tactlessly.
"Ash! Be more respectful!" Misty hissed.
"Oh. Sorry. So…do you have a history with Sneasel or something?" Ash wondered.
"N-No. I d-don't. Y-You see…The two of us have a problem with I-Ice-types. Not only do t-they bring an u-uncomfortable c-cold with them, but they happen t-to be one of the f-few weaknesses of Dragon-type Pokemon," Iris said.
"They are?" Ash asked for clarity as Misty shook her head.
"Yes, they are Ash. The other weaknesses for Dragons are Fairy-types and other Dragon-type moves. Still, I'm surprised to see that a Sneasel is here. Typically, they prefer forest environments," Dawn said.
"Perhaps the Sneasel belongs to a Trainer?" Ash suggested.
"Well, if they do then they need to do a better job at controlling their Pokemon!" Misty yelled.
"Agreed! I'd rather that bully not hurt my Axew!" Iris yelled as she tried to calm down.
Before the group could continue this conversation, Snivy suddenly heard something from nearby. As it turned out, it was the Sneasel that was hiding behind a pillar and laughing to herself. Snivy tried to use her Vine Whip to grab the Sneasel, but she jumped away before she could be grabbed, revealing her presence to the group.
"It's that Sneasel!" Ash cried out.
"What is she doing here, though? Isn't her Trainer worried about her right now?" Dawn wondered.
At this point, Iris and Axew went back to shivering, looking away from Sneasel but still turning for quick glances every now and then to see if she was still here.
"Alright, who in the world owns this Sneasel?!" Misty demanded.
"Well, well, well. There you are, Sneasel. I'll admit I was a bit concerned when you went off on your own, but looks like the worst that happened is that you were forced to waste your time on these clowns," A familiar voice said. As they turned around, the group saw that it did indeed come from Trip.
"Oh, it's you again," Misty groaned.
"What is it that you're doing here?" Ash asked.
"Training. What do you think? My Pokemon and I were in another training court when I noticed that my Sneasel was gone. I wonder if she realized that she was spending time with absolute losers, though," Trip said with a chuckle, angering the Trainers.
"If you're wondering, she was causing us trouble by stealing our food," Misty said angrily.
"Yeah! You may want to keep a better eye on your Pokemon in the future!" Dawn agreed.
"Hmph. Look, I'll decide how to manage my Pokemon and you can manage yours. Understood?" Trip said condescendingly as he recalled Sneasel to her Pokeball. "Come on, now. Let's not waste our time on these idiotic fools and get back to training for our badge."
"Hey! We're not fools you know!" Misty yelled as she looked ready to punch Trip, only for Dawn and Ash to stop her.
"Now, now. I don't like this jerk either, but stooping to his level won't help us," Ash reminded.
"Ash is right! He may be horrible, but we should at least try and be nice to him," Dawn agreed.
"So…I take it that you're looking to get badges from across Kanto then?" Iris, who had fully calmed down, finally asked.
"Perhaps. What are you all doing?" Trip asked out of curiosity.
"Why do you wanna know?" Iris asked suspiciously.
"Just wondering what you are attempting to get done in Kanto," Trip answered.
"I'm Misty. I used to be the Gym Leader of Cerulean City and I plan to improve and catch more Water-type Pokemon," Misty explained.
"I'm Ash from Pallet Town and I plan on becoming a Pokemon Master," Ash answered.
"As for me, I'm Dawn and I want to become a Top Coordinator like my mom was," Dawn answered.
"Really? Those are your goals? Looks like the people in the boonies really are thinking very little. I mean, Pokemon Master? Getting a bit stronger for a Gym Leader position? Taking part in those glorified beauty pageants?" Trip smirked.
"What? And your goal is very special, Trip?" Dawn grumbled as she puffed up her cheeks.
"Of course. I do plan on becoming stronger like that Gym Leader, except I plan on becoming a Champion very soon," Trip answered.
"So, you're gonna be taking part in the League then? I guess we'll be seeing each other there then," Ash said as he held out his hand, with Pikachu appearing on Ash's shoulder.
"Wait. A Pikachu?" Trip asked in surprise as he got out his Pokedex and scanned Pikachu.
Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon, and the evolved form of Pichu. Pikachu's tail is sometimes struck by lightning as it raises it to check its surroundings.
"Hmph. So, you do carry that rat around outside of a Pokeball, you attention seeking brat?" Trip said with annoyance.
"And what if I do? Pikachu prefers to go around outside of a Pokeball. We just started our journey, but we're already developing a close bond!" Ash countered.
"I see…Sounds more like you're looking for a way to say you're special. Unlike you, I come from a region where showing off your Pokemon isn't super special. This is why Unova is superior to these boonies. I think I've wasted enough time on you. I'm outta here," Trip said as he turned to leave.
"Hey! You can't just leave after saying all that jerk stuff about us!" Iris yelled.
"That's right! You may believe you're special based off of where you came from, but the truth is that all Trainers can be powerful and special in their own way if given the time and effort to get there!" Misty yelled.
"Uh huh! Pokemon aren't tools! They are our partners! And we're gonna beat you one of these days!" Ash challenged.
"I never said Pokemon weren't important. There certainly is a lot they can do with or without people. Either way, they are very important to our world and are certainly peculiar," Trip said.
"Glad to see that this guy at least cares about Pokemon," Dawn noted.
"Yeah. I'm not horrible after all. I just need to get out of this region where my time is being wasted," Trip said.
"Well, if that is the case and you do care about Pokemon and bonds, then why don't we settle things with a battle?" Ash suggested.
"A battle? With the guy that can't even use the correct types in a Gym Battle?" Trip laughed as the others looked at him angrily. "I'd rather not waste my time on such a noob opponent! Now, I must get back to training."
Just as Trip was about to leave, Iris said, "You know, you really are kinda a little kid. I mean, you can't even put some time aside to give Ash a single battle. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were scared of losing!"
Trip stopped and turned around. "I know you're trying to bait me."
"But…," Iris said.
"...I could use a warmup. Who knows? Maybe you'll prove to be an exception and actually be worth my time. Let's battle!" Trip yelled.
In a few minutes, the two Trainers were on opposing sides of the field.
"So, is a three on three battle good with you?" Ash asked Trip.
"Why not have a full battle?" Trip asked. "Don't tell me you don't even have a full team yet!" Trip said.
Ash, meanwhile, looked a bit awkward. "I currently only have five Pokemon on me," Ash said.
"Seriously? This is what I get for expecting something from a boonies's Trainer," Trip shook his head for a moment before reluctantly deciding,"Fine. We can do that. I'd rather not fully waste my time."
"Go for it, Ash! You and your Pokemon can win this!" Dawn cheered.
"Go and kick that jerk's butt!" Iris agreed.
"So, do you guys think that Ash can win this?" Dawn asked, hoping for the best.
"It's possible. I hope so though. I'd rather not him lose and we all never hearing anything positive towards us from him," Misty said.
"I hope he doesn't send out that Ice Terror on Ash," Iris noted.
"Butterfree, I choose you!" Ash cried out as he sent out the butterfly Pokemon. "So, which Pokemon will you start with?"
"Oh, you'll see. Frillish, let's go!" Trip cried out as he sent out a blue fish Pokemon that proceeded to say his name.
"A Frillish?" Ash wondered as he got out his Pokedex and scanned the fish.
Frillish, the Floating Pokémon. Frillish can constrict its foes using its veil-like tentacles and numb them with poison. It is said to live in dens some five miles below sea level.
"I've never seen that Pokemon before. What is it?" Misty asked.
"Simple. Frillish is a Pokemon that comes from the Unova region. Frillish is a Water/Ghost-type and, judging by the color, I'd say its a male one," Iris answered.
"So, looks like neither Trainer has the advantage here then," Dawn noted.
"Kinda. Ash would be at an advantage sending out Pikachu or Snivy though seeing as how Frillish is a Water-type," Iris suggested.
"If Trip wasn't being a jerk I'd kinda want to see Frillish win. But, since Trip is being mean and Ash is my friend, go Ash!" Misty cried out.
"So, you gonna send out that Pikachu of yours now?" Trip asked.
"Nope! I plan on keeping my Butterfree out for this matchup," Ash decided.
At this, everyone fell over in disbelief.
"Really? He has the chance to get an advantage and he doesn't use it?! What a dumb move to make!" Misty yelled.
"Yeah! Stop being a little kid and recall that Butterfree!" Iris yelled.
"Now, now. Let's be fair. Ash may have a strategy to deal with that Frillish. We'll just have to wait and see," Dawn reminded the other two girls.
"Let's begin! Frillish, use Water Pulse!" Trip commanded as Frillish created a water orb and shot it out.
"Butterfree, use your Gust attack!" Ash cried out as the butterfly blew his wings hard, causing the orb to break apart. "Great! Now, use Confusion!" Ash commanded as Frillish was trapped by the psychic move and sent into a wall.
"Not bad. But, that was just luck," Trip noted, unfettered.
"We'll see! Remember, I was just able to deal you damage and we'll do it aga-," Ash was interrupted as a purple glow surrounded Butterfree and he looked a little bit sick. "Are you okay, Butterfree?"
"No he isn't, Ash! Frillish can have the ability Cursed Body, which can prevent a Pokemon from using a move upon contact with an opponent! You are such a little kid for not knowing that!" Iris yelled as Dawn looked a bit annoyed.
"You know, that ability isn't in Kanto all that much, so I would say Ash was wrong in this instance," Dawn reminded.
"Now that your Butterfree has less attacking options, it's time for my next attack. Frillish, use Night Shade!" Trip commanded as Frillish sent out a wave of energy that caused Butterfree some pain as he looked on and tried to cover his ear holes. "Now, use your Water Pulse once more!" Frillish was quick to form another orb of water and send it out at Butterfree.
"Butterfree, use Gust right now!" Ash commanded as Butterfree did just that. This time, the orb was destroyed much easier and managed to hit Frillish. "Great! Now, let's use your new move. Use Shadow Ball on Frillish!"
As Butterfree sent out a purple energy orb, Trip smirked as he commanded, "Frillish, use Bubblebeam!" And so, Frillish sent out a barrage of bubbles that clashed with Butterfree's Shadow Ball. Soon, an explosion of smoke rang across the battlefield. Everyone looked on breathlessly, wanting to know who had one that struggle. Finally, the smoke disappeared and both Pokemon were still in the air, but were having some difficulty.
"Let's wrap this up! Butterfree, use Shadow Ball once mo-," Ash cried out…only to see that Butterfree was surrounded by a sickly purple glow once more. "Not again! Well...if we can't use Shadow Ball either, then let's use Sleep Powder!" Ash yelled as several spores were sent out from Butterfree's wings.
"Dodge it and then use Night Shade!" Trip called out, with Frillish dodging the spores and sending out another energy wave, causing Butterfree some pain before he fell to the ground.
"Oh no! Are you okay, Butterfree?" Ash called out in concern as Butterfree nodded.
"Good job, Frillish. One Pokemon down and two to go," Trip smirked.
"And here I thought that Ash and Butterfree were going to win," Dawn sadly said.
"He may have if it weren't for Cursed Body," Iris said.
"Take a good rest, Butterfree," Ash gently said as he recalled the butterfly. "Pikachu, are you ready?" Ash asked as Pikachu nodded and jumped in front of the Trainer. "Great! Now, let's turn this around. Use Thunderbolt!"
I hope everybody enjoyed this chapter. Next time, we'll see the result of this battle and begin the Gym Battle rematch against Brock.
