A/N: Huh, I was expecting a few reviews about the last chapter of this story. I mean, what do you think about Ash wanting a Dusknoir in his final six? I'll be ignoring the detail in evolutions that require trade. How the hell would that work outside of games anyway? It makes no sense from the grand scheme of things in biology. Was it good or bad that three of their Pokémon evolved last chapter? I'm just curious. Leave reviews or PM me.
After a bit of traveling through Route 215, which unfortunately started to rain for a couple of days afterward unable to ride their bike, Dawn and Ash endured it to eventually reach Veilstone City at around 2 PM. The city sort of reminded them of Oreburgh City, but unlike looking earth brown and had a nice mining theme, Veistone looked like it was carved out of stone, from the streets, to the slight elevations for the buildings, and even some of said buildings, giving an atmosphere what one could describe cold and somewhat foreboding, considering there was little people around the entrance they came through. Especially so since it was still raining.
"Where is everybody?" Dawn questioned, unnerved along with shivering from the rain.
"Either shopping or gambling. Veilstone is rather popular for its five story department store and only casino in this city." Ash explained. Dawn gawked at this information.
"Really?! I didn't know that Veistone had such a big store. We could go shopping!" She exclaimed with joy. Ash looked at his partner somewhat skeptically. The young researcher then sheepishly giggled. "Or stuff essential for our travel. Not like we've been wearing the same thing for over three weeks is all I'm saying."
"Well, in any case, we need to get out of this rain. Dang route had little cover to avoid it the past couple of days." The two teenagers nodded before walking to the Pokémon Center. When they finally reached there, they spotted the local nurse. However, when they approached her, she gasped in shock.
"Oh my, you're both shaking like a couple of leaves!"
"We are?" They asked. Because they went through it for so long they forgot to realize it, but to anybody else looking, they were drenched, shivering like branches in a wind storm, their skin pale from less blood around the skin, dilated pupils, disoriented, and chattering teeth.
"You two need bed rest stat! Blissey, please help me to the back room!"
An unknown amount of time has passed, but Ash woke up to lights that blinded him once he opened his eyes. He groaned from the exposure, feeling like this was very familiar, though the air was much hotter than last time, along with said blanket. He looked around the room and spotted Dawn sleeping to his right, and something came over him as he gasped, fearing the worst. Was the past few days been a dream and they were just now waking up in Eterna after the Old Gateau collapsed?! He found a red button that said 'call' and repeatedly pressed it.
"Nurse. Nurse!" Ash yelled, starting to freak out. The nurse came entered the room looking serious yet worried.
"What?! What's wrong?!"
"Where am I?! Is this Veilstone or Eterna? Is it October or September?!" The frantic trainer asked getting progressively louder and louder, causing Dawn to stir, but not awake.
"Sir, calm down. You're in Veilstone City, and its October 10th." She answered him, not wanting to cause a ruckus for everyone else. This notably calmed him down significantly, but he still had questions.
"What happened?"
"You and your friend were experiencing between moderate and high severity of hypothermia. We had to warm you two up as soon as possible. The room is at 85 degrees which is the average temperature of the Egyo Region, warm blankets have been provided and water bottles have been placed under you." Hearing that, Ash searched under his back to find those red rubbery things filled with hot water. "So, could you perhaps tell me why you were drenched and not properly protected from the cold rain?" The nurse asked. It took Ash a minute to remember, his head still fuzzy.
"We were... on Route 210... or 12... whatever was North of Solaceon Town. We were eating at this middle of nowhere café when a group of psyducks were having a seizure. I tried defeating them but they were too strong. The waitress went back to the town while we ran here. The rain then started and there wasn't much cover while we were there. We came to Veilstone and here we are. Why am I having a hard time remembering details?" He asked her, struggling to remember some of the smaller stuff.
"Mid level hypothermia can cause amnesia. You're lucky you and you're friend didn't collapse in the middle of the road."
"Our journey can't be called smooth, that's for sure." Ash groaned, both from annoyance and aches in his body.
"Well, you just rest up now. Despite being late at night, you still need your rest." The nurse instructed, which the young trainer had no complaints about.
"Ok. But could you pass a message please? Tell the police that a café between here and Solaceon is having a major issue?" He requested.
"Very well. I'll tell Officer Vinny about it." And with that, the nurse left, giving Ash to fall onto his back and quickly black out.
Early in the morning, both Ash and Dawn left and received $300 dollars from Prof. Rowan, who told them off for recklessly endangering themselves again like that, but was pleased that they were merely cold with no complications. After all that was done, the two decided to head to the gym of the city. Although it was a little after 7 AM in the morning, it wouldn't hurt to check. Upon finding the gym, they pleasantly found that the hours were unlike the three others before. 5 AM to 9 PM on all days except Sunday. It also distinctly looked like half gym, half dojo. They smiled from the theme as they entered the gym. The first half of the building looked like a training dojo where a group of 30 men and 5 women were doing some exercises in separate groups, such as karate chopping, meditating, or using practice weapons. The sensei noticed the two teenagers and walked up to them. He looked old with plenty of grey in his thinning hair and wrinkles covering his Asian face, but his body still boasted strength and discipline.
"Ah, hello young children. What may you have come to our humble dojo?"
"I've come for my fourth badge." Ash replied.
"Ah, so you're here for a gym badge. It's not often that we have challengers this early in the morning. No matter, as it is policy to always accept challenges when on site." He stated proudly. The old sensei then yelled in Japanese, "Magomasume, kuru!" Alerted, a young girl jumped from her meditative spot and ran to the three. She was wearing a dark blue sleevless shirt and white gi pants, though what really stood out was her bubblegum pink hair. "Children, let me introduce you to my granddaughter, Momo."
"Sofu!" She complained to her grandfather. She sighed before speaking in English. "Momo is my birth name, but I go by Maylene for everyone else. Both my parents had different ideas on what to call me so I just decided to go with both. But only my family calls me Momo." She then turned to her grandfather annoyed. "And not in front of others." He chuckled nervously in response. Maylene then turned to the two visitors. "So, you wanted to have a battle with me?"
"Uh, yes please." Ash responded, a little weirded out that someone that looks younger than him is a gym leader.
"Alright. I haven't exactly done my warm ups properly yet, but I guess I can do so while we're battling. Follow me." She turned to walk to the back and let Ash follow while Dawn went off in another direction.
The two trainers were in the second half of the dojo, which appropriately looked like a battle ground, if still heavily stylized to look like a dojo. In came a brown hair referee.
"Maylene, before we begin, you could try finishing your warm ups or what not. I don't mind waiting a few minutes." Ash offered. The gym leader smiled.
"How kind of you. Colby!" She accepted before shouting for someone. A black belt in a white gi and red head band came to them.
"Yes, gym leader Maylene?"
"Reward this boy a plum. He decided to let me finish my warm up."
"Yes ma'am." He obliged before running off to soon return with a bowl full of plums.
"Thank you." Ash said, taking one. Colby went to the referee spot and placed the bowl down, waiting for the match to start. Ash looked at the plum with a look of uncertainty. He's never eaten a plum before. Shrugging, he bit into it, the juice running down his chin and dripping on the floor. The taste of the skin was tart and pungent, but he appreciated the sweet juices and flesh underneath. "Mm, this is a good fruit. You like plums?" He asked Maylene, whom was stretching her legs completely straight, alternating from one heel to the next resting on the ball of each foot.
"Nah, can't stand the stuff. In fact, I don't like sweet things in general. I'm more of a mild flavor kind of thing like carrots and broccoli."
"Yeah, if there's one I hate, it's asparagus. They're just too... blegh." Thinking of what those poor excuse of a vegetable taste like made Ash stick his tongue out, so he took another bite of the plum he was holding.
"Oh, I know right? I also can't stand potatoes. Not necessarily the taste but those eyes that grow if they left alone too long... it creeps me out." Straitening up like a tree before relaxing, she did two high kicks before settling down. "Okay, I'm ready." From the sidelines, Dawn in her cheerleader costume, along with Lopunny and Kirlia in matching outfits, carried their pompoms and started cheering.
"Okay Ash, go and defeat her!"
"Kirlia!" "Lop!" Her Pokémon shouted with the same level of eagerness.
"A personal cheerleader? You have quite the supportive friend." Maylene remarked a little amused.
"We've had quite an interesting four weeks. Or I think it's four weeks?" Ash pondered before he was cut off by Colby.
"The gym battle between Ash the challenger and Maylene the gym leader is about to begin with forth degree difficulty. Each side will use three Pokémon until all of one side are knocked out. Only the challenger may substitute Pokémon. Kaishi!" Being handed her appropriate Pokeballs by a fellow friend, Maylene started.
"Go, meditite!" From her first Pokeball came out a white and blue Pokémon that looked humanoid with an onion shaped head, round ears and large eyes. It looked like it was busy meditating, like its namesake.
"Staravia, I choose you!" Ash yelled out as he summoned his bird Pokémon. He chirped his name adamantly. "Use Quick Attack!" Ash instructed, but Maylene beat with with her own.
"Fake Out!" Meditite zoomed right up to the startled Staravia, and gave him a good smack across the face.
"Take to the air!" Recovering, the flying type flew up to the high ceiling, supposedly out of the psychic type's reach. "Now use Aerial Ace!" Honing right at the enemy, Staravia surrounded himself with white streaks of energy, but just as he was about to ram into the Pokémon, Maylene commanded,
"Counter with Confusion!" Meditite's eyes glowed purple, causing Stariavia to be surrounded by a purple outline, thus completely stopping his momentum. He chirped frantically, trying to escape its psychic clutches, but was unable to as the foe flung him back, hitting the ground hard. "Now use Drain Punch!" Maylene ordered while punching with her left fist, synchronizing her movement with her meditite as its fist glowed with spiraling green energy, landing a blow on the bird.
"Don't give up! Use Double Team!" Ash ordered. Staravia picked himself up with some struggle and spread his wings out, chirping his name while afterimages of himself spread across the battle field.
"Once again Meditite, use Confusion!" Maylene yelled as she swiped her arms around, the same with the fighting type Pokémon as its eyes glowed purple, levitating all of the dust and disturbed ground from the area and sent them outward, its plan working in finding the real as the pebbles bounced off his body. Using its psychic powers, Staravia was once again picked up, trying in vain to break free. "Finish it with Rock Tomb!" Using its power to break some of the ground apart to have decently sized rocks, they levitated to the point they were directly above Staravia, before they were suddenly dropped, smashing into Staravia as he crashed into the ground pinned by the rocks. He was promptly knocked out.
"Staravia is unable to battle, and the winner is Meditite!" Colby said.
"Excellent Meditite!"
"Come on Ash, don't give up! You can do this!" Dawn encouraged along with her Pokémon as they jumped and twirled. Returning his Staravia, he chuckled.
"I seem to have a weakness against psychic type moves." Ash said to himself, remembering Mia. "But, that won't bring me down! Floatzel, I choose you!" The trainer defied as he brought out his water Pokémon. He growled with excitement. "Floatzel, use Swift!" Jumping up into the air, the water type swung his tail around, shooting out many golden stars. Due to his impressive speed, they were able to land against the fighting type, forcing it to withstand the attack. "Finally, a solid hit!"
"Alright Ash, way to go!" Dawn cheered. Maylene growled as she threw a punch.
"Drain Punch!" Once the stars stopped coming, Meditite's fist glowed with green spiraling energy as it flew at Floatzel.
"Counter with Aqua Jet!" Surrounding himself with water, Floatzel shot off like a rocket, heading right towards his opponent. Both collided with great force, pushing to see who would give. "Continue with Crunch!" Using the water to slide past the punch, Floatzel got close and bit down hard on Meditite's head, causing it lots of damage. Meditite cried out in pain before fainting. The Sea Weasel Pokémon released the defeated Pokémon and puffed out his chest with pride.
"Meditite is unable to battle. The winner is Floatzel."
"Awesome, you two! Keep it up!" Dawn continued as Kirlia and Lopunny kept their dance routine up.
"Meditite, thanks for your effort." Maylene said gracefully to her returned Pokémon. Taking out her second Pokeball, she yelled out, "Go, Machoke!" From the sphere came another humanoid Pokémon that looked like a body builder but with grey skin and a reptilian face. "Start things off with Focus Energy!" With a single flex, the fighting Pokemon's muscles tensed and grew visually larger, getting ready for combat. Ash remembered when Roark used the move, knocking out his turtwig and bibarel in the past. With a Machoke, getting in close was a foolish notion. Shaking off his doubt, he told his Pokémon,
"Floatzel, we'll have to rely on range here. He's too strong up close." The water type growled, anticipating the challenge.
"Machoke, use Rock Tomb!" Grey rocks outlined with white energy appeared around the Superpower Pokémon before he launched them at the water type.
"Counter with Water Gun!" The Sea Weasel Pokémon spewed out a torrent of water that stopped the rocks, but both Ash and Floatzel were caught off guard when Machoke leapt over the struggle and prepared to attack.
"Now, use Katate Chop!" Maylene commanded while doing a chop, mimicking the movement of Machoke as he brought down a flat hand down on the Sea Weasel's head, landing a critical blow. Floatzel couldn't even make a noise from how much it hurt.
"Floatzel! Escape with Aqua Jet!" Ash pleaded. Floatzel tried to get away surrounded by water, but Machoke managed to grab his tails, stopping his movement.
"Now, slam him down!" The gym leader brought her hand down like a hammer, which the fighting type just did as he smashed Floatzel into the ground causing it to crack. Floatzel was utterly defeated.
"Floatzel, return!" Ash cried out so that his Pokémon no longer felt pain. "Good job buddy. Sorry this hurt so much." He apologized.
"Oh no." Dawn said all somber while Kirlia and Lopunny stopped dancing in exchange for sympathetic looks.
"Well, there's no denying it. Your Pokémon are incredibly strong. Fitting for a fighting type gym. But, let's see if you can break my ace. Grotle, I choose you!" With his final Pokémon, he summoned his grass starter.
"Grotle!" He roared.
"Grotle, use Razor Leaf!" With the bushes on his back glowing, the Grove Pokémon shot out many leaves aimed right at Machoke. With no way to dodge, he crossed his arms before being assaulted and cut up by the attack. He winced in response.
"Counter with Rock Tomb!" Once the attack ended, Machoke again formed grey rocks and launched them at the grass type, whom endured the onslaught without too much damage.
"Grotle, way to go!" Dawn went right back to cheering, along with her Pokémon shaking their pompoms.
"Grotle, use Mega Drain!" Unlike Absorb, the bushes on the grass starter's back glowed bright green, and shot two beams of said color at the Superpower Pokémon, draining its energy. However, it looked like the damage wasn't that great.
"Quick, use Karate Chop!" To get rid of the attack, Machoke chopped away the beams, stopping the attack. Not done, it ran up to the slow Grove Pokémon, and delivered a mighty chop to the armored head. Grotle stood his ground, but it didn't help that the ground beneath his feet cracked and sunk inward, rending him stuck as he tried to move, but couldn't.
"Counter with Razor Leaf!" Ash pleaded as the grass starter tried to get him to back off, but even though the leaves were greatly damaging the fighting type, it wasn't detered.
"Use Strength!" Grabbing hold of the turtle like Pokémon, Machoke hoisted up Grotle over his head, and fell backwards to slam Grotle onto his back, rendering him immobile. He tried rolling onto his side, but the bushes kept the Grove Pokémon in place.
"Now, finish this with Karate Chop!" Although struggling to get up from such a counter, the Superpower Pokémon managed to get on his feet, and was about to deliver the final blow when Ash shouted.
"Stop, I forfeit!" Machoke stopped just an inch from hitting Grotle's stomach when it heard that. Maylene looked at Ash as he dropped to his knees, sweating profusely and looking really bothered. "I... forfeit."
"Ash the challenger has forfeited the match, so the gym leader Maylene is the winner!" Colby declared. Though the girl wasn't focusing on the fact she won. She noticed that Ash didn't want his Pokémon hurt badly, considering Machoke's strength.
"Ash." Dawn whispered, worried for her friend. Lopunny and Kirlia were silent, not sure what to do. Ash returned his Pokémon, same with Maylene as she walked toward her defeated challenger. Ash looked at his Pokeball that contained his first Pokémon. Although he had to sniff and wipe his eyes, he regained his composure when he noticed the gym leader was right in front of him.
"You really care for your Pokémon, do you?" She asked with empathy.
"I saw how much Floatzel was in pain from that attack. I didn't want the same for my first on his weak spot. You're really strong." He complimented.
"So are you. From the look of Machoke, if your Grotle was just a little bit stronger, he could've been defeated."
"Still, I wouldn't have been a match for your ace. You're really good." Ash insisted. She chuckled.
"Yeah, I'm for some reason the hardest whenever I'm the fourth challenge. Any higher and the challenger has some great counters against my Pokémon, and any lower and my Pokémon don't have the defensive strength to stand up to flying and psychic moves." Maylene admitted. After thinking it over, Ash dropped to his knees and hands, confusing the girl.
"Please, can you help train my Pokémon? You were so in tune with your Pokémon, it was incredible. Please be my sensei?" He requested. Dawn was shocked. Ash never asked for help like this. His spirit must've been really shook for him to be nearly on the point of begging.
"Hmm, normally I wouldn't accept such an offer. It's up to the trainer to train their Pokémon, not the gym leader. But considering how much you seem to care for them, and the fact you're the first to ask me in the way like you did, okay then. Consider me your sensei for the next week." Maylene accepted. Ash breathed a sigh of relief. He was going to get stronger. No matter what.
A/N: I had real fun writing this chapter. I liked how Maylene's Japanese name(Sumomo(Bulbapedia under different names)) partially means plum, so I wanted to incorporate that by making her ethnicity more traditionally Japanese than the rest, and ironically hate plums. I hope I didn't make her and her grandfather stereotypical though. I'd be so embarrassed if any of my readers thought that. What did you think of this chapter? Let me know in the reviews below. Also be sure to read the A/N at the top of the page so that you don't forget to comment on that too.