Chapter 4: Spring Leaf.
Summary: Leaf continues her journey to catch up with Ash, but soon finds herself having trouble battling the first gym leader, will she overcome this first trial.
Leaf and Dawn walked towards the centre of the city looking for the gym, "Ummmm, Dawn are you sure you know where you're going?" Leaf asked the blunette whom was looking around her right hand over her eyes, trying her best to search for the building, "we should be asking for directions," Leaf suggested but her best friend wouldn't listen.
"No need to worry, we will find the gym really soon," Dawn assured her friend.
"This was like when we got lost in Viridian City, she is too proud to admit when she is lost," Leaf whispered, but knew full well that Dawn meant well in this situation, "while you are looking for the gym, tell me why you like Ash as well," Leaf enquired, but Dawn shook her head, "is that too personal?" Leaf asked while looking away from her friend.
"No, I should tell you a little more about my feelings for Ash," Dawn replied calmly as she turned to her friend.
"No you don't have too, I know you really like him," Leaf retorted softly as she walked passed her friend.
"Listen, you need to tell Ash, I am not going to get in your way," Dawn assured her friend but felt really uneasy about Leaf also ending up with Ash, 'he is too kind, I know for a fact that he likes either of us, but he is scared that he might hurt one of us,' Dawn thought to herself while remembering what Ash told her before he left on his journey to Kalos, feeling guilty about having to keep quiet the fact that Ash has never turned them down.
"You're thinking about something Dawn," Leaf acknowledged as she looked back to see a guilt ridden expression on her friend's face.
"No… no need to worry," Dawn replied again with her catchphrase, waving her hands in front of her face.
"No need to worry? Well now I am worried," Leaf answered back, the brunette continued the search for the gym thinking back to when Ash left for his journey, 'he said he was scared of something, he never said what, but I have a feeling that Dawn knows what it is,' Leaf glanced over her left shoulder to see Dawn following her quietly. She looked ahead and spotted a building with a woman with short blonde hair, holding out her camera and talking to someone who seemed like her sister.
"You know Viola, you need to keep the gym running, after all you are the gym leader," the brunette replied with a smirk.
"But since the Kalos League is only a short time away, I can spend some time away from the gym, it isn't like I have any challengers left to face, they are all up to the seventh gym right about now, including your friend Ash Ketchum," the woman known as Viola explained to her sister.
Leaf walked up to the two women and bowed her head, "excuse me, I am here to challenge the gym leader," Leaf announced her intentions to the two older women.
Surprised by the recent challenge Viola turned to the gym, "I thought all the challengers were miles ahead, and yet you are here to challenge me this late in the season," Viola angrily stated.
"Please, there is someone I want to catch up with," Leaf pleaded with the gym leader, she looked at her pokeball and clenched her fists, "I have something I need to prove, even if I cannot make it to the Kalos League in time, I need to show that I have gotten stronger," Leaf continued to talk the gym leader in the battling her.
"Come on little sis, at least give her a chance to battle you," Alexa requested as she stared at the young trainer.
"Alright, since you have something to prove, how about we make this a two on two battle?" Viola submitted to the pressure of her sister and Leaf, "but first tell me, who do you intend to catch up with?" Viola enquired calmly.
"I want to…..no I need to catch up with Ash Ketchum," Leaf replied, thinking about the trainer.
"Alright give me an hour to prepare the gym," Viola instructed the trainer, walking back into her gym.
Dawn glanced over at her friend, "there is one more person you want to prove wrong isn't there?" Dawn asked her friend with a proud smile.
"Yes there is, Misty is a strong trainer, a powerful gym leader," Leaf complied with her blue haired friend, "I want to defeat Misty, prove to her, that I am strong enough to be with Ash, but that isn't all, I want to battle you and May as well," Leaf turned her gaze to the gym building, staring at it with great intensity.
'That is the first time I have seen Leaf so determined, she has grown over the years, but Leaf, I have no intentions of losing to you, not for Ash and not in battle either,' Dawn smiled at her friend, thinking back to the way her friend used to be, 'when she started out at our old school she was always shy, never wanting to stand up for herself, now, she is getting stronger and deciding what she wants to do in life,' Dawn continued to think about her friend's growth as a person.
"I know you too well Dawn, you don't want to let go of your feelings for Ash, but I will not either, apart from Ash, you are the one I respect the most," Leaf admitted her high view of Dawn.
(Anistar City)
Ash, Pikachu, Brock and Shauna waltzed into the city for the next gym challenge, Shauna who grew more nervous, looked at the determined trainer, "so how do you know that those two will catch up with us at the Kalos League?" Shauna asked her crush.
"Well let's see Dawn and Leaf are both determined to achieve something," Ash replied to the younger girl with a smile thinking back to the days they were hanging out with him.
"Um Ash, there is this really nice place in this city, I was hoping you would….ummmmmm, come with me to see it," Shauna requested, hoping that Ash would respond in a positive manner.
"Shauna I am sorry, but I cannot reciprocate your feelings for me," Ash replied with a guilty expression.
Shauna stepped back with a shocked expression, she turned towards the place of her choice, Brock watched his traveling companion running away from Ash, saddened by being shot down by Ash, "wow Ash, that is the second time I have seen you turn down a girl, the first being Misty of course," Brock pointed out with a frown.
"Yeah, it isn't something I am totally proud of, but it will be more difficult concerning Leaf and Dawn, I admit, I really like those two, tell me Brock why is it so difficult to choose between them," Ash commented with his fists clenched in anger, anger directed at himself.
"Before I answer that, you might want to talk to Shauna," Brock suggested to his best friend.
Ash walked towards the large crystal, thinking about what to say to the much younger girl. Ash spotted Shauna who was visibly upset, walking up to her, "you know, Shauna, you're a sweet girl, I am certain whoever you end up with will be the luckiest guy ever," Ash informed the brunette.
"But it hurts so much, the person I really like, growing feelings for the man that turned me down," Shauna looked up to the crystal, "I admire everything about you, you even helped me find a goal in life, to become a strong trainer," Shauna admitted to Ash.
"Again Shauna, you really are a sweet girl," Ash hugged his friend.
"So for you Ash, who do you like?" Shauna asked while embracing Ash. Ash quickly pulled out his pictures and showed them to Shauna, the brunette looked at the pictures amazed at the appearance of the two girls in them, "wow they are really pretty," Shauna complimented the two girls in the picture.
Ash smiled for a moment, "it took courage for you to ask me out, but that is something I lack, those two are important to me and yet, I am really scared that I will hurt them," Ash confessed as he looked at the pictures that Shauna was holding, "they are the first two, you are the third, to like, even love me for who I am," Ash commented while Shauna looked at Ash with a smile, wiping away her own tears.
"You know something Ash, even though it will take time for me to recover from being turned down, I admire you even more," Shauna professed her admiration for Ash, she stood up and walked over to the crystal, "by the way Ash, those two girls seem really happy with you around," Shauna pointed out with a proud smile.
"You know something, you would get along really well with those two," Ash pointed out while looking at the picture of the two girls, Ash stood up and walked back to the city, "Shauna stay true to who you are," Ash instructed the brunette with pride in his friend, walking off leaving his friend smiling at his words.
Shauna watched her friend leaving the scene, "even though I was turned down, it is a great lesson for me," Shauna whispered to herself, she stared at the jewel and nodded, 'he will be battling the seventh gym, but knowing him, he is going to let them catch up while he takes his sweet time,' Shauna quietly stared out into the distance.
Shauna walked back into the city centre and noticed the snow starting to fall around her, seeing Ash talking to her other friend, "you know Brock, we should have another break, those two still need to catch up and I have plenty of time to get the last two badges," Ash told his best friend, looking back to see the brunette approaching them.
"I am still going to travel with you, I want to meet those two," Shauna decided on her next cause of action, she followed her two friends towards the Pokemon Centre as the snow started to get heavier.
(Santelune City)
Leaf stood ready to battle the gym leader, holding her pokeball and feeling nervous at the same time, this was her first time battling a gym leader, taking a deep breath the brown haired challenger threw out her red and white device calling out her first pokemon, "Starly, let's go."
Viola pulled out her first pokeball and glanced at the brunette, "this will be a two on two battle," Viola informed the female challenger, "Masquerain, it's showtime," Viola called for her first pokemon, the pokemon with a small blue body with slightly larger eyeball like wings hovered at the ready to battle Leaf's first pokemon.
Leaf gulped at the strong bug type pokemon, again taking a deep breathe she looked at her flying type pokemon, 'knowing Ash, he would wait for the gym leader to make the first move,' Leaf thought to herself as she waited for the first move of the battle, the two trainer's stared at one another with Dawn looking on with her Piplup in her arms.
"Come on Leaf, you can do it!" Dawn cheered her friend on with great excitement in seeing her first gym battling in a few years.
"Masquerain, attack now with Ice Beam," Viola opened the battle with her first command.
Leaf watched her opponent's pokemon charge up its attack, she waited for the opponent's pokemon to fire the icy beam at her pokemon, "alright evade now with Double Team," Leaf called to her pokemon to make the evasive attack, as the icy attack approached her pokemon, the starling pokemon split into multiple copies of itself easily dodging the attack, "now use Aerial Ace," Leaf ordered her pokemon to make the counter attack.
"Oh no you don't, counter with Silver Wind," the gym leader ordered her pokemon to attack again. But as the gym leader's pokemon unleashed a powerful attack the flying type pokemon's images flew through the attack surprising her, she looked around to see that there wasn't another Starly around, but as she was about to call for the next attack, her pokemon was hit from the right side dealing a moderate amount of damage to her pokemon.
"I am only getting warmed up," Leaf informed the gym leader with a confident smirk, her pokemon hovered in front of her ready to take the next command from its trainer.
"Amazing, I didn't know Leaf was that good, she must have been watching Ash from a distance," Dawn whispered to her pokemon, watching her friend calling for another powerful attack, but this time with a bit more flair in the attack, "wow, did she even watch the contests as well?" Dawn asked herself with a shocked expression as the gym leader looked on in confusion.
"Where did you learn this from?" Viola asked her opponent as her pokemon was being hit from all directions.
"Simple, I learned from everything, I didn't just get everything I learned from Ash, but I had the chance to watch all my friends in Pokemon Contests," Leaf admitted to the gym leader her lessons from the past, Masquerain was being pushed back by the strength of the flying type pokemon, but as the first lot of attacks stopped Starly started glowing brightly, the wing span grew and the body grew along with it, "about time, isn't it Staravia," Leaf nodded at her pokemon.
"When did she capture her Staravia?" Dawn asked herself with her left hand over her chin.
"I have visited every region and caught pokemon from them all, this was the first pokemon I ever caught," Leaf answered the gym leader and her best friend.
"So Leaf caught pokemon from each region, so she did travel a little, but on her own," Dawn thought out loud as her friend's Staravia appeared suddenly from the evolution. Dawn looked at the more powerful flying type pokemon and started to smile at her friend, "most of her pokemon must be close to evolving as well," Dawn stated.
"Well this is going to be interesting," Viola complimented her challenger, her pokemon flew back towards the battlefield with the next command it was awaiting for, "no need to wait, use Air Slash!" Viola yelled out her command.
"Staravia, evade the attack with Double Team, then use Brave Bird," Leaf commanded her pokemon to evade and charge in with the reckless tack, "you know something, the special ability of my Staravia is Reckless, increasing the power of all recoil attacks," Leaf informed the gym leader, the flying type started to glow a bright blue as it rushed through blades of air, dodging each one with the greatest of ease, until the starling pokemon crashed into the opposing pokemon sending it crashing into the ground and knocking it out at the same time.
Viola gasped in shock at the first defeat of her pokemon in the battle, "no way, her pokemon is really strong," Viola recalled her first pokemon from the battle, and prepared to call out her second pokemon. Throwing out her second pokeball, "Vivillon, it's your turn," Viola called out a butterfly pokemon with pink wings, hovering in the air in front of the flying type pokemon.
"As long as Leaf doesn't get overconfident, she can win this hear," Dawn whispered to herself as she watched Leaf's pokemon panting after the recoil of the Brave Bird attack.
"Staravia, use Aerial Ace," Leaf called for her pokemon to attack.
Smiling at the command that her opponent called out, "Use Psychic to stop Staravia," Viola quickly reacted with her command, the eyes of her Vivillon started to glow, creating an aura around the opposing pokemon.
"Staravia, break free now!" Leaf yelled out her instruction, but her pokemon was too damaged to break out of the psychic attack.
"It's no use, throw Staravia into the air, then use Hurricane," Viola instructed her pokemon, using the psychic attack the bug type pokemon, flapping the powerful wings creating a powerful vortex of wind catching the challenger's pokemon and throwing it back into the air, dealing immense damage to Staravia.
"Staravia, try to use Double Team!" Leaf barked out her next command, but it was no use the powerful vortex dissipated and her pokemon fell to the ground after the devastating attack, knocked out of the battle against the gym leader's pokemon. Leaf recalled her fallen pokemon, and prepared to call out her second partner for the next stage of the battle against the Kalos gym leader.
"Come on Leaf, don't give up," Dawn continued to cheer her friend on in the battle.
Leaf grabbed another of her pokeballs, thinking back to the time she travelled to another region, "Elekid, it is your turn," Leaf called for a small electric type pokemon with two prongs protruding from its head and two powerful arms.
Viola looked gazed at the powerful electric type pokemon, knowing that she had an uphill battle against the challenger, "start things off with Psychic," Viola started the final round of the battle against Leaf. Viola watched her pokemon starting another attack this time directed at the opposing electric type pokemon
"No way, Elekid attack with Discharge," Leaf announced the first attack of the round. The yellow and black pokemon swung its arms around, unleashing a powerful burst of electricity, while the burst of electricity rushed towards the butterfly like pokemon, the electricity held off the psychic type attack much to the surprise of the gym leader and the watching coordinator and her Piplup.
"Amazing, her Elekid is rather strong," Viola gasped in amazement, with a stray bolt crashed into her pokemon, "Vivillon!" Viola called out to her pokemon, in shock as her pokemon started to struggle in keeping its flight pattern, "Vivillon, use Solar Beam," Viola ordered her pokemon to make the counter attack.
"I don't think so, use Rain Dance," Leaf told her pokemon, the electric pokemon started glowing as rain started to fall inside the building.
"Leaf, you idiot, my hair is going to be a mess!" Dawn berated her friend.
"Sorry Dawn, didn't think about that," Leaf retorted with a cheeky grin, the brunette refocused on the battle and watched as the opposing pokemon unleashed a powerful beam, "evade the beam by aiming a Thunder Punch at the ground," Leaf commanded her pokemon to evade the attack. With the beam getting closer the electric pokemon punched the ground with a thunderous fist and forcing the thunder type into the air.
"Use Hurricane now!" Viola ordered her pokemon to attack.
"Too late, Elekid attack now with Thunder," Leaf called for the final attack of the battle, a vicious blast of lightning emanated from the thunder type pokemon, on a collision course with the opposing pokemon while flapping its wings, but as the vortex started to form the bug type was hit with the powerful electric type attack, knocking it out of the battle.
Viola gulped in surprise with the power of Leaf's pokemon, which landed in front of the Kanot native. "I lost, I underestimated her," Viola whispered as she recalled her fainted pokemon from the battle.
"I won," Leaf repeated over and over again, unable to believe her first victory against the gym leader, "I won!" Leaf's excitement burst out with even greater joy.
Dawn started wringing out her hair, which was still wet from the Rain Dance move that Leaf called her pokemon to do, she approached her friend with a frown, "you know Leaf, the next time you do that, I might get myself an umbrella," Dawn reminded her friend with a smirk.
"Sorry about that Dawn," Leaf retorted as the two friends started laughing at the situation.
Viola walked up to Leaf with the badge in her right hand, "here this badge belongs to you," Viola presented Leaf with her first badge, "you I underestimated you, you aren't a bad trainer," Viola admitted to the victorious trainer.
"Thnaks Viola," Leaf thanked the gym leader proudly as she quietly took her first badge. Leaf looked at her badge fondly and started thinking about the trainer she was chasing, 'Ash, I have made my first step, you better watch yourself, because I will be getting the seven badges and battling you at the Kalos League,' Leaf thought as she turned her attention to Elekid who helped her win the battle against the first gym leader.
"So where to next?" Dawn asked the brunette and the gym leader.
"Well there are two choices, the first is Lumiose City Gym or the Cyllage City Gym," Viola informed the two girls calmly. She watched Leaf recall her pokemon and extending her hand out to the gym leader, "again well done," Viola complimented the trainer shaking her hand at the same time.
"Thanks, I think I will tackle the Cyllage City Gym next," Leaf expressed her desire to battle again, she turned to Dawn who was brushing her hair after the battle, "come on Dawn, we still have a way to go, we still need get going," Leaf informed her best friend, rushing out of the gym with her friend close behind.
Alexa walked up to her younger sister and smiled at her, "she isn't a bad trainer either, wonder if she will catch up with Ash," Alexa wondered out loud as her younger sister walked towards the exit of the gym.
"Yeah, I think she will, she won't beat him in the Kalos League, but I can tell she has feelings for him," Viola told her older sister happily, immediately knowing that the younger trainer was going to rush through the region to complete her journey.
(Anistar City)
Ash sat in the Pokemon Centre with a plate full of food in front of him, grabbing his fork he started gorging down on the food, "next up the sushi," Ash grabbed a roll wrapped in seaweed and shoved it into his mouth, with his friends watching from a safe distance.
Shauna with her mouth agape couldn't believe he was eating this much, "um Brock, where does Ash put it all?" Shauna asked her friend, still watching the display of eating in shock.
"Who knows," Brock retorted, shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head. The two continued to watch the trainer innocently eating the next plate of food, "he has been like this since we first travelled together with a girl by the name of Misty," Brock explained to the brunette with a proud smirk.
"Misty?" Shauna asked curiously.
"Yeah that was the first girl we travelled with, Ash turned her down, must say, you took it better than Misty did," Brock answered the younger girls curiosity.
"Really so Ash has a long history with girls," Shauna started to giggle for a moment, 'it seems like I was in over my head on this one,' Shauna started to admit to herself about the uphill battle she now started to feel like she had no chance in winning in.
"Yeah, only two girls have remained in love with him, it just so happens to be the two girls who are travelling together, Leaf and Dawn," Brock informed the starting trainer with a chuckle, turning to see Ash eating another plate of food, "May, a young girl from Hoenn, was the first to let go of her feelings for Ash, it took her three years, but she eventually found someone else," Brock explained their history together.
"Where did it all start?" Shauna asked the Pewter native.
"It started long ago, Ash has always been popular, but he hated the idea of social status so he went against the trends and befriended someone who wasn't anywhere near as rich of popular as someone like Misty," Brock explained the start of the story to Shauna who glanced over to Ash, cracking a smile at the young man she continued to hold some affection for, "there are three, one simply won't let go, but the other two have a friendly rivalry, yet they hold an amazing amount of respect for one another, those two actually genuinely love Ash for who he is," Brock continued the story of Ash and the past girls that he had encountered.
"I see, so Leaf and Dawn are the ones that love him, yet they respect each other enough to accept Ash's choice right?" Shauna asked her traveling companion.
"Yeah, that's right, they aren't going to force themselves onto Ash, it wasn't like Misty all those years ago," Brock looked over to Ash who was slowing down on the amount he was eating.
"Wow, Misty must be a real monster," Shauna stated with a shocked expression.
"Far from it, Misty tried to force herself on Ash, but in reality she is a really nice person, she just has a temper issue, I certainly hope she has grown out of it," Brock started to remember the times Misty pulled him by the ear away from the other girls he would flirt with.
Ash stretched his arms out and let out a loud yawn, "alright guys, time to explore this city, then tomorrow I will challenge the gym leader," Ash suggested as he walked away from the table which was now a mess, his Pikachu leapt onto his trainer's shoulder as he started walking out of the medical facility and back into the streets of the city.
Here it is guys, hope you enjoyed it, Leaf and Dawn continue on towards the next gym, with Ash taking on the seventh gym of the region.
Next up chapter 5: Chateau Showdown
There will be three endings to this story, the first is the true ending, while there will be two alternate endings, will not state too much now, so please continue to enjoy this story.