Chapter 4-
The next morning Tierno woke up to the sight of Ash jogging with his Pokémon. He noticed after doing some more looking around that both Fletchling and Pidgeot were flying in one place with weights on their wings.
Ash noticed Tierno awake and jogged over to him gesturing for Sceptile to lead the job on further. "How did you sleep?"
"Fine Ash, when did you get up?"
"About an hour ago, breakfast is over there." Ash said pointing to where the pot was cooking over a fire, "I hope you like porridge."
Tierno nodded and Ash returned to his Pokémon. Tierno then turned round and woke everyone else up.
By the time they'd started eating; Ash had already started work on moves and endurance. He paired Ralts and Pikachu up, as well as pairing up Fletchling and Pidgeot. He paired Froakie with Sceptile to work on speed and agility, as well as using low powered moves more effectively. Primeape was sparring with Gabite, trading rock smashes for punches and kicks, while Snivy and Totodile were also duelling. Ash himself was overseeing this while Pikachu made sure that no-one was hurt, occasionally helping out Froakie and while teaching Ralts thunder wave to eventually become thunderbolt.
The four friends watched this while eating, "He doesn't take things easy does he?" Trevor said.
"His Pokémon wouldn't be as strong as they are if he did." Shauna commented.
Serena shook her head, "Apparently he only started training, as he put it 'properly', in the Ventress league. He gave himself a bit of a kick up the backside and he and his Pokémon have grown in leaps and bounds since."
"If that is the case, then imagine what he would be like if he'd always trained like this." Tierno added.
Line Break
It took less than half the day for the five of them to reach Santalune city.
"So Ash, what are you going to do for the gym?" Trevor asked.
"That would be telling. Anyway the first thing I'm doing is going to the Pokémon centre." With that, he set off in the direction of the red topped building.
The others followed him. When they caught up to him he had already called up Professor Oak.
"Professor, could I please give you, Snivy, Totodile, Gabite and Primeape." Ash said.
"Of course my boy. Who do you want in return?"
"Larvitar, Oshowott, Crawdaunt and Donphan."
While the Pokéballs were sent over, Trevor asked, "How many Pokémon do you have Ash?"
"50 different Pokémon, but I have 30 Tauros so actually I have 69 Pokémon."
"Wow the professor must have his hands full."
"One of my best friends and rivals, the professor's grandson has over two hundred Pokémon. I think there are nearly five hundred Pokémon on the ranch either wild or from one of the professor's trainers." He said. "He copes well but I think his grandson, Gary is waiting in the wings to take over if necessary." Ash added almost as an afterthought.
"So are you going for the gym now then," Serena asked.
"Yeah, she'd better watch out."
"I heard that Viola was pretty good," Tierno warned him.
"She's one of the weaker gym leaders in Kalos but is still pretty good." Trevor added.
"Well she'd better be ready for me." Ash said.
Ash knocked on the door of the gym and then entered, "I am here to defeat the Santalune Gym leader." Ash yelled.
A door opened and Ash and his friends walked through the door to an open field with a woman at one end, waiting for them.
"Hello, my name is Viola, and I am the Santalune gym leader. I command the picture perfect bug types."
"Then I challenge you to a gym battle,"
She smiled, She recognised the kid, he was meant to be good but it was most likely just hype. "Then I accept your challenge."
As she said this, a man in a bug catcher outfit stepped forward to act as a referee.
"This will be a two on two match between Viola and Ash! Ash the challenger will be allowed to exchange Pokémon." The referee looked at the two competitors, "Are you ready." Both Ash and Viola nodded. "Then begin."
"Come on out Surskit."
"Go Froakie."
"Surskit use ice beam."
"Froakie dodge." As Froakie shot into the air above the ice beam Ash yelled, "Now use quick attack."
Froakie shot towards the small bug and Viola yelled, "Use Protect."
Froakie crashed into the shield and fell backwards to land on his feet.
"Surskit use ice beam again."
Froakie continued to dodge the beams of ice. Ash noticed what Viola was doing and shouted, "Froakie use bubble."
As the field froze over from the constant barrage of ice beams bubbles started to flood towards Surskit from all sides as Froakie used its training with Sceptile to good use. Viola looked in shock as Froakie easily glided over the ice surrounding Surskit with bubbles causing constant small amounts of damage.
She was snapped out of her shock when Surskit's legs gave out. "Come on Surskit, hold on!"
"Now Froakie, finish this with pound." Froakie shot forward using pound reinforced with quick attack.
"Surskit use Protect." The green barrier flickered into existence, only to be smashed through by Froakie.
"Surskit is unable to battle, Froakie is the winner."
Viola frowned, Froakie had taken very little damage, 'Maybe, just maybe' she thought, 'this kid was as good as he was hyped up to be.'
"Good job Surskit." Viola said while recalling her unconscious Pokémon.
"Thanks Froakie, return as well."
"Go Vivillion."
"Come on out Fletchling."
"Vivillion lead this off with a picture perfect gust."
"Fletchling ride the wind."
The gust shot forward only for Fletchling to ride the wind up into the air.
"Vivillion use Psychic to bring it back down."
Fletchling was thrown to the floor taking heavy damage.
"Fletchling get up and use peck." Fletchling rose from the ground and flew towards the flying bug.
"Vivillion use psychic to stop it."
"Push through with quick attack Fletchling."
The little bird sped up even more but inches from the bug was stopped and engulfed in green light.
"Throw it." Fletchling flew backwards into a tree on the edge of the battle field.
The little bird slowly got up.
"Vivillion use… huh."
Fletchling was engulfed in a white light, it grew out and up. "Fletchinder." The now evolved Pokémon proclaimed.
Ash brought out his Pokédex to examine the new Pokémon.
Ash smiled, "Fletchinder use double team."
"Vivillion, put it to sleep with sleep powder."
"Fletchinder use flame charge."
All of the copies shot forward and the real one burst into flames burning up the powder. It smashed into the bug Pokémon and sent it flying down to the ground.
"Now use razor wind." The remaining sleep powder was thrown into the injured Pokémon putting it to sleep.
"Return Vivillion," Turning to Ash, Viola said, "there's no point going on, that was a great battle."
"Yeah thanks Viola."
"Hey kid, hold it right there, you may have beaten my sister but there is no way that you'll beat me."
Out from the doorway came a woman with a red and black top, "My name is Alexa and I challenge you, Ash Ketchum to a battle."
Without waiting for a response she took her sisters place and yelled "go Gogoat."
Ash shrugged, "Come on out, Larvitar."
"Gogoat, horn leach,"
Ash shook his head, "Larvitar catch it then use bite,"
Larvitar stopped the horn leach in its tracks and landed a heavy bite.
Alexa looked in shock as her Pokémon was stopped dead,
"Now use thrash to throw it back."
The goat Pokémon was thrown back and hit the ground hard, taking heavy damage.
"Now finish with rock slide."
The goat Pokémon was utterly flattened and when the smoke cleared, it was knocked out.
Larvitar gave out a cry of triumph and started to evolve. The small rock Pokémon started to grow and its arms and legs were enveloped by its body. When the light vanished a cocoon like Pokémon had replaced Larvitar.
Ash smiled and said, "Are you going to use your next Pokémon."
In the stands, Tierno said, "Ash gave Viola a good beating but using his older Pokémon is utterly overwhelming. Alexa is a strong trainer and is being utterly destroyed.
"Go Noivern."
"Return Pupitar, come on out Pidgeot."
The dragon backed away from the huge bird Pokémon that Ash sent out.
"Noivern use dragon pulse."
"Pidgeot use Twister."
The dragon pulse was sucked into the tornado and the whole thing collided with the dragon Pokémon landing huge super effective damage.
"Now use Hurricane."
Ash didn't bother to look, he knew that Pidgeot, being one of his toughest Pokémon was utterly overwhelming to almost any Pokémon.
These two were his third and fifth strongest Pokémon on his team, with one and two obviously being Sceptile and Pikachu. Donphan was just stronger than Pupitar but Pupitar was easily becoming one of his strongest. Ash could not wait for it to reach its dream of becoming a Tyranitar. The little rock Pokémon had been more than happy to see Ash again a few months ago. It was about to leave home after being trained to survive by its mother. Pupitar happily joined Ash, when he was offered a place on his team.
Ash walked over to the shell shocked Alexa, "Thanks for the battle Alexa, this was a nice time to bond with my stronger Pokémon." He turned to Viola, and said, "Could I please have my badge, my friends and I are on a bit of a schedule."
Viola nodded, "Of course, thank you for the battle Ash," She said while reaching into her pocket to pull out the badge.
Line Break
The five friends walked over a ridge on route 1, below them was Vaniville Town, where four of them lived.
On the path waiting for them were their parents. "Hey mum!" Serena yelled.
Her mum waved and Serena waved back, Tierno, Trevor and Shauna walked over to their parents. Judging by the use of their new Pokémon they were talking about their journeys.
Ash smiled, this was how Brock must have felt whenever I returned home with him.
Serena was frantically telling her mum all about what had happened, so far on her journey, going into great detail about Ash's 'extraordinary' Pokémon battles.
Fennekin was released from her Pokéball and Serena continued to talk. Fennekin, angry at being ignored by her own master blew an ember at Serena.
Ash burst into laughter while Serena's mum Grace did a great job of not laughing.
When she had calmed Serena down a little she made her way over to Ash.
"Thank you for agreeing to help my daughter out on her journey Ash."
"No problem Grace, it's the least I could do to emulate what you did for my mother." Ash looked at Serena who was currently playing with her Fennekin, "She's great to have around and doing a journey on your own is far less fun than as a group. She also knows Kalos much better than me
as well which is great."
"Well thank you anyway, you seem to have made an impact on all four of them."
Ash shrugged his shoulders, "I just had a few battles here and there," he sighed, "I would have liked to have an experienced trainer to help me out when I first started so I am just helping them out. Anyway I expect Shauna, Trevor and Tierno are going to want to do their own thing."
Shauna ran over to the two of them, "Hey Ash my brother wants to meet you."
She led Ash to her house and opened the door. Ash walked in.
"No way."
A/N Yeah cliff hanger.
This was a good chapter to write. I am not great at writing battles but I think I did alright. The point of this story is to have an Ash that is a bit OP, on a normal journey so he will seem a little too OP at the moment.
The main plot will be starting up soon so the chapters coming up may take longer to write as I will be trying to add more in. thanks again to my beta Mangobeany
Thanks for reading.
This is HCS signing off.