Chapter 12: Soldier
"Ash, you shouldn't have been so hasty earlier about battling me. You could have started to read a little before even challenging me, you could have even learned a thing or two about me or my strategy," Lenora told the raven-haired boy with a smug look.
Ash smiled confidently and responded, "I already know what I need to know, I've waited too long to get to Nacrene City just to read a book and after training hard out in the wild, I know I'm going to win."
"Wow, Ash seems pretty excited about getting his second badge. He has a hasty look on his face and that confidence seems higher than usual," Iris mentioned a few things regarding Ash's confident gaze.
"I'm worried that he may be too confident in his abilities, Lenora seems to have already noticed that and might use it in her strategy," Cilan rubbed his chin with a concerned look on his face.
May also seemed a bit worried about Ash's attitude, "Ash let his confidence get to him once before in the past, when he fought an Elite Four Member of Hoenn, he ended up losing badly. I just hope this won't be a repeat of that event," the brunette told her two friends about the story. She recalled Ash's loss against Drake of the Elite Four, it was the first time in a while since Ash had finally lost a match and it was because of his overconfidence. I hope that doesn't happen again this time, Ash can't lose; May sighed over the boy's confidence and turned to the battlefield.
Hawes, Lenora's husband and judge during her gym battles stood between the two battlers and stated the rules, "This will be a 3-on-3 battle between Gym Leader Lenora and Ash from Pallet Town. Trainers are allowed to switch Pokémon and the challenger is always up first, you may now begin!"
"Tepig, let's get em!" Ash grinned and called his Fire-type.
Tepig got on the battlefield and blew fire out of his nose while calling out its name, "Tepig!" the pig cried, ready for battle.
Lenora smirked and reached for her Pokeball, "Cinccino it's time to win!" the woman called out her Scarf Pokémon, who stood proudly on the battlefield.
"What a beautiful Pokémon!" May clasped her hands together and her eyes glistened with admiration.
"It's a deadly charm May, this won't be easy," Cilan remarked, familiar with the power of Cinccino.
Pikachu and Ash smiled at Tepig from their side of the field, confident about the pig's abilities. Ash extended his arm out and made a command, "Tepig, use Ember!"
"It's useless Ash, Cinccino counter with Rock Blast!" Lenora cried out. Cinccino's head began to glow a bright orange and then fired two silver, spinning energy waves. The attack easily blasted through Ember and charged at Tepig.
Ash remained calm and countered, "Tepig, dodge it now!"
Tepig tried to jump out of harm's way, but the attack was much too fast and sent Tepig crashing against the dirt. The fire Pokémon grinded its teeth as it got up and glared at Cinccino. Ash wasted no time in attacking again and called out his next move, "Tepig, let's use Tackle this time at full speed!"
"Teeepig!" Tepig yelled and charged at Cinccino.
"Cinccino, use Hidden Power to blast Tepig away!" Lenora countered Ash's move.
"Tepig, dodge Hidden Power!" Ash cried out.
Cinccino created multiple energy balls that shined a bright, white color. The Scarf Pokémon then united them to form one large ball and shot it at Tepig. The fire pig was barely able to avoid the attack, but Lenora's attacked missed.
Lenora grinned confidently, "I got you right where I want you, Cinccino, use Thunder Wave!"
"Wha?" Ash's eyes widened when he heard the woman. Tepig narrowly dodge Hidden Power, but before Tepig could react, Cinccino released a blue, electrical ray that paralyzed the pig.
Tepig wailed in pain while Ash and Pikachu were in a state of surprise. Cilan and the others were also shocked by Lenora's clever maneuver. Cilan's jaw dropped and began to speak, "Clever, Lenora used Hidden Power as a distraction for Tepig while Cinccino prepared to use Thunder Wave. Tepig would have never seen it coming because it had been too busy avoiding Hidden Power."
Iris and May were also astonished by the brilliant tactic that Lenora had used; she was clearly a formidable opponent. "Tepig, can you move?" Ash asked his friend, but the pig obviously was not able to, grunting every time it took a step, its body surrounded by yellow sparks.
Lenora smirked and made her final command, "Finish this with Giga Impact!" Ash tried to order Tepig to dodge, but the pain didn't allow Tepig to move very fast and Cinccino rushed at an incredible speed. Cinccino became surrounded by an invisible energy and a bright, yellow flash appeared in front of its face. The Scarf Pokémon shot itself at the immobilized Tepig and sent the pig flying.
Tepig slammed against the wall and dropped to the ground unconscious. Hawes declared Tepig unable to battle and returned it, grinding his teeth in frustration. I had hoped that Tepig could defeat Cinccino, but it was obviously too powerful, I'll need to come up with something quick, Ash put Tepig's Pokeball away and reached for another.
Lenora chuckled and spoke, "Not bad Ash, Tepig managed to dodge Hidden Power and endured my Cinccino's Rock Blast, but that clearly wasn't enough. I think I'm going to change Pokémon, let's see how you fair against some of my others." Her words surprised Ash and she threw another Pokeball, "Watchog, let's go!"
Watchog, no problem, I can still win this; Ash returned to his calm demeanor and called out, "Oshawott, you're up!"
Oshawott appeared proudly on the battlefield and smirked at Watchog. "Osha oshawott osha," the otter crossed its arms arrogantly and waited for Ash's command.
Ash grinned excitedly and made his command, "Oshawott, let's show them a Razor Shell!"
Oshawott grinned confidently and turned its scalchop into a blade. The otter then began rushing at Watchog with all its speed. Lenora gave Oshawott a smug look and ordered, "Detect!"
When Oshawott leaped in to hit Watchog, the Lookout Pokémon easily avoided the attack, Lenora grinned and saw the opening, "Now use Thunderbolt!"
Before Ash could come up with a counter attack, Watchog released a bolt of lightning that sent Oshawott flying against the ground. Oshawott groaned as it got up, but Lenora demanded another Thunderbolt.
"Block it with your scalchop!" Ash commanded just in time. Oshawott lifted its shell and managed to send the Thunderbolt against the roof.
"Impressive," Lenora remarked, but undoubtedly had more tricks up her sleeve. She crossed her arms and spoke, "Watchog, close in for a Low Kick!"
"Oshawott, flip over Watchog and use Razor Shell!" Ash ordered. Watchog appeared in front of Oshawott within seconds and tried to kick Oshawott, but the otter quickly flipped over the Pokémon and slammed the Lookout Pokémon against the ground.
Before the dust cleared, Watchog quickly got up and sent Oshawott flying with a Rock Smash. Ash grinded his teeth when he saw Oshawott struggling to get up, but Lenora gave no time for them to react and ordered Watchog to use, "Confuse Ray!"
Watchog launched a yellow orb at Oshawott that enveloped him and turned his eyes into stars. "Gotcha," Lenora smirked and made her final command, "Finish this with Hidden Power!" Ash and his friends watched as Oshawott wandered the battlefield helplessly. Watchog created multiple orbs like Cinccino, but united them to create a large ball that shot out a ray of energy at Oshawott.
The Water-type crashed into the dirt by the attack, leaving it unconscious. Hawes declared Oshawott unable to battle and Ash returned Oshawott into its ball with a look of frustration on his face.
"Ash is down to only one Pokémon and Lenora still has three," Iris had a concerned look on her face, Ash's defeat seemed imminent.
"Indeed, this battle is visibly in favor of Lenora," Cilan watched with an anxious expression.
Like Ash, May grinded her teeth in frustration, as if she were battling against Lenora. The sapphire-eyed girl felt an uneasy feeling inside her, is he going to lose?
Down to one Pokémon, I have to make this count, Ash thought and reached for his next Pokémon while Pikachu gave Ash a worried look, as if the mouse sensed the impending loss. Ash sighed and called out his next Pokémon, "Pidove, it's your turn!"
Pidove hovered over the battlefield with a cool look across its face, ready for battle. Lenora again surprised Ash by returning Watchog, "Looks like you're down to your last Pokémon Ash, you better have a backup plan because this last one can be your ruination!"
Lenora smirked and summoned her last Pokémon, "Go, Stoutland!" Ash and the others became intimidated by the fearsome dog-like Pokémon that appeared before them.
Without a comment, May reached her Pokedex to see what the machine had to say. "Stoutland, the Big-Hearted Pokémon and the evolved form of Herdier, Stoutland is very wise and is skilled in rescuing people stranded in the mountains or at sea." May calmly put her Pokedex away, she could tell that this was Lenora's strongest Pokémon.
"Stoutland, use Surf!" Lenora ordered. Stoutland roared and a large wave of water came bursting out of the ground, charging towards Pidove.
Ash clenched his fist and made a command, "Pidove, shoot right through it with as much speed as possible!"
Pidove cooed and dashed towards the wave-like a bullet, breaking through it like a barrier. Lenora chuckled and spoke, "Smart move Ash, but you're going to need more than that."
"Huh?" Ash had a confused look on. Suddenly, when Pidove broke through the wave something charged at it and sent the bird back flying through the wave. Pidove had static covering its body and the wave disappeared the moment Pidove bashed through.
The auburn-eyed boy's eyes widened, "But how?"
Lenora smirked at Ash and spoke, "Wild Charge, an Electric-type move that works like Take Down, except it is Electric-type."
Pidove got on its feet, but had a hard time fighting against the static. Ash grinded his teeth and cried out, "Pidove, use Quick Attack now!"
"Dodge, Stoutland!" Lenora countered and the dog-like Pokémon easily moved away, avoiding the fast attack.
"Amazing, Stoutland is fast and as tactical as Lenora. It managed to use Surf as a cover-up for Wild Charge and has shown speed that is enough to dodge quick enough, this might end very sour," Cilan rubbed his chin with anxiety while Iris watched with fear and May clenched her fist, concern in her eyes.
"Stoutland, use Swagger," Stoutland's trainer ordered with confidence.
Stoutland looked into Pidove's eyes and let a deep breath out as if taunting Pidove. The gaze was enough to infuriate Pidove and cause the bird to use Air Cutter. Stoutland easily dodged it and Pidove tried Gust, but Stoutland dodged again.
Ash's jaw dropped as Pidove attacked without any command, "What's wrong, Pidove is just attacking and disobeying me."
"That's because Swagger is a move that increases the opponent's attack, but confuses it in the process. Basically, my Stoutland just taunted Pidove with a gaze to the point where it had become furious and attacks senselessly. Give it up Ash, you've lost!" Lenora pointed her finger at Ash and smiled.
Ash grinded his teeth and made a command, "Pidove, snap out of it and use Gust!" Pidove paid no attention to Ash and kept using Air Cutter.
Lenora crossed her arms and made her last command, "Shoot Pidove down with Hyper Beam." Stoutland dodged Air Cutter and released the high-powered attack, the beam hit Pidove head on and the pigeon dropped to the ground with swirl eyes.
"Pidove is unable to battle, the trainer has no Pokémon left and therefore, Lenora is the winner!" Hawes announced while Lenora and Ash returned their Pokémon.
Ash gave Pidove's Pokeball a weak smiling; knowing that like Tepig and Oshawott, Pidove had tried its best. The black-haired teen put away his Pokeball and turned to Lenora.
Lenora gave Ash a serious gaze and spoke, "Ash the confidence in your abilities was the thing that took a toll on your abilities. You're idea that by rushing through this battle you were going to win was completely wrong. Your hastiness and overconfidence led to your defeat, it's a disappointment because you may not have known it, but I have heard of your endeavors in other regions and I had expected more. You may return to battle me again, but I recommend you be ready next time."
"Thank you for the battle Lenora, I'm sorry for the letdown," Ash felt anger and sadness coursing through his veins. The auburn-eyed boy's frustrated eyes met May's and then ran away, leaving the gym.
May quickly got up and spoke to Iris and Cilan, "I'm going to check on him, I'll see you guys later," the brunette informed them.
Cilan and Iris nodded while May went off with Pikachu in search of Ash. May ran through the gym and museum, reaching the exit of the building, this was the first time in ages that May had seen Ash lose like that, he stood zero chance against Lenora. When she and Pikachu left the building they looked around and spotted Ash sitting on a bench by the entrance.
The sapphire-eyed girl and the mouse approached the sad-looking boy who didn't even look up at them. May sat next to him while Pikachu got her shoulders and the pair looked at the boy. "Ash…" May said his name to get his attention.
"Yeah?" Ash looked up at her with a sad expression.
"You shouldn't let one defeat bring you down so hard. You did your best," May smiled at him warmly.
Ash shifted his gaze to the ground and spoke, "Not only were my Pokémon nothing in comparison to Lenora's, but I let my own confidence get to me and I lost. When will I learn that just because I can beat a few strangers and some bad guys, doesn't mean I can defeat the whole world?"
May sighed and spoke again, "It happens to all of us Ash, sometimes we let our abilities get the best of us and make us believe that we're unbeatable. That all stops when we lose though, but the reality hits us hard and we realize that we still have more to learn, but the lesson from that experience is that we can't give in and we can never rest because it is like the ultimate test. The battle may be on, but we have to carry on and get up. I've seen you do it after you lost to Brawly, when you lost to Tyson, and when you lost to Brandon. You got up after those defeats and look where it got you, you got into the Top 8 of the Hoenn League, you defeated the Battle Frontier, and you were Top 4 in the Sinnoh League."
"Where are you getting at?" Ash turned to his girlfriend, still confused.
"What I am getting at Ash, is that despite everything, you still overcome the situation. You are always willing to get up and continue pursuing your goal, nothing gets in your way and you shouldn't let today's defeat bring you down. You have what it takes to beat Lenora, you just need to train, no one knows how to overcome these struggles like you do because you have a spirit harder than iron. The iron willpower inside you is what has made you come so far, it's that will that has made you the person you are today. Your willpower is what makes you place the life of your friends before your safety, it is what makes you an unstoppable force and that's the Ash I am in love with, the one who will never let anything overcome him. You've done it before and you can do it again, you can beat Lenora, Ash," May smiled at him tenderly and ran her fingers through his hair.
Ash formed a smile and the original glow on his face returned, "Where did all that come from May?"
May giggled and answered, "You've cheered me up so much whenever I lost to Drew or someone, I guess I just gained the knack to do the same and I feel like I am returning the favor."
"Well, you're better at it than I am, thank you May, for making me feel better," the auburn-eyed teen grabbed her hand and leaned in for a kiss. The sapphire-eyed girl used her free hand to place it on his cheek and began caressing his face while he caressed her hand.
Ash used his other hand to run his fingers through her hair and felt himself become lost in a warm light. He got so close to May that he felt himself heating up, he felt her heartbeat and she could feel the edges of his hair tickling her face, she felt her heartbeat increase at an incredible rate as Ash pressed up against her. She was just as lost in the kissing and tongue playing as he was.
Pikachu got off May's shoulder and just laughed nervously as the two kissed. He stood on the ground and looked at the museum, wishing that he hadn't left, but he thought Ash would have needed him. It was clear to the mouse though, that May was enough to cheer him up, his words were no longer needed because just the touch of her breath was enough to Ash feel good inside. The mantle of closest companion belonged to May from here on and Pikachu happily accepted it, Ash deserved nothing more than her, than May, than the love of his life.
All of a sudden, Pikachu saw Iris and Cilan coming out of the museum. The pair ran up to Ash and May with a cheery looks. Iris smiled at Ash and May, "You guys seem to be having a tender moment," the purple-haired girl stated.
"Love can heal wounds, can't they?" Cilan grinned, noticing the much happier expression on Ash's face.
Ash and May laughed while their three friends smiled at them. Ash got up from the bench and made a fist, "That's right, my spirits are high again and I'm ready to train."
"A perfect idea indeed, why don't we go to the local Battle Club and start your training, Ash," Cilan recommended going to the Nacrene Battle Club.
The raven-haired teen formed a confident grin, "Right, then next stop is the Battle Club." The auburn-eyed teen agreed and jetted off in search of the facility with his four friends right behind him.
After several minutes, Ash finally spotted the Battle Club and wasted no time in going inside. "You've come to the right if you want to get some training done young man," a man who looked a lot like the Don George from Luxuria spoke to Ash and his friends.
May and the others all noticed this, but the brunette was the one most curious about the resemblance. "Hey, you look a lot like Don George from Luxuria Town," the sapphire-eyed girl mentioned.
Don George changed the topic momentarily to answer May, "That's because all of my brothers look-alike and we're all named Don George, including myself, take a look at the photo over there," Don George pointed to a photo placed on the wall of himself with all the other brothers that looked exactly like him.
The teens all turned to the photo and saw that the only difference among the brothers were the stripes on their shirts, one had blue, another had green, the other had yellow, etc. After taking a look at the photo, Don George spoke again, "Anyway, I'm more than happy to help you with your training. Lenora is famous for using multiple tricks like Confuse Ray and Thunder Wave in order to win. I have a room for intense training, which can help your Pokémon become much faster, stronger, and tactical so you don't fall for Lenora's traps."
Ash turned his hands into fists and spoke eagerly, "That's awesome, then let's get started!"
Don George nodded and tapped a button his wall. The wall automatically began sliding, revealing a room with a treadmill. Aside from the treadmill, there were weights and other things for bodybuilding. Don George turned to Ash and the others, "So according to you, the Pokémon you used against Lenora were a Tepig, Oshawott, and Pidove. This treadmill will be used to train Tepig."
"Alright, then come out Tepig!" Ash reached for Tepig's Pokeball and summoned the fire pig.
Tepig appeared in front of Ash and the pig huffed out some smoke from its nostrils. "Tepig, we're going to start training so we can beat Lenora, you ready?" Ash kneeled down to tell the pig what was going on.
"Tepig!" Tepig huffed in excitement and looked at Don George with an anticipated gaze.
"Show us what you're made of Ash!" May exclaimed, encouraging her boyfriend to strive for the max. Iris, Pikachu, and Cilan also encouraged Ash in the same way and the black-haired teen smiled in return for their support.
"Ash, you will also have to train with your Pokémon because it shows that you are ready to stand beside your Pokémon for all challenges. Your training with them will be a sign of encouragement and that will make your Pokémon more confident about themselves," Don George told the young trainer.
Ash turned to Tepig and nodded. His gaze then turned to Don George and spoke, "No problem!"
"Good, now let's get started. Please get on the treadmill with Tepig and begin running as soon as I turn on the machine," Don George instructed and duo got on the treadmill.
Don George began pressing several buttons, causing the treadmill to begin operating. Ash and Tepig began running a bit when the machine started operating, but they were still at ease. "Hey, if the whole training is like this then it's going to be a breeze, huh Tepig?" Ash smiled at his fire starter and continued running, not putting too much energy into his exercise.
"Tepig!" Tepig cheered and ran on the treadmill without difficulty.
"Then let's kick it up a notch, this will surely put some speed into you," Don George tapped a button multiple times and the conveyor belt began to move quicker.
Ash put some effort this time as well as Tepig and they began to sweat. "Looks like we'll have to run even faster this time Tepig, let's show Don George, not even a machine can stop us," Ash grinned confidently and ran faster, Tepig followed his lead and began running faster as well.
Don George chuckled while May and the others smiled at the duo's efforts to overcome Don George's first trial. "Hey Ash's doing it, he and Tepig are able to keep up with the machine," Iris stated with joy.
"At this rate, they'll be ready to battle Lenora in no time," Cilan crossed his arms and smiled happily.
"That's the way Ash," May muttered and grinned cheerfully.
"Ash, now I'm going to activate a device that shoots out dodge balls. The purpose of this part of the trial is to help you dodge any projectile attacks Lenora would use in battle, they will shoot out pretty fast so you can Tepig will have to be ready," Don George told Ash and activated the machine.
Unfortunately, Ash had been too distracted and hadn't paid attention. All of a sudden, he saw cannon-like machines come out of the wall and they shot out dodge balls. "What's going on?" Ash's eyes widened and tried to dodge one of the balls, but it was too quick and the sphere sent Ash flying off the treadmill.
Tepig also tried to dodge, but they came at the pig too quick and he fell off as well. Ash lied on the ground, his face became red from the impact, but the boy laughed the pain off while Tepig groaned and got up.
"I wasn't expecting that," Cilan raised his eyebrow in surprise.
"Guess this is going to be harder than I thought," Iris sighed while May giggled at Ash's reaction; the brunette wasn't too worried about the surprise assault Don George had activated.
"C'mon Tepig, there's no time to waste, we have to do this!" Ash got on his feet and Tepig shook his head in acknowledgement. The pair rushed back on the treadmill and began dodging as many dodge balls as possible.
For the next hour, the duo dodged many of the balls, getting hit several times, but they just got up again and tried again. Each time they got bashed off the treadmill by a dodge ball, the pair wasted no time in getting up and running and each time they did that, they became better, dodging nearly every dodge ball coming their way.
Don George and the others smiled at the progress they were seeing. "They got the hand of this quick, but let's see how they do at max level," Don George spoke and began pressing all the buttons on the panel.
"What is Don George doing?" May saw the way the man's fingers were motioning, confused by the sight.
"Looks like he's going to push them to the fullest," Cilan analyzed the sight.
"That doesn't sound good," Iris became a little concerned over Don George's final part of the first trial.
"Ax axew ew," Axew came out of Iris's hair and looked at Ash and Tepig.
"Pi pi pikachu," Pikachu also watched with angst, the mouse having been silent throughout the entire training session.
Ash realized that the conveyor belt began motioning faster and the dodge balls shot out quicker. "Is it me or did things just get a lot harder, the machines operating much faster now," Ash tried to keep up, but struggled. The auburn-eyed boy and Tepig were sweating a lake as they tried to dodge as many dodge balls as possible while keeping up.
"Tepig…tepig…tepig…tepig," Tepig jumped over multiple dodge balls while panting heavily, things for him and his trainer were getting much more intense, none of them knew how long they would last.
"Hey Don George, you mind slowing it down a bit!" the raven-haired teen yelled, sweat dripping down from his messy hair and onto his face, the boy tried to ignore the burning sensation in his eye from some of the sweat that landed there.
Don George shook his head sideways, "Sorry Ash, but this is training at its maximum. You need to overcome this challenge in order to prepare yourself for Lenora."
The black-haired teen sighed and returned his attention to the dodge balls, one of them nearly shot him off the treadmill, but the ball missed him by an inch. After a few more minutes Don George saw that Ash and Tepig were hardly able to keep up and began to speak, "Time to end this."
Don George began moving his fingers swiftly across the keyboard while Cilan, Iris, Pikachu, and Axew watched Ash and Tepig train at their peak. May grinned confidently, after the conversation she had with Ash earlier, she knew he'd overcome Don George's challenge.
Suddenly, a barrage of dodge balls shot out from one of the cannons within a matter of seconds. Ash's eyes widened with shock and spoke, "There's like ten dodge balls coming straight at us, Tepig we have to react as quick as we can, get ready!"
The boy didn't get a response from Tepig though and the trainer turned to the pig. His auburn eyes began to shine excitedly when he saw Tepig becoming enveloped in a bright fire, the pig kept running on the treadmill with all its speed and as it did, the fire became even more intense, making Ash swept a bite more.
"What is Tepig doing?" Iris gazed with amazement.
"It's Flame Charge," May answered, answering something Cilan would normally state.
"Tepig's unleashing its newest attack, its ready to fight back with full force," Cilan watched with admiration, smiling at the sight of Tepig using Flame Charge.
Don George chuckled, "This is what I was aiming for the whole time."
When the balls were just a few inches away from Ash and Tepig, the fire pig leaped in front of Ash, leaving a stream of fire behind it and the starter vaporized the set of dodge balls with its intense heat. The charge turned the balls into ashes with its powerful flames.
Ash grinned joyfully when he saw Tepig destroy the dodge balls. The pig then dropped on the treadmill again, but Don George stopped the machine from operating, finally letting the pair rest.
The duo let out a sigh of relief and got off the treadmill, Ash and Tepig grinned at each other happily. Ash began laughing and spoke, "Tepig you learned Flame Charge, way to go!"
"Tepig!" the pig jumped into the boy's arms in joy and the two laughed.
"Pikapi!" Pikachu came from nowhere and got on Ash's shoulder to congratulate his friend.
"You did it Ash, you passed the first challenge, good job," Don George nodded with approval.
"And Tepig learned Flame Charge!" Iris cheered with happiness.
"I knew you could do it," May spoke with a joyous tone, wishing she could hug Ash, but the boy was so sweaty, it looked like he went into a pool with his clothes.
Ash smiled at his friends, "Thanks guys, I didn't expect Tepig to learn Flame Charge, but that move will come in handy when I face Lenora."
"Are you ready for the next trial though?" Cilan asked with curiosity.
"Sure am!" Ash made a fist and grinned confidently.
Don George got in front of Ash's friends and spoke, "Well then, let's start now. This next challenge will be in a pool so that can refresh you from all the running and just leave your clothes in the locker room, my employees will make sure they get cleaned and dried. Oshawott is our next center of attention."
Ash nodded and smiled at his friends again, but his gaze focused on May, who winked at him as a sign of good luck. The raven-haired teen thanked Tepig for his accomplishment and returned him to his Pokeball while Pikachu returned to May, the auburn-eyed teen wasted no time in changing and meeting up with Don George.
The boy ran out of the locker room with his swimsuit on and reached for Oshawott's Pokéball, "Oshawott, come on out!" Ash released Oshawott and jumped into the pool. The raven-haired boy felt refreshed in the cool water and saw Oshawott swimming coolly in the water with him.
"Osha oshaaaawott," Oshawott swam with his back against the water and a relaxed attitude.
Ash smiled at his Pokémon, but then saw the waterfall in front of them, it was an artificial one, but it was pretty long and wide for an artificial pool inside a building. The auburn-eyed teen became fascinated by it and stared at it for a few seconds.
Then Don George and the others entered the room. "Ash, I see you are all set for the next part of our training session," Don George spoke to the boy.
"That's right, so Don George, what do we do here?" Ash asked the older man with a curious attitude.
"It's very similar to what you did with Tepig, except you have to swim against the currents that will try to push you back. Keep in mind, there will be surprises here as well," Don George warned Ash about other obstacles beside the current.
Ash nodded and turned to Oshawott, who had stopped swimming had listened to everything Don George had said. The Pallet teen grinned at the water starter and spoke, "You ready Oshawott?"
Oshawott grinned confidently and spoke, "Osh oshawott!"
"Good, let's begin," Don George stated and got behind the panel while May, Pikachu, Iris, and Cilan sat on the bench to watch.
"So he basically has to swim against the current, sounds pretty easy," Iris gave her opinion about the task.
"Don't judge a book by its cover, Don George said he would pull a few tricks as well," Cilan mentioned what Don George had said about other surprises being in store for the pair.
"Ash and Oshawott will be able to handle it, I know they can, right Pikachu?" May made a fist and spoke highly of her boyfriend, and then she turned her gaze to Pikachu.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu nodded confidently and made a fist, mimicking May's actions.
Oshawott and Ash got in positions and began to swim against the current. It was pretty easy for the pair since the current seemed easier to swim against than keeping up with the conveyor belt.
Oshawott swam on his back while Ash calmly swam against the current with ease. "Hey Don George, mind kicking it up a notch, Oshawott and I don't even have to try," Ash told the man in charge of the Battle Club.
"If you say so," Don George answered and pulled a lever. All of a sudden, a much stronger current pushed Ash, nearly drowning the auburn-eyed teen, but Oshawott remained cool and continued to swim with his back against the water.
Ash spit out some water that got into his mouth thanks to the sudden and more powerful current, "That's what I'm talking about, this is just what we needed," the teen said and swam against the current.
The raven-haired struggled a bit trying to swim against the current, but still managed to do it while Oshawott still swam easily. "Ash may be having a bit of a hard time swimming against the current, but Oshawott isn't even trying." Cilan took notice of the swimming style between the pair.
"Wonder how long this will go on," Iris thought in her mind.
May and Pikachu on the other hand, kept their eyes on Don George, waiting for the man to press another button that would cause even Oshawott to struggle this time. After 15 minutes, Ash's muscles were finally tiring and the boy was slowly moving back because of the current's push, but Oshawott continued swimming in the same style as 15 minutes ago.
"Oshawott's not even putting in half the effort, looks like I'll have to play my card sooner than I thought," Don George murmured and pulled another lever, which May and Pikachu took note of. The observant pair turned to Ash and Oshawott, waiting to see how they would react.
All of a sudden, the current became even stronger, pushing Ash into the water and causing the boy to choke on it while Oshawott was also taken by surprise and got pushed into the water as well.
"There's Don George's secret card," Cilan pointed at the surface of the pool and saw whirlpools forming on it.
Iris, May, and Pikachu looked in the direction Cilan was pointing at and their eyes widened with shock, none of them had expected whirlpools in the pool. Ash and Oshawott reached the surface, coughing out water, but they had to quickly gain their composure because the whirlpools and current threatened to push them back in.
"Oshawott, looks like this time we're really going to have to give it our all," Ash told the otter and the starter nodded. The pair began swimming against the strong waters, but they felt the whirlpool sucking them in and it only made things much more difficult.
The pair groaned while trying to swim against the forces of the water, but they were running out of energy and the current and whirlpool only got stronger as Don George continued to tap a button.
"Things just escalated quickly, this isn't looking good," Cilan grinded his teeth while Iris stared with fear while May and Pikachu remained uncertain about how Ash and Oshawott could overcome this challenge.
"It's finished Ash," Don George told the boy and pressed a button that increased the whirlpool's power even more.
Ash swam with all his might just to avoid the whirlpool; however, Oshawott's small size didn't give the otter enough power to fight against the whirlpool. The water starter got sucked in, but all of a sudden, it shot Oshawott back out towards the waterfall. Ash and the others watched in surprise as Oshawott shot out like a bullet and towards the waterfall.
"This is called 'backup tactics', there's always one move that can counter the opponent's more powerful attack and Oshawott is going to show it!" Don George exclaimed with excitement.
As everyone watched, Oshawott glared at the waterfall and became surrounded by blue energy that quickly turned into water. It was similar to Flame Charge, but it was Aqua Jet instead. Oshawott manipulated its direction and diverted the waterfall by making a u-turn and rushing back in Ash's direction.
Don George pressed a button and a target came out of the water, "Oshawott, hit the target now!"
"Oshawott learned Aqua Jet!" Ash cried in surprise.
"No way, two new moves in a row," Iris was just as shocked.
"That's the result of hard training," Cilan gave Iris a sly smile and turned to Oshawott.
"Pika pikachu!" Pikachu jumped in praise of Oshawott.
They never fail to surprise me, May thought in her mind, recalling all of the surprises Ash and his Pokémon had ever demonstrated during their time traveling together in the past.
Oshawott gazed down at Ash and smiled proudly, his trainer returning the smile. The Water-type then launched itself against the target and broke right through the plastic material, crashing into the water and causing large splash that stopped the whirlpools.
"Way to go Oshawott!" Ash jumped cheerfully.
Don George smiled in approval and stopped the machines that caused the powerful current and whirlpools. Oshawott leaped out of the water and into Ash's arms, embracing each other in joy.
May and the others ran over to them in joy, congratulating him for his success in the second trial. "Ash, that was amazing, not only did Oshawott learn Aqua Jet, but he is able to manipulate its direction, a remarkable feat," Don George complimented Oshawott's power, which the otter took into high regard.
"There's only one training session left," May placed her hands on her hips while speaking; Pikachu on her shoulder as well.
"You up for it?" Iris gave the boy a sly grin.
"This one will be for Pidove," Cilan pointed out the final Pokémon who needed training.
Ash nodded confidently and responded, "I am ready for anything."
"Good, now get your clothes and get dressed. The final room is just next door, once you get dressed, meet us there," Don George told the boy and Ash quickly got out of the pool.
The soaking wet boy thanked Oshawott for his efforts and returned the water Pokémon into its Pokéball, then rushed into the locker room to get dried and dressed. After a quick shower and getting his clothes on, Ash reached for Pidove's Pokéball and rushed to the next room, which was very different from the previous two.
Ash became impressed by what the room looked like when he entered, it was like a meadow, but inside a building. There were ten large poles with circular rings perched at the top and in the middle of the meadow were May, Pikachu, Iris, Cilan, and Don George.
"Time to train," Ash smiled and ran over to them. The group turned to Ash, grinning at him with encouraging smiles. Don George began to speak after the friends exchanged smiles, "Alright Ash, this last one is a bit different from the previous sessions. You see those rings up there," Don George pointed to them and then turned to Ash, who nodded at him. "Pidove has to fly through on those rings multiple times while fighting against some very powerful winds. You will have run all over the meadow, guiding Pidove through each ring, the winds will be more of a problem for Pidove than you though. Also, like the other two sessions, expect some surprises."
"Right!" Ash made a fist and smiled eagerly.
Don George nodded and walked over to a panel while Ash's friends walked over to sit on a bench. They all gave Ash a final smile, but May walked up to him and pecked him on his cheek. "Good luck Ashy," May whispered into his ear and smiled, the brunette then ran over to the bench with the others.
Ash began to blush a bit and felt his cheek, but then remembered that he had to train and quickly threw Pidove's Pokéball, "Pidove, you're up!" the auburn-eyed teen released his bird Pokémon.
Pidove emerged from the ball and hovered over Ash, eager to get her training started. "Alright Pidove, all you have to do is fly through the rings while pushing against the wind. I'll guide you the whole time while running across the field, you ready?" the boy grinned confidently at his pigeon Pokémon.
Pidove nodded happily while cooing and Ash smiled. "Go!" Don George declared at pressed a button that provoked strong winds across the meadow.
Ash easily ran around the meadow, not paying too much attention the wind, but saw Pidove struggling against it a bit. The Tiny Pigeon Pokémon put more effort into its flight and bashed against the wind like a bullet. It started to follow Ash around the meadow and dashed through some of the rings in a matter of seconds.
Don George took note of Pidove's speed and increased the wind speed to counter Pidove's own. Ash got caught by surprise and his hat almost flew off, but the boy placed his hand on it so it would maintain on his head while Pidove began to struggle against the wind even more.
The auburn-eyed teen saw Pidove failing to keep up with him and yelled, "Pidove, try to use Quick Attack as a boost for your speed and get through the ring!"
Pidove looked at his trainer, it realized that even he was having some trouble with the wind, but the bird nodded and increased its speed with Quick Attack, easily cutting through the strong breeze.
Ash smiled when Pidove passed through several of the rings yet again with Quick Attack as a boost, but he felt the winds getting stronger as his hat threatened to fly off any second and his hair moving wildly as he ran across the meadow. Even his clothes began flapping like a flag as Don George increased the wind with every minute.
Pidove groaned as it tried to cut through with Quick Attack, but not even that was enough to help the bird this time. The wind became so powerful that it almost sent Pidove flying against a wall, but the Flying-type quickly gained its composure and avoided the crash.
"Ash and Pidove are starting to slow down because of the wind," Iris stated with a worried tone.
"Don George is famous for making training sessions as intense as possible, it doesn't surprise that even Ash is struggling against his trials," Cilan told the purple-haired trainer.
"Pika pi," Pikachu watched with concern.
"They'll be able to do it, there's no doubt about it," May got up from the bench and assured herself that Ash would come out on top.
"Pidove, we have to keep going, we can't give up," Ash covered his eyes from the wind that formed tears in his eyes.
Pidove cooed and managed to get through another ring, but the wind continued to be a problem. The howling of the winds rang through Ash's ears as he turned to see Pidove hovering over him.
"Let's see if this will encourage them," Don George murmured and pressed another button. This time rods came out of the ceiling, making the entire group wonder what they were for.
"What are those?" Ash asked as he took a look at the rods that emerged from the ceiling.
"This will increase Pidove's speed by a whole lot; by the way, they're lightning rods!" Don George shouted and pulled a lever that caused one of the lightning rods to shoot out a Thunderbolt.
"Pidove, dodge it quick!" Ash commanded and the bird narrowly dodged the Thunderbolt.
Ash's friends quickly recognized how critical the training got when they saw Pidove nearly get struck down and watched with anxiety. Pidove and Ash tried to dodge all the Thunderbolts that came their way while trying to get through the rings, but the wind also made it difficult to move around.
"Just a few more times, hang in there!" Ash screamed out in an attempt to encourage Pidove to keep going, but the bird was becoming exhausted and the Thunderbolts only shot out faster while the winds continued to be a problem.
Pidove passed through another ring, but Ash didn't know how much more Pidove could take from dodging so much and countering the wind. "Let's keeping Pidove, we're almost there!" Ash continued to shout, but Pidove began panting due to exhaustion.
Suddenly, another Thunderbolt shot out much quicker than the others and struck down Pidove, shocking Ash and the others. "No, Pidove!" Ash cried out, trying to run over to the bird, but the wind pushed him back.
"Is it over?" Iris spoke softly, concerned for the bird.
"I don't know," Cilan pictured Pidove dropping down like a leaf.
Pikachu also became worried and tried to see if Pidove was moving until May screamed out, "It's not over, look!"
They looked at Pidove carefully and saw the bird glowing. Ash's eyes began to shine with amazement while Don George chuckled. Pidove's body continued to glow and began transforming, taking the shape of a larger bird.
Ash's mouth dropped and the boy mumbled, "Pidove's evolving…"
Pidove's body stopped glowing and revealed a larger bird with similar characteristics to Pidove. It had the same color as its pre-evolved form, but it was inverse and it had enlarged, hot pink markings above its eyes. It extended its wings out proudly and screeched.
"Tranquil, the Wild Pigeon Pokémon, and the evolved form of Pidove, Tranquil are always able to return to its trainer no matter how far the distance between them," May's Pokédex stated and the girl putted it away after that. The sapphire-eyed girl was interested in the bird's majestic appearance and admired it with Iris, Cilan, and Pikachu.
"Incredible!" Cilan shouted with astonishment.
"It evolved!" Iris exclaimed with bewilderment.
"Pika!" Pikachu was also taken back by the sudden evolution.
"Amazing…" May muttered. The only one who didn't scream about Pidove's evolved form.
"That's how we do it in the Battle Club," Don George chuckled, proud with the result.
"I have a Tranquil!" Ash announced joyfully while still fighting against the wind.
Tranquil smirked at Ash, not feeling any sort of struggling while standing. The wind proved nothing against the Wild Pigeon Pokémon. "Since Pidove evolved, its power is much higher now, that wind is nothing against it now," Cilan stated the obvious.
Ash continued to stare at Tranquil until Don George called him, "Ash, you only have to pass through a ring one last time, why don't we test Tranquil's new power by increasing the difficulty."
"You're on, Tranquil and I, are ready!" Ash made a fist, smiling confidently alongside Tranquil.
"Perfect, then let's finish it," Don George stated and pressed a few buttons. All of a sudden, most of the poles went underground, large compartments opened underneath the meadow and closed when all but one pole remained. It was at the other end of the meadow and loomed over the pair like a tower.
"Just get past through the last ring while avoiding the Thunderbolts and fighting against the wind, this is your last task and you're all set for Lenora," Don George told the boy.
"Alright, Tranquil let's go!" Ash declared and the bird took flight while Ash ran behind it.
"This is it, the last test," Cilan mumbled while the other friends watched with interest.
Ash struggled to fight against the wind like before, but Tranquil easily flew over him like if it were a normal day. Don George then unleashed the Thunderbolts, which Tranquil also dodged with ease while Ash tried to keep. Tranquil moved up, left, right, as the attacks tried to hit the bird, but it was like a jet avoiding missiles, Tranquil even twirled and spun like a jet.
Tranquil was just a few meters away, but Don George wasn't going to let Tranquil get past so easily. "Tranquil dodge this Thunder!" Don George slammed a button and one of the lightning rods shot out the powerful Electric-type attack.
"Tranquil dodge!" Ash ordered and Tranquil nimbly avoided the Thunder and dashed through the ring, causing May and the others to jump and cheer with joy.
"We did it!" Ash jumped and punched the air with joy while Tranquil landed in front of him with a cool attitude.
"Ash, you finished your training!" May cheered in joy and rushed up to him. They clutched each other's hands and smiled happily.
"Way to go Tranquil," Ash grinned at the bird, who returned the gesture.
"Who would have thought Pidove would evolve out of the blue," Cilan stated and congratulated Ash and Tranquil for their achievement.
"You made a lot of progress today Ash, Tepig learned Flame Charge, Oshawott learned Aqua Jet, and Pidove evolved," Iris recalled all of Ash's accomplishments.
"Pi pikachu pika!" Pikachu congratulated Ash and Tranquil as well, getting on Tranquil's back and smiling at the bird, who cooed at him kindly.
"You're ready to face Lenora, all your training has had remarkable results and I'm impressed Ash. You and your Pokémon have shown phenomenal skill today, unfortunately though, its night and it is too late to battle Lenora today," Don George praised Ash and his Pokémon, but told him that it was too late for a gym battle today.
Ash smiled at Don George while still holding May's hand, "That's ok, I can wait till tomorrow. First thing in the morning, I'm getting my badge from Lenora," the auburn-eyed boy grinned confidently while Don George and his friends all smiled at him, knowing he would do great.
Later that night…
Ash and May sat against a tree trunk by themselves, the rest of the gang sleeping inside the Pokémon Center. May's head lay on Ash's shoulder as they gazed at the night sky.
"You're not nervous about tomorrow at all, are you Ash?" May asked her boyfriend.
"Not at all," Ash smiled and ate a grape from the container of grapes he and May had taken out of Cilan's bag to eat.
"That's good, after all the progress you've made in a day with Don George there's no reason why you should be," May smiled at him, reminding him of how strong he had become in a single day.
"Well, it wasn't just the stuff Don George that made my Pokémon and me stronger; throughout the whole training I was thinking about what you told after I lost to Lenora. Those words May…encouraged me and my Pokémon more than anything; it's what kept us going on, what helped us overcome the odds. Thank you for that," the boy thanked her for everything she had done for him today.
"Awww, it's no problem Ash, I'm your girlfriend, I'm always there for you, remember that," May pecked his cheek in return, making the boy smile.
May took a grape too and giggled, "Anyway, you don't think Cilan will be mad when he finds out that we stole his grapes right?"
"Nah, a few nights ago I stole a muffin and he only sighed at me when he found out. I wanted to share it with you, but you had already fallen asleep," Ash recalled an incident from a few days ago.
The brunette giggled again, "We're so bad sometimes. We'd steal just to get something to eat wouldn't we?"
Ash laughed and responded, "Yeah, I guess we could join a criminal organization if we wanted to."
"Well, I heard Team Rocket is looking out to replace three flunkies that we know," the sapphire-eyed girl laughed, referring to Jessie, James, and Meowth.
"I don't think we've hit that low May," Ash laughed in response to her statement.
May grinned at him adorably, "I know, it's just pretty funny picturing us in Team Rocket uniforms."
"I actually had to do that once," Ash grinned sheepishly, recalling an event from years ago.
The brunette raised an eyebrow, but then spoke, "Oh yeah! I remember Brock and you telling Max and me that story when we traveled throughout Kanto that was pretty funny." The sapphire-eyed girl laughed.
Ash admired the sweet girl and stared at her from head to toe, she was angelic in his eyes, no one seemed better for him than her. He closed his eyes and started to picture her as an actual angel, then a mermaid, a princess, and even a mother, Ash was lost in his thoughts for several minutes until something hit him in the face.
The boy snapped out of his train of thought and rubbed his forehead, feeling the juice from the grape that had been thrown at him, "May, why did you hit me with a grape?"
May frowned and answered, "You dozed off and I thought you were going to fall asleep on me any minute."
The boy laughed nervously and apologized, "Oh, sorry about that I was just thinking."
"Apology accepted," May closed her eyes and smiled sweetly. Suddenly, a grape hit her forehead and she opened her eyes, glaring at Ash.
"I said I was sorry about the dozing off stuff, but the grape throwing is a whole different story," Ash smiled mischievously, clearly wanting to get even with May for the grape shot.
May grabbed some grapes and growled at Ash, "It's on Ash Ketchum; you're going to see why you shouldn't mess with the daughter of Petalburg City's Gym Leader."
"Bring it then," Ash dared her to hit him and he got a couple of grapes as well.
The two got up and smiled cunningly at each other. Sadly, May missed most her shots while Ash got his target most of the time. The auburn-eyed teen just laughed as May tried to hit him with the grapes, but the boy easily dodged them. She on the other hand had to wipe off the traces of grape from her clothes while trying to him.
May glared at him and then smiled deviously, "No one ever said about playing fair."
"Huh?" Ash raised an eyebrow and without warning, May tackled him down and onto the ground.
Ash was amazed by the strength May displayed and the next thing he saw was her on top of him, the brunette grinned at him deviously. "I gotcha," May continued to smirk at him.
The auburn-eyed teen didn't listen to her and just stared into her eyes. He felt his body heating up as she remained there. She too also began to focus on Ash's eyes and felt warm inside, there was this intense, hot feeling inside them, like lust and they continued to think about the sensation for the next few moments.
May stayed on top of him and he continued to gaze at her. All of a sudden, some wild Patrat emerged from the bushes that cut them out of their trance. The brunette quickly got off him and they stood up.
"We should go to sleep now," May gazed at him tenderly, but grinned awkwardly.
"That's a good idea," Ash agreed with her and smiled shamefacedly as well.
The couple grabbed each other's hands and walked to the Pokémon Center without another word. Tomorrow was a big day for Ash and he would need the rest.
This chapter remained a bit truer to the series, but still had different elements. It was mostly battling and training, but I hope you enjoyed it, especially the last part with Ash and May. By the way, Oshawott isn't afraid to open his eyes when using Aqua Jet for those who are wondering, I just find the idea stupid if he is lol. For those of you who thought this chapter was long, believe me, it was going to be even longer, it was going to be much longer cause I wanted to include the final battle with Lenora, but then I got tired and thought it's better if I write about it in the next chapter. I'm really excited about the next chapter, because it will focus on something much more than Lenora and Ash's battle, plus we'll be seeing a character debut so stick around for that. One more thing, I am sorry for the absence, I'm just going through a pretty difficult crisis and I've been really stressed out about it, so stressed that I found it hard to think of a way to set this chapter up or even write it. However, I'll try to update more often and if you're lucky I'll update tomorrow, but I promise I''ll try to update more often, besides the next several chapters are pretty interesting. Well, that's it for now, remember to review, leave thoughts and opinions, etc. Hope you enjoyed it, see ya next time!