CHAPTER 31: Celadon City Gym!

I wake up early, way earlier than i normally do.

I look over to where Ace is sleeping soundly, snoring quietly.

Yesterday, Ace had evolved in the courtyard. The doctors had to go back into his wing and add even MORE metal, to make up for the sudden change in bone structure, making his wing heavier than before. It is currently wrapped against him with bandages, leaving his other wing out for balance.

I gently step off of the bed, and carefully make my way out the door, and down to the courtyard, where I let my birds out to stretch and wake up. Plopping myself down on a nearby bench, I think.

Today, my plan is to take Ace with me while i challenge the gym. He may not be able to battle, but he IS a fundamental part of my team, and I still want him there to watch. Erika... she's a grass leader, Gardenia mentioned that, so my flying types will breeze through, pun intended.

I'm thinking these and many others, when Misty comes out, and sits beside me.

"Morning."

"Morning."

"Say, Misty, where did Ash go?" I ask, remembering that he had been there in the Team Rocket hideout.

"He went to stay with his mom for a while. He beat the gym before he went, so he wouldn't be behind."

"He's already beaten Erika?" My eyebrows go up in surprise.

"Yep, beat her the day before last." She laughs at my shocked expression.

"Good for him! Jealous!" I smile, hugging Misty on the side,

"So, when are you planning on challenging?" She asks, turning to face me.

I mull over my plan, and decide ultimately to let her know.

"Today. In a few hours." Her eyes go wide.

"Serena-"

"I'm taking Ace to, so he can watch."

Misty nods.

"I'll help." My eyes go wide, but i nod.

I head back to my room to change, and meet up with Misty out front, Ace waddling behind me.

"Ready?" I nod, and we make our way to the gym.

Celadon City's Gym is a grass type gym, but the inside is like something out of a gardeners dreams.

The floor is a beautiful brick path, which leads into rows upon rows of trellis', all containing hundreds of thousands of flowers, in every hue imaginable. There are Gym trainers watering, snipping, and maintaining the plants all around, and they wave at us as we enter. The roof is a large sky-light, and the morning sun shines down making everything look magnificent, and surreal.

"Oh, wow..." Misty gasps, watching a beautiful grass type pokemon float aimlessly by, chattering happily.

"Hoppip! Hop..." It kisses Misty's cheek before floating away again, to join a small group above us.

"Welcome to the Celadon City Gym! Our leader here in Celadon is none other than the beautiful girl in a kimono herself, Erika!" The gym guide smiles brightly, and we wave to him.

"They are always so cheery in the morning!" Misty laughs as we make our way in.

One of the gym trainers approaches from a row of flowered trellis'.

"Hi!" Misty smiles and waves, and the older lady laughs and waves back.

"Hello dears! Are you two here to challenge the gym? Or walk the gardens?" She asks sweetly, but I notice a little glint in her eye when she mentions the gym.

"My friend Serena here is looking to challenge!" Misty smiles, and the lady nods.

"Well, lets go then." She leads us to a small battlefield, that is tucked off to the side.

We take our spots, and release our pokemon.

"Go, Gloom!"

"Beatrice, your time to shine!"

A referee, a young boy, walks up, explains the rules, and flags for me to start.

"Beatrice, use Attack Order!"

"Gloom, Toxic!"

A wave of bee minions soars towards the small grass type, pushing it against a wall, but through the midst of the attack, a wave of purple sludge flies out, catching Bea by the wing and taking her down.

"Beatrice, Heal Order!"

"Gloom, Venoshock!"

Beatrice surrounds herself with a coating of healing minions, which start the process of healing her wing, when a wave of purple energy spikes out of the ground underneath Beatrice, throwing her into the air.

The air!

"Beatrice, use Air Slash!"

From her vantage point in the air, Beatrice sends a devastating attack of lethal wind currents at the pokemon, cutting it up pretty badly, and rendering it unconscious.

"Gloom!" The lady runs out, as I do to heal Bea.

I spray her with a Potion and an Antidote, and shes back to normal.

"Good battle, hun!" The older lady looks at me with a look of... respect? Acceptance?

I smile and shake her hand, then gesture for Ace and Misty to follow me as me and Bea head on.

We take on another lady, this time with a pokemon called... Weepinbell... before we come upon the most interesting battle yet.

"I'm Jo!"

"I'm Zoe!"

"And we are twins!" The two identical girls finish in unison.

"I'm Misty!"

"And I'm Serena!"

"And we are NOT twins!" We finish in unison, and the two little girls giggle.

"This will be a double battle, so be ready!" Zoe laughs, and we head over to another battlefield, and release our pokemon.

"Victreebel, go!" Zoe sends out a large yellow pokemon, that instantly reminds me of that Weepinbell i battled earlier. It has a leaf covering it's open mouth, which rests above it's eyes, on the top of it's head.

"Vileplume, your turn!" Again, this pokemon reminds me of a pokemon i fought not to long ago, Gloom. It has a small, purple body, with five huge flower petals resting atop its head, emerging from a volcano looking opening in the middle of its head.

"Belle and Bane, lets go!"

"Challenger goes first! Begin!"

"Both of you, Hypnosis!"

"Poison Powder!"

"Vine Whip!"

Bane and Belle fly into action, sending multiple waves of psychosis themed energy at the two grass types. The large Weepinbell pokemon sends multiple vine tendrils at Belle, who manages to get her claw stuck on one of them. The Vileplume sends a heavy mist of purple powder at the now captured Belle, and poisons her, before the Hypnosis kicks in, sending it into a deep sleep. The other wave of energy just misses Victreebel.

"Bane, use Nightmare! Belle, get out of there with-" I dont have time to finish my sentence, when Belle jumps into action.

Bane flies over to the now-asleep Vileplume, and mentally assaults the sleeping pokemon while he stands over it.

Belle, who has now been fully tied up with the vines emerging from Victreebel's mouth, opens her beak, and proceeds to send a blast of pink energy straight into the grass pokemons face, sending it flying back, having let go of the bird. It lands, bounces a few times, and doesn't get up.

"What was that?" I ask, and Misty shakes her head.

"No idea, but it worked!"

"Belle, help Bane out with a Dream Eater!" Vileplume swiftly succumbs to the power of both of the Noctowls, and is soon unconscious.

"That was a VERY well placed Moon Blast!" Jo laughs as they approach.

"Is THAT what that was?" I ask, and they laugh again, nodding.

We shake hands, and head on our way, right after I stop to heal Belle.

"Next round, we use Sleep Eater and HypnoZen, okay guys?" They nod, smirking.

I have been working on move combo's with all of my pokemon for weeks now, and I can't wait to use one in a gym battle.

We continue on our way through the trellis', until we reach the end platform.

There is a beautiful woman, wearing a gorgeous yellow kimono with a red sash around the middle. Her jet black hair is tied behind her with what looks to be a strip of cloth, and she's wearing wooden sandals.

"It is an honor to meet you, Serena. It is such a pleasure to see you again, Misty!" She bow's as we approach, so we bow back.

"Miss Erika! How's it going?" Misty asks.

I always forget that Misty is a gym leader.

Erika leads us to a small sitting area, that sits above the gym, giving us a gorgeous view of all of the flowers in the sunlight.

"Oh, wow..." I gasp, and Erika hides a smile behind her hand.

"I pride myself on the work of my trainers. They work tirelessly, dawn to dusk, to keep this gym looking the best it can." She smiles.

"So, what is this?" I ask, gesturing to the sitting area.

"Oh! I apologize, I must have forgotten to explain!" She bows quickly before continuing, "As part of my gym challenge, I believe that my challengers are here not only to battle, but to enjoy the overall experience. So, I like to sit and enjoy a few minutes with them, just talking and getting to know them. For instance, I noticed when you first came in that your friend-" She gestures to Ace, "-seems to be recovering from an injury, yet you still brought them. Why is that?"

So that's how our hour long conversation started, Erika mentioning Ace. We chat until the sun is well above us, before we start talking battles.

"How do you run your gym battles?" I ask, and she nods.

"I only carry three pokemon, so I generally like to stick to single battles, but I am not opposed to a double or triple battle." My eyes go wide.

"A... a triple battle?" I ask, and she nods.

"Six pokemon on the field at once, can be confusing to say the least."

"Let's do that!" I smile, and she nods, smiling back.

"Let us- Oh! Another challenger has entered!" Smiling, she points to the door, where, in the distance, I can see Hilary, Brock, Gardenia, and Candice, who notice us and wave.

"You know these challengers?"

"Thats my sister, there in the purple. Brock is the orange vest, Gardenia, whom, you've already met, is over in the green, and Candice is the ice type gym leader for Sinnoh, and thats her in the blue." She nods.

"Well, let us battle while they make their way to us!" And with that, she whisks away to the battling platform we first entered, almost floating to her spot.

"She is so beautiful, and graceful!" I gasp, watching as she turns in her spot in a flourish of yellow.

"Right? Brock has the biggest crush on her." Misty giggles, and I laugh.

Erika sends out a Victreebel, a blue pokemon that floats around, and vaguely reminds me of the pokemon we saw when we first entered, and a small pokemon wearing two flowers upon its head and what looks to be a hula skirt.

"Bellosom!"

"Jump! Jumpluff!"

I nod, gesturing to Belle and Bane, and releasing Mambo.

"Orico!" Mambo chirps, taking a cheer stance.

A ref enters, and signals to the battlefield.

"Play fair, Challenger goes first! BEGIN!"