Ash's POV

Dinner last night was a sombre affair with Mr and Professor Queen not sure why the mood of the room was off. When we all sat down for dinner Alessia and Cynthia were both quiet picking at their food. When Professor Queen ask how everyone's day was the four of us shared a look before Alessia answered saying not much happened but she worked on some new music which she was excited about sharing with her siblings. I got the feeling that what we witnessed on the route home was something better left unsaid in front of the elder Queens.

After dinner, Alessia excused herself and disappeared outside with her Pokémon for the rest of the night. I think she slept out there but I'm not sure she could have come back when I was asleep. All I know is when I work up she was outside doing some early morning training in the same outfit as yesterday. If I had witnessed what she did I'm not entirely sure I would have slept either.

"You ready for today Ash," Alessia asks from beside me as the four of us make our way through Silverdale towards the gym. The two older Queen's couldn't attend today's match as they had some new trainers coming over but they wished me luck.

"You bet I am," I shout out getting myself pumped for the match. After training yesterday I'm fairly confident that today I can take on Jolt and his Pokémon winning my first badge in the Kinsaha region.

"I'm glad to see you so upbeat and positive Ash." The champion says with amusement. "It reminds me of when I took part in the gym challenges." I wonder how many gyms she's fought and won against. Her amusement fades as she watches be before offering me some more last minute advise."As Jolt is the first person trainers normally go up against he really sets the level of the gym challenge. He and the rest of the gym leaders are really good at keeping trainers off balance. It normally takes trainer more than a few attempts to win their badges." The last time she tried to warn me about Jolt's battles I kind of ignored must of it thinking I already had the perfect plan in place. I start thinking about what Jolt could do to catch me off guard so much that she seems almost worried out me and my reaction.

Before I could ask her why a new voice calls for our attention. "Sia." The four of us stop as a woman with wild flaming red hair makes her way towards us. "I heard you were in town again." The woman says looking towards Alessia. actually, eyes seem to look Alessia up and down.

"Nothing stays quiet is in this town does it." Alessia scoffs before sending the woman in front us a charming smile. "But I had no idea you were back in Silverdale Victoria."

"Well, my arrive isn't as big news like yours is."

"That must be nice." Alessia comments under her breath. "So, you have a club here now I take it."

"Yeah, we opened a few weeks back and I came to town to monitor it. It seems to be doing well so far." The woman runs a hand through her red curls as her eyes seem to drift up and down Alessia again. Did she miss something on her first look. "You look good."

Alessia lets out a soft chuckle. "Thanks. You look amazing as always." The woman in question blushes a bit at this comment. Cynthia lets out a quiet cough which snaps the two out of their private conversation. "Right excuse me I'm being Rude. Everyone this is Vicotria. Victoria this is Ash Dawn and... Cynthia." she introduces us but looks between Victoria and Cynthia with unease. Like the fact the two of them meeting is an awful idea. I wonder why.

"Aghh. Cynthia. I've heard a lot about you." Victoria's comment causes Alessia to physically wince. The red headed doesn't seem to notice but there is now a devilish glee in her eyes.

"Really like what." Cynthia's neutral tone catches me off guard. I'm starting to think that these two meeting was actually a bad idea. But why. I just can't seem to put my finger on it.

"Oh you know." Victoria's tone is playful which for some reason sets me on edge nevermind Cythnia and Alessia. "That you're a brilliant trainer and champion. People even think you have a pretty good shot at winning the Elite league in a few months."

"Is that all." Cynthia seems to grind out glaring at the woman in question.

"Well I'm never one to discuss want happens when me and Alessia get together." Cynthia actually recoils at this comment her glare intensifying but Victoria doesn't care and keep talking. "Some things are better left in private. I'm sure you of all people can understand."

"Perfectly." Cynthia's voice comes across as tight which matches her now clenched fists.

"So how do you too know each other." I ask hoping to get rid of some of the strange tension hanging around us.

"Tori and I met up in one of her nightclubs one night." Alessia explains looking between the two women. "Our relationship sort of grew from there."

"Speaking of which." Victoria tears her steady gaze away from Cynthia to focus on Alessia again as the two seemed to be having some kind of staring contest. "You should come to the club one of the nights. It's been a while see we've had the chance to catch up. Even you deserve a break now and then. It'll do you good to de-stress for a few hours."

"I'll think about." Alessia answers with a simple shrug. "My life's kind of hectic at the minute."

"Don't worry about it. Sia." Again, Cynthia flinches at Victoria. What is going on between the two of them. "Besides if we do go out you could always sleep at mine instead of sneaking back into your parents' house. It's not like you have stayed over many times before."

Alessia mulls it over but as she goes to answer Cynthia cut her off. "Don't' we have a gym to challenge."

Alessia looks slightly guilty. "Right we do. Sorry Ash. I'll catch you later Tori."

"In a bit. Sia." Victoria replies with a smug grin as our group leaves towards the gym.

"So much is starting to make sense about them." Dawn mutters from beside me.

"What are you on about." I ask confused.

Dawn pauses in her steps and face palms before replying in a disbelieving tone. "Sometimes you are so oblivious Ash it worries." With that she stalks ahead catching up with the two champions muttering something about clueless boys under her breath. I turn to look at a Pikachu who is wearing the same expressions as Dawn. What. What am I missing here.

Stepping out on to the battle field Jolt stands across from me in his usual get up with a Joltik sitting on his shoulder like Pikachu does too me. "This is an official battle between the Silverdale Gym leader Jolt and the Challenger Ash." The gym official shouts out as he continues to read out the rules. This time We're going to win.

The girls wish me luck but something about Alessia is off. When tell me good luck she isn't joyful or hopeful. More sorrowful like she knows something bad is about to happen. Now that I think about it something about Cynthia was also off. Then again, she's been like that ever since we ran into Victoria. I guess she didn't like Victoria for some reason. Strange. She seemed pretty nice to me. HEr and Alessia seem close as well.

"Hope your ready for this Ash." Jolt shouts over. "Because I'm not going to make it easy for you." He warns me sending a smug grin. He seems very sure of his abilities. Not that I can blame him the last time we battled we did awful. I did awful. I made all the wrong decisions and my Pokémon suffered because of it. "A great Pokémon trainer can adapt to the worse situations." His warning seems far more menacing then it did yesterday. Almost as if he has a trick up his sleeve. Alessia's warning from before rings in my mind as well as Dawn's words from a few minute's ago. I'm missing something. Something important. But what.

"Don't worry I'm ready." I reply as the official signals for us to reveal our Pokémon. Whatever he has planning I'll deal with when it comes to it. For now I focus on the battle. We've trained really hard for this. We can do it. For battling against Magnezone I'm going to start with Infernape.

Then Jolt does something I wasn't prepared for. That I didn't think about happening.

"So be it Ash." Jolt unclasp one of his pokeballs throwing it high up into the air. "Golisopod prepare for battle." And just like that all my battle plans disappear when the water and bug Pokémon martializes on to the field letting out a proud roar setting itself up for battle.

No. No no no no. Golishopod is the worse Pokémon I could go up against a it has the advantage over my three Pokémon I selected just for this battle. As a water type Golisopod as the advantage over fire and ground and as a bug type it on makes it harder to fight against. I didn't plan for this. How can I will this battle. Horror breaks out on to my face. I have no idea how's I'm going to win this.

"From the look your face Ash I can see this my Pokémon choice must me a surprise for you." That would be an understatement. This is an electric gym. That isn't an electric Pokémon. "You see this gym is classified as an electric gym as I mostly use electric Pokémon. But there is no law or rule that states I have to use that type of Pokémon in this league of any other league. I know most gym trainers just use the one type. Some mix it by having another type thrown in now and then but not here. Every battle I have with an induvial trainer I then use different Pokémon in my next battle and the next one to keep them off guard. You see being named the regions electric gym is just a front. All it does is give trainers an idea of what they will be facing. You see if I only use one type of Pokémon trainers can easily pick Pokémon which have a type advantage and centre their battle on that alone." Just like I did for today. "Pokémon battling isn't about that. When you fight in the league you have no idea what Pokémon your opponent will be using when you fight the elite four or the champion you don't know what they will use against you. You can guess from past experience but you can't plan your battle around that alone otherwise you will lose. That is the purpose of this gym to test a trainers ability to be caught off guard and I teach then to respond to the challenge otherwise they will fail. Again and again until they learn their lesson. In battling there is so easy way to win. You just have to adapt to the situation. That what makes a good Pokémon trainer a Great pokemon trainer. So Ash. Its time to show me how you fair under the pressure. The first move is all yours. We're waiting."

What am I going to do now.