Disclaimer: I do not own any part of this story. All rights go to Nintendo for use of their characters, etc.
Chapter 4: Mistralton Mischief
"Pikachu, Quick Attack! Go!" Ash shouted. The Mouse Pokémon complied, slamming into the snout of his sunglasses-wearing opponent.
The group had finally reached Mistralton City, only to be ambushed by the sunglasses-wearing Krokorok that had long since established itself as Pikachu's rival. The group explained this to May, who was amazed that a Pokémon could be so persistent in targeting someone.
Recovering from the Quick Attack, Krokorok retaliated with a Stone Edge attack.
"Dodge it!" Ash commanded.
Pikachu dodged the attack easily enough, only to find himself trapped in a circle formed by the stones. Quick to capitalize on his momentary advantage, Krokorok used Dig to tunnel underground and headed for Pikachu.
"Careful, Pikachu! Watch for when he surfaces!" Ash cautioned.
Despite Pikachu's vigilance, the Desert Croc Pokémon was able to take him by surprise as it surfaced behind the Electric-Type and struck him with its tail, sending Pikachu flying. Fortunately, Pikachu regained his composure and was no longer trapped by the stone circle.
"Kroko-ROK!" the opposing Pokémon roared, charging towards Pikachu again.
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt! Aim for the ground in front of it!" Ash ordered. Pikachu obeyed, creating a small hole in front of Krokorok which caused it to trip and faceplant.
"That was a clever move," commented Iris.
"Well, it's good to see Ash has gotten a little less predictable since our first adventure," replied May. Although she loved Ash passionately, even May had to admit that he wasn't the most complex guy around.
Executing another Quick Attack, Pikachu slammed into Krokorok with enough force to send its sunglasses flying off of its face. This left Krokorok open as it fumbled around, searching for its glasses.
"Quick, now's your chance, Ash!" Cilan shouted, urging Ash to take advantage of the situation.
"No," Ash replied, refusing to attack. "That would be a cheap shot. Pikachu and Krokorok need to settle this score, fair and square."
Krokorok finally recovered its glasses and, putting them back on, whipped around and prepared to use Crunch as it came barreling towards Pikachu.
"Pikachu, Iron Tail! Now!" Ash shouted.
Pikachu charged forward before using Iron Tail with all of his strength as the two Pokémon collided head-on. Both Pokémon were left standing for a moment, until Krokorok crumpled to the ground in defeat.
Behind them, the group cheered for Ash and Pikachu as it appeared the yellow Electric-Type had finally bested his rival.
"Nice going, Ash!" Cilan cheered.
"You too, Pikachu! Way to go!" May added.
"Ma-na!" Manaphy agreed, jumping down from May's shoulder to congratulate his Electric-Type comrade.
Meanwhile, Ash approached Krokorok as it recovered, checking to see if it was alright. As he did so, Krokorok turned away and began to slink off dejectedly with its head hung in shame as it couldn't believe how easily it had been defeated.
"Krokorok isn't taking its loss very well," Iris observed.
"Well, Krokorok did give it his all and still came up short. That's not something that happens without a little disappointment," May replied as the group watched Krokorok depart. Ash felt sorriest for it, wishing he could cheer Krokorok up.
"Hey, wait!" Ash called after it. Krokorok turned, wondering what he wanted.
"You really did a great job in that battle. I can tell how much potential you have, so why not join my team?" Ash asked. "You'd be a great help!"
Hearing this, Krokorok's face lit up and it excitedly nodded its head 'yes'.
"Alright!" Ash smiled, pulling out a Poké Ball and throwing it at the Desert Croc Pokémon. Krokorok went inside and was caught after a few shakes.
"Alright! I caught a Krokorok!" Ash cheered.
"Pi-Pika!" Pikachu cheered as well, jumping happily.
"Aww, that was sweet of you to do that for Krokorok." May said, giving Ash a peck on the cheek.
"Papa nice!" agreed Manaphy, nuzzling his 'father' affectionately.
Ash blushed, but grinned nevertheless as he hugged both of them. Now with a new addition, the group proceeded onward to Mistralton.
/-/-/
It was already pretty late in the evening by the time the group arrived at the Mistralton Pokémon Center and got their Pokémon healed. May had confirmed that the next Contest was being held here, while Ash was naturally focused on his next Gym badge. Iris and Cilan graciously took separate rooms to allow Ash and May to have some space for themselves.
"I'm sure you guys are gonna need the extra room once the ingredients really start mixing," Cilan said, twitching his eyebrows and winking at Ash.
"Heh, I'll remember that. Thanks," Ash replied, laughing nervously as he headed off to his and May's room. As he entered, he and Pikachu were both floored by May's dress. She had on a stunning sequined scarlet-red gown, a pearl necklace, and her hair was let loose.
"Piii-kaaa…" Pikachu marveled.
"So… uh… what's… the occasion?" Ash stuttered, getting over his momentary shock.
May made a mock-hurt expression before replying, "What? First night in a new town and you're not even going to offer to take me out?"
"Oh, I, uhhh…" Ash stuttered once more. Man, he thought, I suck at this.
"Save it," May giggled, "I guess I'll just have to do the asking."
Ash smiled gratefully at May as he replied, "Yeah, a night out on the town would be fun. Just, uh, give me a few minutes to change…"
As soon as Ash was sure he was out of sight, he began panicking.
"Oh man, oh man, oh man, I am so screwed! I don't even know this city, where should I take her, what should we do, what…!?"
Rolling his eyes, Pikachu delivered a quick shock to his friend to bring him back to reality.
"…Thanks, Pikachu. I needed that," Ash said, coughing out a bit of smoke.
"Pi-ka," Pikachu replied. "Pika-chu. Pika-pika chu!"
"You're right," Ash agreed. "I just need to play it cool, and stick with something simple."
Changing quickly into his Sinnoh traveling clothes, Ash went back into the other room, where May was patiently waiting.
"Ready?" she asked.
"Ready when you are," Ash replied. Then, he turned to Pikachu.
"Pikachu, I'm gonna need you to watch Manaphy while we're gone. You guys try not to get into too much trouble," he said, grinning at his Electric-Type companion.
"Pi-ka!" Pikachu replied, returning the grin.
"And Manaphy, be good for Pikachu," May said to her Water-Type son.
"Maa-na!" Manaphy cheerfully replied.
Smiling, the two trainers waved goodbye to their Pokémon and headed out, arm in arm.
/-/-/
"Geez, May. Did you really have to dress so nicely? By comparison, I feel way out of my league," Ash said half-jokingly as the two walked through downtown Mistralton.
"But I've been waiting for an excuse to wear this!" May replied. "I bought it a while back, thinking it would make a good Contest outfit. And that… didn't go as planned. Besides, there's nothing wrong with your outfit. It's cute!" she finished.
Ash smiled slightly as he responded, "Well, even without the dress, you'd still seem out of my league. How can I not feel inadequate with such a beautiful girl next to me?"
At this, May fell silent as her face turned a deep shade of red. Ash chuckled as he put his arm around her waist and drew her closer to him.
"You know it's true," he insisted, before lifting her face up and brought his lips to hers. "You really are beautiful."
"Love you," May sighed as she rested her head on Ash's shoulder.
"You too," Ash replied.
Walking around a bit longer, the couple decided to have dinner in a small family-style restaurant. They entered and sat down, ordering a couple of drinks and chatting as they looked over the menu.
"So, our first official date," Ash began. "I know this might not be the most glamorous place for it, but…"
"Ash, it's just you and me, together. How much more 'glamorous' does it need to be?" May interrupted. Ash grinned as he replied.
"That's true. No one else, no Pokémon. Just the two of us. Nothing beats it. Besides," he continued, "I knew that if food was involved, it wouldn't be a total loss for you either way."
They both laughed over this, and the conversation soon turned to tomorrow's events. They discussed Ash's upcoming Gym battle and May's Contest while they ate. Despite its average appearance, the restaurant had surprisingly good food, and they stayed for dessert as well.
Ash, ever the gentleman, paid for everything despite May's protests.
"There is no way I'm letting my girlfriend pay for the first date," Ash sternly told her with an over-exaggeratedly serious look. "You're gonna be spoiled tonight, and you're gonna like it!"
"Alright, I suppose I can live with being spoiled for a night," May acquiesced with a wink and a smile.
Continuing on, the two found a small park. It was mostly empty, and they found a nice secluded spot where things got a bit… steamy, until Ash noticed the time and realized the Pokémon Center would be closing its doors soon.
"Although," Ash began as the two headed back, "perhaps we can continue this back at the room?"
"Sorry Ash, but not in front of the kids," May replied. It took Ash a moment to understand that, before he realized she was referring to their Pokémon.
"Ah, I should've known you'd go back into 'Mom Mode' around them," Ash replied with a bit of disappointment.
"Don't be disappointed, there's no need to rush things," May replied. "I'm not leaving you again. There will be plenty of time for fun," she finished, saying the last word in a slightly seductive tone, and Ash cheered up as they arrived at the Pokémon Center and headed back to their room, hand in hand.
"Mama! Papa!" Manaphy cried happily, launching himself excitedly towards his parents as they entered the room. They caught him as he wrapped his flipper-like arms around them in a hug.
"Hi, Manaphy! Were you good for Pikachu?" May asked her Seafaring Pokémon. Smiling, Manaphy cheerfully nodded his head 'yes' as Ash looked to Pikachu, who also nodded his head.
"Pika!" Pikachu assured, confirming that there had been no problems.
The events from earlier that morning in the Hero's ruins finally began to catch up with the pair as they got ready for bed. Deciding to share a bed rather than be apart, May and Ash fell asleep in each other's arms that night, with Manaphy and Pikachu cuddled up to their respective trainers as closely as they could get.
/-/-/
The next day, everyone made sure to get an early start as Ash was anxious to get his next Gym badge. They were a bit perplexed, though, to find that the Gym was actually a cargo plane hangar.
"Huh, weird. Oh well, time for my Gym battle!" Ash said with his usual enthusiasm. As he began to rush into the Gym, he was stopped and told to wait in line.
"There's a line?" Ash asked.
"Yep. And you'll also need to schedule an appointment," answered the Gym attendant. "Shall I put you in for the afternoon group?"
"I don't think I've ever seen a Gym with people lined up to get in," Iris commented.
"Or a Gym that required scheduled appointments, for that matter," replied May.
"All I know is that my Gym back in Striaton has never been this popular," added Cilan with a hint of envy.
A moment later, a plane landed on the runway and the pilot, a redheaded girl in a skimpy blue pilot suit, emerged from the cockpit.
"Are you the Gym Leader?" Ash asked.
"You got it!" she responded with a wink. "The name's Skyla, otherwise known as the Highflying Girl! Let's get these Gym battles started, shall we?"
Skyla produced three Poké Balls and threw them, releasing a Swoobat, an Unfezant, and a Swanna.
"Alright, I guess I'm up first!" shouted a boy from the crowd. He released three of his own Pokémon; a Zebstrika, a Boldore, and an Emolga.
"Alright, we're ready for the Air Battle!" Skyla exclaimed.
"Air Battle?" Ash repeated.
"It must be some kind of new battle type," Cilan guessed.
"Then this should be interesting," May finished.
The group watched with interest, anxious to see how this 'Air Battle' played out. Unfortunately, they were in for a bit of disappointment when no battling actually took place.
Instead of initiating a battle, the redhead Gym Leader simply closed her eyes for moment, as if thinking about something, before opening her eyes and looking at her opponent.
"Impressive show of strength! Here's the Jet Badge, you earned it!" she said as she handed the boy his Badge, leaving the group bewildered.
"Uh… what just happened?" Ash wondered out loud.
"It looked to me like she just gave away a free Badge," May replied.
"She didn't even put up a fight!" Cilan said incredulously, astounded that a Gym Leader would just hand out a Badge like that.
"Hey, wait up a second!" Ash called to the boy who had just 'won' the Badge. "What was that? You guys didn't even battle!"
"Sure we did," the boy replied matter-of-factly. "Skyla plays out every battle in her mind and evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the Pokémon. That way, she knows the outcome before the battle even happens!"
"No wonder she can accommodate all these challengers," May commented, "She slacks off and pretends to have a battle!"
"Well, at least it's time efficient," Iris offered.
"It's friggin' stupid is what it is!" Ash snapped.
Meanwhile, Cilan was silently fuming as he watched the challengers, one after another, be either granted or denied a Badge without a single actual battle.
She's a disgrace to Gym Leaders everywhere, and these 'battles' are such a sham!, he thought angrily.
"Well, looks like I'm done for this morning!" Skyla said cheerfully as she saw that there were no more challengers. She turned around and began to walk back towards her plane before Cilan finally erupted.
"STOP!" he shouted, angrily stomping after her. The others followed close behind, as Ash was eager to see Cilan give Skyla a piece of his mind. Skyla turned around, confused as to who stopped her.
"What kind of Gym battles were those!?" Cilan demanded. "I didn't hear a single command given, or see a single move used!"
"It looked to us like you just handed Badges out for free!" May exclaimed.
"Or just denied them to trainers without giving them a chance to prove themselves," Ash added.
"Sorry, but if you have any questions, you'll have to come back during the afternoon session," Skyla replied nonchalantly. Completely disregarding the group, she turned and boarded her plane and took off, leaving the group thoroughly peeved.
/-/-/
"Man, this sucks," Ash sighed. Pokémon and trainer alike nodded their heads in agreement, not having any better way to put it.
After that morning's less-than-impressive display, the group's spirits were rather low. Ash was understandably disappointed, and Cilan was still furious from seeing a Gym Leader disregard her duties so carelessly.
After Skyla had blown them off, the group had encountered Skyla's grandfather, Miles. The former Mistralton Gym Leader told them about how Skyla used to do real battles when she first took over the Gym. He said she was really good at it, but the Gym became so popular that she had no time for herself anymore, which was why she invented the idea of 'Air battles" in the first place.
"So she neglects her duties to screw around!?" Cilan growled. "That's unacceptable!"
"I've tried to tell her that, but she just won't listen," Miles replied. "Nothing is gonna change her mind."
Now the group sat around, wondering what to do. Ash wasn't leaving Mistralton without his Badge, and he was determined to have a real battle for it.
"Well, sitting around here certainly isn't solving anything," Cilan said, standing up. "I'm going back there, and I'm gonna face her."
"What's the point? She'll probably just make you do another Air battle," Iris sighed.
"I won't take 'no' for an answer," Cilan replied. "She is going to listen. I'll show her that you can't predict a battle's outcome until it's actually over."
Returning to the hangar/Gym, the group met up with Skyla as she landed her plane and disembarked. When they met up, Cilan apologized for his earlier behavior and introduced himself as a fellow Gym Leader before requesting a battle.
"Hmmm… This is the first time I've met a Leader from a different Gym, let alone battled one," Skyla replied thoughtfully. "Alright, you're on!"
Although Skyla predicted that she would win against Cilan's Pansage, Crustle, and Stunfisk, Cilan was determined to prove her wrong as they faced each other with Miles acting as the judge.
"The 3-on-3 battle between Cilan and Skyla is about to begin," Miles announced. "The battle is over when all Pokémon on a team are unable to continue."
"Pansage, you're up!" Cilan called, releasing his Grass Monkey Pokémon.
"Swoobat, time for takeoff!" Skyla exclaimed, releasing her Psychic/Flying-Type Courting Pokémon.
"Battle begin!" Miles announced.
"Pansage, use Bullet Seed!" Cilan ordered. Pansage obeyed, firing numerous green seeds at Swoobat. Swoobat was too quick, though, and easily dodged the seeds before Skyla quickly counterattacked and had Swoobat use Air Cutter, landing a direct hit on Pansage and doing serious damage.
"Oh man, that doesn't look good," Ash grimaced.
"Pansage, quick! Use Bite!" Cilan called.
Pansage leapt at his opponent, but missed the attack as Swoobat dodged once again.
"I seem to have an unfair advantage; I'm actually hitting my target!" Skyla taunted. "Swoobat, finish this with Gust!"
Swoobat complied, blowing Pansage back in a heap.
"Pansage is unable to continue. Swoobat wins," Miles announced as Cilan returned Pansage and called out Crustle.
"Skyla's prediction is coming true," Iris said.
"It was a lucky guess, that's all," Ash replied, gritting his teeth in anger as he couldn't believe Pansage got knocked out without landing a single hit.
"It wasn't that unpredictable," May commented. "Swoobat does have a Type advantage, but then again, there is more to battling than just Types."
Back on the field, Cilan's Stone Home Pokémon emerged as Cilan gave it its orders.
"Crustle, Rock Wrecker!" Cilan commanded. Crustle immediately launched a massive boulder at Swoobat, scoring a direct hit and knocking it out of the air as it fell in defeat.
"Swoobat is unable to continue. Crustle is the winner," Miles announced.
"Way to go, Cilan!" Ash cheered.
"Come on, Cilan! Prove how wrong these Air battles are!" May cheered as well.
Skyla recalled Swoobat before releasing Unfezant.
"Crustle, use Rock Wrecker again!" Cilan ordered. Crustle launched another boulder at the Normal/Flying-Type. The attack connected, but Unfezant managed to stay in the air.
"Use Air Slash!" Skyla countered. Unfezant obeyed, but Crustle was left unharmed as it withdrew into its shell, blocking the attack.
"Crustle, use Shell Smash, then X-Scissor!" Cilan called. Leaping out of its shell, Crustle executed the moves with perfect accuracy, knocking Unfezant out.
"Unfezant is unable to continue. Crustle wins," Miles announced.
"All right! Looks like Skyla's Air battles aren't so accurate after all!" Ash cheered.
"Pi-ka!" Pikachu agreed.
"Swanna, let's fly together!" Skyla exclaimed, calling out her White Bird Pokémon.
Cilan ordered another Rock Wrecker attack from Crustle, but Swanna managed to dodge it before following up with BubbleBeam, causing Crustle to retreat back into its shell.
"Now use Brave Bird!" Skyla ordered. Swanna began diving towards Crustle when the Bug/Rock-Type jumped out of its shell as Cilan prepared to use the Shell Smash/X-Scissor combo again. Swanna changed direction and headed straight for Crustle as the two Pokémon's attacks collided head-on. When the dust settled, Crustle lay on its back with black spirals in its eyes.
"Crustle is unable to continue. Swanna wins," Miles announced.
I cannot lose this! Cilan thought as he sent out his last Pokémon.
"Go, Stunfisk! Use ThunderShock!"
The attack connected though, despite its Type advantage, Swanna was not defeated.
"Swanna, use Hurricane!" Skyla commanded. The winds from the Hurricane blew Stunfisk high into the air, but Cilan used this to his advantage as he ordered Stunfisk to use Scald, leaving Swanna with a burn. Swanna healed itself Aqua Ring and, dodging a Mud Bomb attack from Stunfisk, defeated the Ground/Electric-Type Pokémon with Brave Bird.
Miles grudgingly declared Skyla the winner as Cilan fell to his knees with a look of shock on his face. He had failed to prove Skyla's methods wrong.
"Poor Cilan…" Iris said.
"I guess there's no convincing Skyla now," May sighed in disappointment.
Ash, however, wasn't about to have it end like this.
"Skyla!" he called angrily after her, "I want you to battle me!"
"Look," Skyla said with a look of annoyance, "I just proved to your friend that my methods work. If I can predict the outcome of one battle, I can predict them all. Show me your Pokémon."
Ash did so, sending out Tranquill, Pikachu, and his new Krokorok.
"Impressive team," Skyla began, "But there's no doubt I'd still win, hands down."
"I think you're wrong!" May snapped as she walked up next to Ash and took his hand. "I think Ash and his Pokémon could wipe the floor with your team!"
"Mana-phi!" Manaphy agreed ardently.
Skyla was taken aback by this, before angrily turning back to Ash.
"Fine! I'll battle you," she said. "You honestly think my Air battles are meaningless?"
"I guess we're about to find out," Ash replied, grinning fiercely.
I'm finally beginning to appreciate how tedious it is to write battles :(
As always, please leave reviews, comments, and suggestions, and I'll see you next chapter!