Chapter 19: The City That Never Sleeps
"Look at all these stores, Gucci, Burberry, Louis Vuitton, True Religion! I've never seen so many stores together in one place, not even Petalburg is like this!" May hopped from one window display to another as they walked by a street in Castelia City that consisted of over a 100 stores.
"This is 5th Avenue, it's the most expensive part of Castelia and the Unova Region," Cilan stated as he walked beside Ash and Iris.
"I don't really care about all that, I just want to get this over with so I can have my gym battle," Ash sighed as they walked, he always hated shopping sessions. The things I do for love, the boy thought and looked up at the skyscrapers, recalling how May begged him to stop by the stores and he had agreed. Pikachu could tell what Ash was thinking and felt sorry for the boy, he just couldn't say "no" to May.
May clasped her hands together and her eyes glistened as her friends approached her. The brunette pulled Ash's hand and made him look at the display for one of the stores, which sold multiple dresses for events like weddings, proms, and even Grand Festivals. "Ash, look at this!" the sapphire-eyed girl pointed at all the different colored dresses.
"Yeah, they're all so nice," Ash lied and just grinned sheepishly as May continued to stare at the display.
Iris placed her hands on her hips as Axew admired the dresses as well, "How much are these dresses anyway?"
May looked down at the price and saw the cheapest dress was $2,000, "All these dresses are more than $2,000 dollars, they're too expensive," the brunette sighed. Her gaze then turned to Ash and the boy raised an eyebrow when she saw her puppy eyes, "Ashy, could you please buy me a dress."
"What?!" Ash almost fell over while Cilan, Iris, and Pikachu actually did. Ash looked at May's puppy eyes and laughed nervously, Who does she think I am? Money doesn't fall into my lap from the sky. The auburn-eyed teen got his composure and sighed, "May, as much as I would like to I ca-," but the boy suddenly got cut off by the brunette.
She giggled and smiled, she stopped doing the puppy face. "I'm just kidding Ash. I know this stuff is way too expensive for us, but would you really buy me one if you could?" May raised an eyebrow, curious as to what he would say.
Ash let out a deep breath and grinned, "If I could I would May, you'd look great in all these dresses," the black-haired teen gave his honest opinion and gazed at the dresses on the window display. He imagined May in all of them, the black one, red one, blue one, white one, and knowing the figure May had, she'd look perfect in them.
May turned red when she heard Ash's words and could tell the boy was picturing her in the outfits. She inched a bit closer to hit and pecked his cheek, she used her hand to motion his gaze from the dresses to her face, she looked into his eyes and spoke softly, "You always say the right thing at the right time Ash, that's one of the many reasons I'm in love with you."
"I just want you to be happy May, nothing is more beautiful than your smile," Ash kissed her forehead; coming up with one of the most sweet phrases he had ever said his entire life.
The couple smiled at each other lovingly as Pikachu watched with a grin. "You think they'll get married Cilan and have lots of kids?" Iris giggled while speaking to her friend.
"It would certainly be very interesting, I've seen two people more in love," Cilan chuckled, picturing kid versions of Ash and May, which Pikachu would have to babysit.
"May, Ash, Cilan, Iris!" a voice called out the four teens, alerting them. Ash and May separated from their tender embrace and turned to see a familiar girl in front of them.
"Hilda!" May yelled out, glad to see her friend and rival again.
"Hey Hilda," Ash grinned at the sight of the friendly Unova brunette.
"Pikapi!" Pikachu greeted their friend.
"We weren't expecting to see you so soon," Iris walked up to the girl with the other friends.
"What brings you to Castelia City?" Cilan inquired.
Hilda smiled at her friends and began to speak, "My Xtransceiver got damaged a while ago and I came to Castelia because the company that builds has its headquarters here. I just got back from there and received a new one," the brunette showed them a red Xtransceiver.
"That's cool," May grinned at her as she held Ash's hand.
"So, I bet you guys are here because the Castelia Gym, right Ash?" Hilda shifted her eyes to Ash with curiosity.
Ash nodded and made a fist with his free hand, "That's right; I'm going to battle Burgh and win my third badge!"
"That's awesome, good luck!" Hilda placed her hands on her hips and smiled.
"Would you like to come with us?" May flashed a grin at the brunette and asked politely.
"You want me to go watch?" Hilda raised an eyebrow and placed a finger on her chin.
"Like they say, the more the merrier," Cilan stated, encouraging the girl to come along.
"Yeah, it'll be fun!" Iris added to what Cilan said.
Hilda placed her hands on her hips and smiled at the 4 teens and their Pokémon, "Well ok then!"
"Great," May grinned at the brunette.
"Why don't we get a few slices of pizza while we're going, Castelia City has the best pizza around, it's my treat to you guys for letting me come along," Hilda offered with a happy smile.
Ash thought about it for a second, the boy was kind of hungry and Hilda was being really nice to them by offering pizza. Can't battle with an empty stomach I guess, Ash smiled and spoke, "Sounds good to me."
They all nodded and Hilda replied, "Perfect, there's a pizzeria nearby, I'll get a slice for each and we can get going."
"Alright," May shook her head and the group followed Hilda to a pizzeria just around the corner. Hilda winked at them and rushed inside, saying she'd be right back.
As they waited for the girl, they all saw people running and pushing each other in a certain direction. "What's going on?" Ash questioned, curious as to where the people were heading.
"Pikachu pi," Pikachu leapt off Ash's shoulder and ran in the same direction as the people.
"Pikachu, come back!" Ash tried to stop the mouse, but it ran too fast.
"Here you go," Hilda came out of the store with small triangle boxes, inside were average-sized slices of pizza for each one.
Ash looked May as Hilda came out and handed the boxes, "May, can you hold my slice, I'm going after Pikachu."
"We'll go with you," May told Ash as she received the box along with Iris and Cilan.
"What's going on?" Hilda raised an eyebrow, confused.
"Pikachu ran into the crowd of people, we're going after him," Ash told the Unova girl and ran after the mouse that was lost among the crowds of people.
May, Hilda, Iris, and Cilan ran after the boy. "Where are all these people going?" Iris looked at the crowds that were running and pushing each other, apologizing for their rudeness.
"I think I know, they must have gone to the center of town, at the plaza, Pikachu probably went there too," Hilda informed the teens.
"What for though?" Cilan questioned the brunette.
"People tend to have battles at the plaza for amusement and the people of Castelia go to watch, Pikachu must have heard and went off to see what was going on out of curiosity," Hilda stated as they ran past the people.
Ash and gang managed to get passed the heavy crowds of people and reached the plaza. Like Hilda had said, there was a battle going on, between a Dewott and a Gigalith. "Pikapi!" Pikachu rushed out of the crowds and spotted Ash.
"Pikachu, why'd you run off like that?" Ash asked the mouse as it climbed onto his shoulder.
"Pikachu pi pika," Pikachu pointed at the battlefield.
"eyHeYH
Hey!" Cilan and Iris said in surprise when they saw one of the battlers.
"It's…" Hilda became surprised when she saw the battler as well.
"Hilbert!" Ash and May exclaimed.
Hilbert heard his name coming from the crowd and saw the familiar faces. The brunette boy flashed a smile at them and waved, right now was clearly not the time to talk. When he spotted Hilda though, he felt his heart drop at that very moment and shifted back to the battle.
"Is that his Dewott?" Iris asked.
"Yes, it must have gotten stronger since we met at Pinwheel Forest," Cilan mentioned.
"I didn't expect him to be here," Hilda crossed her arms, smiling at the brown-haired boy.
The teens and their Pokémon shifted their attention to Hilda, "Hilda, you know Hilbert?" May asked her rival.
"Of course, we're childhood friends, we use to play all the time back in Nuvema Town and we started our journeys on the same day. I thought Hilbert would already be at Mistralton City by now, guess he's busy training though, typical," Hilda giggled.
"Who would've known," Ash turned from Hilda to Hilbert.
Hilda nodded and remembered the times she shared with Hilbert when they were younger. She would always beat him at everything and then he'd start crying, but the funny part was every time she kissed his cheek, he'd stop and they would begin playing. Hilda giggled again and watched Hilbert battle with her friends.
The teens then decided to eat their slices of pizza as they watched. Ash shared his slice with Pikachu while Iris shared hers with Axew. Like Hilda has said, the pizza they were eating turned out to be really good, the best any of them had ever eaten.
"Hilbert's Dewott is something else," Ash stated, amazed by the power Dewott displayed and took a bite of his pizza, then letting Pikachu have a bite as well.
"It has a strong defense and its speed is incredible," May watched with awe and ate a chunk of her slice.
"He's clearly gotten a lot of training done since we last saw him," Cilan analyzed Dewott and its abilities, then took a quick bite, taking a much smaller bite than the ravenous Ash and May.
"All of its attacks are much powerful now too," Iris ate her pizza with Axew at the same time.
Hilbert was up against a break dancer, who owned the Gigalith and was the one clearly losing the battle. "Gigalith, let's bust this Dewott with a Solarbeam!" the break dancer spoke with a very urban accent.
Hilbert pulled the brim of his hat down and grinned as Gigalith charged up its attack. Hilbert took a glimpse of his friends, but focused on Hilda for a bit and smiled, the brunette turned to the break dancer and Gigalith. The Rock-type finished charging up Solarbeam and unleashed the attack.
"Dewott, counter Solarbeam with Ice Beam!" Hilbert punched his fist forward.
Dewott roared and released the icy beam. It clashed with Solarbeam and an explosion erupted in the middle of the battlefield, amazing the crowd of people. Hilbert took advantage of the dust caused by the explosion and made another command, "Let's see if it gets up after you use Water Pulse!"
"Nah, you don't, Gigalith, let's use ya Iron Defense!" the break dancer ordered.
The Compressed Pokémon hardened itself instantly and took Water Pulse head on, but the Rock-type showed no signs of pain. Hilda smiled through the fading dust and spoke, "That was clever, but not clever enough."
"Watchu mean?" the break dancer raised an eyebrow, and then suddenly Dewott emerged from the ground and slashed Gigalith with Razor Shell.
Dewott slashed Gigalith right across with a samurai-like motion and the Rock-type dropped to the ground unconscious. Dewott put away its blade while the crowd praised Hilbert for his performance.
"Well done lil dude, thanks for a good battle," the break dancer thanked Hilbert for battling him.
"Anytime," Hilbert smiled at the break dancer and returned Dewott, thanking his Pokémon for the victory.
The crowd began to disperse and everyone returned to their previous activity. "Hilbert!" Ash ran up to the brunette with Pikachu.
"Pika pi!" Pikachu saluted the brunette boy as well.
"Hey Ash, Pikachu, how you been?" Hilbert greeted him kindly as he put Dewott's Pokéball away.
"Hey Hilbert!" May caught up with Ash and saluted the brunette.
"How's everything going?" Cilan also greeted the boy.
"We didn't expect running into you so soon," Iris stated.
"Neither did I, you guys seem to be doing better since the last time, you appear to have gotten stronger Ash," Hilbert stated, complimenting his rival.
Ash smiled confidently, "I'm here to win my third badge."
Hilbert grinned, "That's what I thought."
"Hi, Hilbert," Hilda appeared from behind Iris, waving charmingly at Hilbert.
Hilbert turned red and hid his face on the brim of his hat, "He…ey, Hilda."
Ash, May, Iris, and Cilan raised their eyebrows in confusion, wondering why Hilbert suddenly began to act strange. "What's up?" the Nuvema brunette asked politely.
Hilda stopped hiding under his hat and grinned, "Just getting some training done, how about you?"
"Exploring, getting some ribbons," Hilda smiled and winked at Hilbert, who sighed and turned away for a sec, not wanting to show his red face to the gang.
"Hilbert, you were incredible during that battle!" Ash praised Hilbert's battle skills.
"You're Dewott has been training hard, right?" May inquired the brunette boy.
Hilbert nodded, "That's right; Dewott has really been putting in the work."
"I look forward to battling it soon," Ash made a fist of determination and smiled confidently.
"Speaking of battling, isn't there a gym battle waiting for you?" Iris crossed her arms, giving Ash the "what are you waiting for" look.
Ash grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head, "Oh right." The auburn-eyed teen then looked at Hilbert and asked, "Hilbert, would you like to come with us to the Castelia Gym? Hilda is coming along and we know you're friends."
"It'll be fun," Hilda stood on the other side of Ash, smiling at Hilbert.
Hilbert wasn't sure what to say at first, but then looked at Hilda, and then Ash. He let out a deep breath and smiled, "Ok, thanks for the invite, Ash."
"Awesome," Ash smiled as the other friends cheered, especially Hilda.
"Let's get going, the Castelia Gym is just a few blocks from here," Hilbert informed them and they followed the boy.
"So how do you guys know Hilbert?" Hilda asked her friends.
"We met him in Pinwheel Forest and Ash battled him," May told the brunette girl.
"And how did you meet Hilda?" Hilbert reworded the same inquiry.
"At one of the Pokémon Contests, May and Hilda hit if off in the same, they even had a couple of battles," Ash informed the brunette boy.
"Ironically, both encounters ended in battles between rivals," Iris pointed out something blatant. Which made the set of rivals realize it was true and laughed at the irony.
As they walked, saw some strange men dressed in trench coats and covered their faces with Fedora hats. There were about a dozen of them as they walked to the gym and Ash could see them take a peek at them as they walked while May heard the men whispering things to each other. They ignored the strange group and kept walking.
"We're here, the Castelia Gym," Hilbert crossed his arms, grinning at Ash when they stopped at the entrance.
Ash smirked at Hilbert and spoke, "Well, here goes," the boy walked in with his friends and became surprised when he saw a botanical garden with a battlefield at the center.
"This place is like a forest," May looked at the trees and flowers with amazement.
"Burgh sure has a lot of spare time on his hands," Iris inspected the area with Axew.
Hilda smiled and felt the leaves, "I think it's a nice theme."
"Burgh has an artistic visionary for everything, even when it comes to planting," Hilbert stated, recalling the last time he was in the Castelia Gym.
"Indeed, these are all very unique plants, some of these aren't even found in Unova," Cilan realized there were plants from areas outside of Unova, like Hoenn and Kanto.
"But where's Burgh though?" Ash tried to detect the gym leader through the entire flora.
"Right here," Burgh came out of the garden with a Sewaddle on his arm.
The referee came out of the garden as well and took his position. "I've been waiting for you Ash Ketchum. Pikachu, Axew, Iris, Cilan, May, Hilbert, Hilda nice to see you all again soon," Burgh took a bow when he took his position.
"Nice to see you too, Burgh," May greeted the man, as did Iris, Cilan, and Axew.
"I understand why you four are here, but what brings you two here, Hilbert and Hilda?" the Bug-type gym leader questioned.
"Can't we just come and visit Nuvema's favorite artist, we've known you since we were children and you came to town to show us your art," Hilda answered the man, speaking with a friendly tone.
"We met up with Ash and the others here, they invited us to watch the battle," Hilbert responded.
"A fateful encounter, this will be an event worth painting," Burgh spread his arms out; delighted that he could have the teens together to watch a memorable battle.
Ash grinned confidently and spoke, "Let's get this started then," Ash took his position.
"Let's make this a Triple Battle, Ash, I will be fighting at my full potential this time, so don't expect things to be so easy," Burgh crossed his arms with three Pokéballs in his hands.
The raven-haired teen looked behind him and saw the gazes in his friends' eyes. Hilbert, Hilda, Cilan, Iris, and Axew gave them good luck stares and nodded at the boy. May reached for his hand and squeezed it; she nodded and went to sit on the bench with their friends.
Ash gave May a tender gaze and shifted it back to Burgh. "Bring it Burgh!" Ash threw three Pokéballs into the air. "Pikachu, if things get critical, you'll be up eventually ok?" Ash informed his partner.
"Pi," Pikachu grinned confidently, the mouse like his master, intended to win.
From the Pokéballs emerged Sewaddle, Scraggy, and Snivy, which surprised Iris, "Why did Ash pick Sewaddle and Scraggy, they've just been captured, do they have enough experience to battle Burgh?"
"I think Ash knows what he's doing," Hilbert said with a calm tone.
"Hilbert is right, Ash is aware of what he's doing and believes with the amount of practice they've had, they might just win," Cilan remained confident over Ash's choices.
Hilda raised an eyebrow, "Is Ash that confident in his abilities?"
"Whatever Ash has planned though, I know he'll win, he always comes out on top," May formed two fists and prepared to watch the battle with eagerness.
Burgh released Whirlipede, Dwebble, and Leavanny. The Bug-type Pokémon eyed their opponents arrogantly as they braced themselves for battle. "Let's begin!" the referee announced.
"I'm looking forward to seeing how strong you're Pokémon have become, especially Sewaddle," Burgh grinned and pointed his finger at Ash's Pokémon, "Whirlipede use Steamroller on Snivy, Dwebble use X-Scissor on Scraggy, and Leavanny use String Shot to trap Sewaddle!"
Ash smiled slyly, "We're ready, Snivy use your vines to carry you and Scraggy over your respective attackers to dodge and then let Whirlipede have it with a Leaf Blade! Scraggy, you use Headbutt on Dwebble, and Sewaddle use Razor Leaf to break that string!"
"Snivy!" Snivy nodded and used her vines to carry Scraggy and push themselves over the attacks aiming at them. Whirlipede and X-Scissor missed their targets while Sewaddle easily canceled out the String Shot.
"Scraggy!" Scraggy landed behind Dwebble and used Headbutt.
"Counter Headbutt with Rock Wrecker!" Burgh extended his arm forward and Scraggy crashed against the ground when Dwebble sent the Dark-type flying with a giant boulder.
Snivy then charged forward with its glowing tail and aimed at Whirlipede, but Burgh remained calm. "Whirlipede, stop Snivy with Poison Sting."
Whirlipede released the attack, but Snivy's blade easily deflected Whirlipede's attack and sent the Curlipede Pokémon flying back a bit, but it quickly gained its composure. Ash smirked at Burgh and spoke, "It'll take more than a simple attack to Snivy."
Snivy dropped in front of Burgh and smirked. Burgh chuckled and spoke, "I see that, but now, Leavanny, use Hyper Beam on Sewaddle! Let's see you avoid that attack."
"Watch me, Sewaddle, swing yourself out of danger using String Shot," Ash grinned confidently. Sewaddle used String Shot on one of the tree branches and swung itself over the Hyper Beam and narrowly dodged it.
Burgh raised an eyebrow and then smiled, "Well that was smart."
"Wow, I didn't expect that to happen, I thought Ash was a goner," Hilda commented.
"This is why there's more to Ash than we know, his battle style is based on unpredictability and I realized that when we battled," Hilbert stated.
May raised her fist in the air and cheered, "And there's more where that came from!"
Hilda shook her head in agreement and watched the battle with intrigue; the coordinator thought she could pick a skill or two up from the battle. "Sewaddle, use Tackle on Leavanny while it takes time to recharge!" Ash extended his arm to the left.
"Dwebble, get between them and use Protect," Burgh smirked, "And Whirlipede, use Steamroller to take out Scraggy and Snivy!"
"Snivy use Leaf Storm and then use your vines to launch Scraggy at Whirlipede. Scraggy, then use Headbutt!" Ash pointed at Whirlipede.
Sewaddle's Tackle failed and the Bug-type moved back as the barrier protected Burgh's two Bug-type Pokémon. On the other side of the battlefield, Snivy unleashed Leaf Storm and started hitting the incoming Whirlipede with the attack.
At first Whirlipede easily countered it, but then stopped when small injuries started to form. The Poison-type rolled out and glared at Snivy for the weak, but still effective attack. Snivy then wasted no time in using its vines to send Scraggy launching at Whirlipede like a missile.
"Sniiiivy!" Snivy picked up Scraggy and yelled out when it threw Scraggy.
"Scraggy!" Scraggy screamed as it aimed its head at the surprised Whirlipede.
Whirlipede flew back and crashed against the dirt from the strong Headbutt. "Impossible, I understand now. The Leaf Storm was never meant to deal damage, it was only meant to draw Whirlipede out of hiding-," Burgh stated, but then got cut by Ash.
"So Scraggy could land a direct hit with Headbutt," Ash smirked, impressing Burgh with the clever technique.
"Ash is doing amazing, his strategy is focusing more on teamwork and tactic than speed and attack," Iris praised Ash's strategy.
Cilan nodded, "Ash has been practicing Triple Battle a lot since we met Burgh and he's focused more on Scraggy and Sewaddle than we think."
"Now Snivy, use Attract on Whirlipede while it's still down!" Ash extended his arm forward.
"Dwebble, stop Snivy with X-Scissor and Leavanny, make sure Scraggy doesn't get in the way by using String Shot!" Burgh pointed at Snivy in particular, knowing the result of Attract would be deadly.
"Snivy keep going, Scraggy prepare to use yourself as a shield, and Sewaddle, use Razor Leaf to stop both String Shot and X-Scissor!" Ash reached his arm outward.
Burgh raised an eyebrow, "How on earth do you plan stopping two attacks with one?"
"Watch," Ash smiled confidently. Snivy winked and released a ring of hearts aiming for the groaning Whirlipede. Dwebble unleashed a large X at Snivy, but Scraggy got in the way, ready to protect its comrade, but Leavanny also used String Shot to stop Scraggy's resistance.
Suddenly, Sewaddle jumped between the double attack and Scraggy. The Bug-type released a barrage of sharp leaves, but the shocking part was the Razor Leaf split into two different sets. One set of Razor Leaf canceled out String Shot and the other exploded on contact with X-Scissor, canceling out the attack.
Burgh gasped with shock, "But how?"
Ash turned to May and winked at her. May returned the wink, knowing Ash was thanking her for teaching him and Sewaddle her secret technique, the student can also take the role of the mentor when necessary too, May thought and grinned.
Iris, Cilan and the others were also surprised by the technique, but unlike Hilda and Hilbert, Iris, Cilan, Pikachu, and Axew were aware of where Ash learned the move. Meanwhile, Attract encircled Whirlipede and the Poison-type's eyes turned into hearts.
"No matter, Whirlipede will have to attack the other two…" Burgh muttered. "Dwebble, use X-Scissor on Scraggy, Leavanny, take Snivy down with Leaf Storm, and Whirlipede take care of Sewaddle with Poison Sting!"
"Snivy, become a shield for Scraggy and Sewaddle if Whirlipede ever targets them and use Leaf Storm to counter Leavanny. Sewaddle, use Bug Bite after Snivy gives the signal and Leavanny's attack stops, Scraggy use your molted skin to defend yourself against Dwebble and use our secret strategy when you feel like it's time," Ash instructed his trio of Pokémon.
Burgh grinded his teeth when Whirlipede failed to attack when Snivy got between it and Sewaddle. The snake Pokémon then wasted no time in canceling out Leaf Storm with its own Leaf Storm, causing an explosion in the middle of the battlefield. Meanwhile, Scraggy lifted its skin and defended itself against Dwebble's deadly attack.
"Scraaaaaggy!" Scraggy cried in pain as an explosion occurred when it came into contact with X-Scissor.
Burgh crossed his arms in delight, believing Scraggy was down for the count, but all of a sudden, the Dark-type, although wounded, emerged out of the smoke and used Headbutt on Whirlipede. The powerful Headbutt was enough to send Whirlipede flying back against Dwebble, making the two hit the ground together.
"Snivy, use Vine Whip to send those two flying at Leavanny!" Ash made a fist and Snivy leaped into the air. The Grass-type used its whips to send the two round Pokémon flying against Leavanny like bowling balls, but Burgh reacted quickly.
"Dodge Leavanny," Burgh ordered and Leavanny nimbly avoided the two crashing Pokémon.
However, Snivy then gave Sewaddle a nod and the Bug-type used String Shot on a branch to swing itself across the battlefield. Its teeth began to glow and it landed on Leavanny's head, biting its final evolutionary form.
Leavanny cried in pain as Burgh's eyes widened with surprise, failing to foresee yet another of Ash's tricks. Leavanny swung its head and Sewaddle let go, dropping on the ground safely, Leavanny glared at the little bug, having taken a super effective attack, but the battle was far from over. Whirlipede and Dwebble recovered as well, preparing to continue as well.
"I don't get it, at least Whirlipede should have gone down by now, how are they able to keep going," Hilbert grinded his teeth, wishing to see his friend win after seeing so many impressive techniques.
"This is going to take longer than we thought, Burgh's Pokémon have a very high defense so it'll take more hits to bring them down," Cilan explained the reason for Burgh being able to continue.
"This time I'm going to strike you down Ash, Leavanny, use String Shot to wrap the trio together, Dwebble use X-Scissor on any of the three if they counter, and Whirlipede, charge up a Solarbeam," Burgh smirked at Ash, making his next tactic clear.
Ash grinded his teeth, it was as if a firearm was pointed at his Pokémon, X-Scissor would try to hit any of them if they moved to counter, I know it's a risk, but if I want to beat Burgh I have no other choice, Ash thought in his head. "Snivy, use Leaf Blade to stop String Shot from wrapping around the three of you, Sewaddle, use Tackle on Whirlipede while it's charging and Scraggy, provide cover against X-Scissor with your molted skin."
Ash's three Pokémon nodded, Scraggy was certain it wouldn't be able to handle another X-Scissor, but someone had to take one for the team. "What is Ash doing, Scraggy is already badly beaten from the last X-Scissor, another one will knock it out," Iris clasped her hands together with angst.
"Scraggy is taking the hit for the team; they can't risk getting hit by Solarbeam," May stated the reason for Ash's actions, knowing Solarbeam could result in favor of Burgh.
Burgh raised an eyebrow, wondering if Ash knew what he was doing, but he let the auburn-eyed teen continue. "Dwebble!" Dwebble cried out and released the X-shaped attack. Leavanny tried to wrap the trio with String Shot, but Snivy easily cut through with Leaf Blade while Whirlipede charged up Solarbeam.
When Snivy used Leaf Blade, it was ready to take on the X-Scissor, but Scraggy leaped in front of the Grass-type and took the hit. "Scraaaaaggy!" Scraggy cried out as it flew back against the dirt.
Scraggy landed by Ash's feet with swirl eyes and Ash grinded his teeth. "Scraggy is unable to battle!" the referee declared and Ash returned Scraggy. Pikachu looked at Ash and the boy nodded sideways, "Not yet pal, I need to save you for the critical part."
"Pika," Pikachu sighed, eager to battle, but understood his trainer's orders.
"It was a necessary hit, if Scraggy hadn't done that, Burgh would have beaten Ash's Pokémon to the ground," Hilbert understood why it was essential for Scraggy to take the blow.
Ash smiled at Scraggy's Pokéball and spoke, "Scraggy, you were awesome out there, thank you for protecting Snivy. You've earned yourself a good rest."
As Sewaddle charged at Whirlipede, Burgh spoke, "Ash, I realize know what Scraggy's purpose was and I understand that desperate times call for desperate measures, but do you really think you can win?"
"I'm counting on it, Oshawott, it's your turn!" Ash retained his confidence and summoned Oshawott.
"Oshawott!" Oshawott smirked at Burgh's Pokémon, ready to fight against them once more and win this time.
"We'll see, Whirlipede, attack!" Burgh extended his arm forward, disregarding Oshawott's appearance.
Whirlipede unleashed the full charged SolarBeam at Sewaddle, but Ash reacted just in time. "Sewaddle, use String Shot to dodge!" Ash commanded, Sewaddle quickly swung over Solarbeam and landed safely on the ground, but Sewaddle and its trainer gasped when they saw Whirlipede approaching with Steamroller.
"The Solarbeam was nearly a diversion, now I will turn the tables," Burgh chuckled.
"Snivy, get in there and protect Sewaddle!" Ash ordered, remembering Whirlipede wouldn't harm Snivy.
"Did you forget about Dwebble?" Burgh smirked, making Ash's eyes widen.
Ash saw an incoming X-Scissor unleashed by Dwebble, but the raven-haired boy had a plan to counter, "Oshawott, stop X-Scissor with Razor Shell!"
Oshawott nodded and his blade clashed with the X attack, the two attacks caused an explosion, but Oshawott flipped back and landed safely. All of a sudden, an incoming Hyper Beam shot Snivy before it could reach Sewaddle and the Grass-type was sent flying against one of the trees.
Sewaddle was unable to dodge Steamroller and Whirlipede sent Sewaddle flying against the ground. "Ash, you're going to have to react quicker if you wish to win," Burgh crossed his arms and smirked.
Ash looked Snivy and Sewaddle, Sewaddle groaned as it got up, but Snivy gave Ash a smile and dropped to the ground. "Snivy is unable to battle!" the referee announced.
Ash sighed and returned Snivy to its Pokéball, thanking it for its fantastic job. Pikachu and Ash looked at each other again, but Pikachu could tell it wasn't his time yet and turned to the battlefield. Ash apologized to Snivy for not being faster and put away its Pokéball, Ash glared at Burgh and spoke, "You may have taken out Snivy and Scraggy, but I still got four more Pokémon at my disposal, Tepig, let's go!" Ash released his Fire-type.
"Tepig!" Tepig grinned and then huffed when it saw that it was up against Burgh's Pokémon.
"Let's settle this," Burgh grinned cunningly, but before the gym leader could say anything else, Ash's Sewaddle began to evolve.
Everyone's eyes widened with amazement as Sewaddle began glowing and changed shape. "It's evolving," Hilda stated.
"Evolving into what?" May asked, intrigued by the evolution.
Before Cilan, Iris or Hilbert could answer, Sewaddle revealed itself, but it was no longer a Sewaddle, now it was larger and had a cocoon of leaves enveloping it. It was round, yellow, and had a crescent slit in the leaves so it could see. "It's a Swadloon," Burgh stated with astonishment.
"Swadloon?" Ash was curious to learn more about Pokémon and used his Pokédex.
"Swadloon, the Leaf-Wrapped Pokémon and the evolved form of Sewaddle, Swadloon's body is covered in leaves which protect it from the cold. In forests where Swadloon live, the trees and grass grow very well," the machine stated with a mechanic voice.
"I knew Sewaddle was bound to evolve, it was extremely high-powered for its stage, now I can battle its true power," Burgh smirked; ready to battle the newly evolved Pokémon.
Ash smiled confidently, "Alright Swadloon, let's show Burgh how strong you are."
Swadloon nodded and waited for its order, after seeing its teammates go down, the Bug-type felt like it was required to evolve in order to win and now, it was ready to strike back.
"This getting interesting, I wonder how Ash will fare with Swadloon on its side," Hilbert said, mentioning his intrigue.
"Ok, Oshawott, use Aqua Jet to take down Dwebble! Tepig, use Flame Charge on Whirlipede, and Swadloon, use String Shot on Leavanny to trap it!" Ash punched his fist at the air.
"Leavanny, use String Shot to tie it with Swadloon's and then pull it over, Whirlipede, use Steamroller to counter Tepig, and Dwebble, use Protect!" Burgh made his commands.
Oshawott attempted to hit Dwebble, but the Bug-type's barrier prevented the otter from inflicting any damage and Oshawott flipped backward, upset with the fail. Tepig and Whirlipede charged at each other, determined to see who the winner would be and they entered a standstill during the clash. Swadloon used String Shot, but Leavanny used its own to connect the two, and then the Nurturing Pokémon pulled its string and sent Swadloon flying but swinging the unified string.
"Take advantage of Swadloon being in midair and use Hyper Beam!" Burgh exclaimed.
"Swadloon try to counter with Razor Leaf!" Ash instructed, but instead, when Leavanny released the red beam, Swadloon countered with a green energy ball, causing an explosion between them.
"That was Energy Ball!" Iris shouted with surprise.
"Talk about just in time," Hilda said, glad Ash's Swadloon had found an efficient way to counter.
"Swadloon just learned that, now Burgh is really going to have a harder time battling Ash," May made a fist; confident about the way the battle was turning out.
Ash grinned with content, Energy Ball…awesome! Now let's take advantage of the smoke, "Swadloon, Bug Bite on Leavanny!"
Swadloon dropped on Leavanny's head like a missile and bit its evolved form, making the Nurturing Pokémon cry in pain. Burgh grinded his teeth as Swadloon dropped in front of Leavanny, grinning with confidence.
The standstill between Whirlipede and Tepig ended in with Tepig winning once again, but this time Whirlipede crashed against the ground with an unconscious look. "Whirlipede is unable to battle!" the referee declared.
Burgh returned Whirlipede and smiled at it. The artist quickly turned to Ash, "I didn't expect such a turn of events with your new Pokémon Ash, but believe me, this is not over."
"Give it your all Burgh," Ash smirked, wanting Burgh to battle at his best.
"Dwebble, use Dig," Burgh smirked, "And Leavanny, use a divided Leaf Storm on Oshawott!"
"Divided?" Ash had a confused look on, but then realized what was going to happen.
"Swadloon, use Razor Leaf to stop Leaf Storm!" Ash extended his arm to the right as he yelled.
Swadloon did just that, but the Leaf Storm split into two and the other set charged at Oshawott, alarming Ash's friends. He's using our own trick against us, May said in her mind and her eyes widened.
Iris, Pikachu, Cilan, Hilbert, and Hilda were also as surprised while Ash frowned. "Oshawott, deflect as many leaves as you can with Razor Shell, Tepig, get in there quick and use Flame Charge to stop the Leaf Storm!" Ash shouted with a demanding tone.
"There's your mistake," Burgh chuckled. All of a sudden, Dwebble burst underneath Tepig and sent the pig crashing against the ground.
"Teeepig!" Tepig cried as it dropped to the ground, groaning in pain.
Ash became frustrated as Swadloon tried to fight one set of Leaf Storm while the other charged at Oshawott. The otter struggled to deflect all the leaves with its blades, some it managed to deflect, but others slashed at the Water-type. When the wave of energy leaves stopped, Oshawott gasped for air and dropped to its knees.
"Finish Swadloon with Hyper Beam," Burgh extended his arm forward. Ash, Pikachu, and the other teens gasped as Leavanny used Hyper Beam to destroy its Leaf Storm and blast Swadloon.
The beam vaporized all the leaves and shot Swadloon into the ground, causing a powerful explosion. When the smoke cleared, Swadloon smirked at the ceiling and then its eyes turned into swirls. "Swadloon is unable to battle," the ref stated.
Burgh chuckled and Ash returned his determined Bug-type. As Ash held its ball in his hand, he smiled, "Swadloon, thank you for a great effort, you were incredible and I think you deserve you're rest," the auburn-eyed teen grinned, putting away Swadloon. Ash turned to Pikachu and the two smiled, Pikachu grinned determinedly, without a word Pikachu rushed to the battlefield with a determined gaze.
The Bug-type user smiled and began to speak, "This is it, no more Pokémon, and I'm going to finish this Ash. It was a good battle."
"Burgh, I came here to win and I won't afford to lose, my Pokémon are going to battle the best they can and I'll be backing them up all the way, the Insect Badge is mine!" Ash proclaimed with strong confidence, at this point, Ash had his mind revolved only the battle, it was just him, Burgh and their Pokémon, it was the final part of the battle and Ash didn't plan to lose.
"Then let's go all out, Dwebble, use Dig, Leavanny, use String Shot on Pikachu!" Burgh extended his arm upward.
"Tepig, remain alert, Pikachu, you too, and Oshawott stop the String Shot with Razor Shell!" Ash commanded loudly.
Oshawott leaped between Pikachu and String Shot, the otter easily sliced through the string, but Burgh continued smirking. "Attack Tepig, Dwebble!" Burgh revealed who he was really targeting.
Ash grinded his teeth, Tepig was clearly unable to determine the spot from where Dwebble would strike and he spoke, "Oshawott, stop Dwebble quick with Aqua Jet!"
When Dwebble burst out, Tepig narrowly dodged and Oshawott charged at the Bug-type with full speed. The Water-type attack sent Dwebble crashing against the ground, knocking it out for good. "Dwebble is unable to battle!" the referee waved a flag.
Burgh gasped, having failed to see Oshawott's fierce and fast Aqua Jet. The gym leader smiled at Dwebble's Pokéball once it returned it and thanked it for its efforts. "Burgh is down to one Pokémon, and Ash has the advantage, it's in the bag," Hilbert made a fist of certainty.
"How will he get through Leavanny's attacks though, it's fast, strong, and has a good defense," Hilda stated, mentioning what made Leavanny, Burgh's strongest Pokémon.
"That's true, how will Ash beat Leavanny now?" Iris placed her finger on her chin as Axew wondered with her.
"We'll just have to wait and see," Cilan crossed his arms, pondering in thought as well.
May watched Pikachu, Oshawott, and Tepig, then at Ash. Knowing Ash for so long, after learning all my techniques from him, after training and battling with him, I think I have an idea as to what he has planned, the brunette thought in her mind, grinning confidently.
"This is it Ash, time to end this, Leavanny, use String Shot!" Burgh demanded.
"Gladly," Ash smirked, "Oshawott stop it with Razor Shell, Tepig, use Ember on Leavanny. Pikachu, use Electro Ball!" Ash declared his instructions.
"Snatch that shell and use Oshawott as a shield from Ember!" Burgh pointed at Oshawott, alerting Ash and his Pokémon. Before Oshawott could stop Razor Shell, Leavanny released its String Shot quickly and snatched it from the otter. The Nurturing Pokémon threw it on the other side of battle and wrapped its string around Oshawott.
Leavanny launched the tied Oshawott at Ember and countered the attack, making the otter drop to the ground as Ember canceled out. "Now use Protect," Burgh ordered calmly. Pikachu's Electro Ball failed to hit Leavanny in time and instead exploded on contact with the barrier.
"No way, you used Oshawott against Ember," Ash stared with disbelief as Oshawott groaned and got up.
"Indeed I did, but prepare for this, Leavanny swing over the three Pokémon with String Shot and shower them with Leaf Storm!" Burgh extended his arm forward.
"What?!" Ash got caught off guard by the command.
Leavanny used its string on a branch and swung over Ash's Pokémon. Leavanny then unleashed a Lead Storm on the trio. Ash grinded his teeth and made a command, "Tepig, use Ember to counter, Pikachu, protect yourself and Oshawott with Thunder, Oshawott, don't move an inch!" The auburn-eyed teen knew Oshawott didn't even have its scalchop to protect itself, so it had no choice, but to rely on Pikachu. Unfortunately, Leaf Storm shot out to quick and none of them were able to react in time. The trio flew all over the battlefield, Oshawott landed next to his scalchop, Tepig crashed against the dirt, while Pikachu landed near a tree.
Tepig had an unconscious gaze in his eyes and Oshawott tried to stand up while picking up its scalchop, but the otter had no energy left and dropped to the ground. "Tepig and Oshawott are unable to battle!' the referee said the obvious. Ash jaw dropped in frustration, realizing he was down to one Pokémon.
"The Dig used on Tepig and the Leaf Storm that hit Oshawott, left them weak, Leavanny was able to easily finish the job, it's a good thing Leavanny has a high Special Attack to use Leaf Storm so much. All that's left is Pikachu," Burgh smiled.
Ash grinded his teeth, not making a comment. Iris, Cilan, Hilbert, and Hilda dropped their jaws, becoming aware of how dire the situation was getting. May remained calm as usual though, she was certain Pikachu and Ash could defeat Burgh and Leavanny.
"That technique the String Swing, you mimicked Swadloon's technique," Ash said, knowing his own technique was responsible for the last attack Burgh used. Ash returned Oshawott and Tepig, thanking them for their efforts, but quickly focused on Burgh after.
"That's the thing about being an artist; you get inspired and come up with something. My Leavanny was able to amplify the original technique with higher speed and power, I knew by doing that, I'd gain leverage," Burgh smirked and spoke with a tranquil tone.
Pikachu stood up and glared at Leavanny, Ash noticed and then frowned at Burgh, "We're far from done Burgh, Pikachu, use Quick Attack on Leavanny!" Ash pointed at his opponent.
Pikachu braced itself and charged at incredible speed. "Protect," Burgh crossed his arms as Leavanny used a barrier that sent Pikachu flying back.
"You're out of tricks Ash, time to end this, Leavanny, use Hyper Beam!" Burgh extended his arm to the left while making his final move.
I know we didn't practice this move too much, but I'm betting my badge on it, Ash said to himself in his head. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt-Electro Ball!"
"A combination attack," Burgh noted after he heard the name.
Leavanny released Hyper Beam as Pikachu shot out Electro Ball from its tail. Pikachu sent the attack flying against Hyper Beam and frowned, it began to charge up electricity and shot out Thunderbolt with a powerful cry, "Piiiiikaaachuu!" the mouse shouted as the Thunderbolt charged up Electro Ball as it charged at Hyper Beam. Thunderbolt significantly increased the size and power of Electro Ball.
Electro Ball bashed through Hyper Beam, shocking Burgh and it hit Leavanny head on, causing a large explosion in front of the man. Hilbert, Hilda, Iris, Cilan, and Axew's jaws dropped when they saw the attack, while May grinned. "Way to go Ash!" May made a fist of joy and stood up from the bench.
The blast and the light faded, leaving nothing but an unconscious Leavanny in front of Burgh. Pikachu let out deep breaths, tired from having used up so much power. Ash smiled confidently and nodded at his partner, who grinned confidently as well.
"Leavanny is unable to battle, the victor is Ash!" the ref declared.
"Incredible," said Burgh, returning Leavanny with a face of disbelief. The man got his composure and turned to Ash; he smiled confidently and took out the Insect Badge.
"Excellent job Ash, you've proven yourself worthy of the Insect Badge," Burgh grinned and nodded with approval, the Castelia Gym Leader threw the badge at Ash, which he caught and the auburn-eyed teen held it proudly.
He lifted it into the air and cheered, "Alright, I got my Insect Badge!"
Pikachu got on Ash's shoulder and jumped with joy, "Pi pikachu!"
"Ash, that was phenomenal!" Hilbert ran up to the boy with his other friends.
"I've never seen anything," Hilda stated.
"Mmmmmuah!" May embarrassed him by rushing up and kissing his cheek with love.
Ash laughed as his face turn red and spoke to May, "Thanks May, your techniques helped out a lot."
"Anytime Ashy," May winked at him, making Ash blush and the others laughed.
"We didn't expect to use Pikachu's new attack like that so soon," Cilan stated Pikachu's final move.
"Yeah, it was really something else," Iris complimented Ash and Pikachu.
"Ax axew ax," Axew told Ash and Pikachu, complimenting them like her trainer.
"We weren't sure about it either, but it worked, thanks a lot pal," Ash smiled at his friend and scratched the back of his ear.
"Chaaaa," Pikachu grinned happily.
"The whole battle and your Pokémon surely were something extraordinary," Burgh walked over to them, crossing his arms and smiling at the teens, impressed by Ash's Pokémon.
Ash nodded and grinned at Burgh, "Thank you Burgh, you're Pokémon were really tough too."
"Congrats on the new badge, Ash," a familiar voice called the boy and they all turned around to see Professor Juniper with Ash's Tranquil on her shoulder. Next to her were Bianca and a very recognizable man.
"Professor Juniper, Bianca!" All of them stated with surprise, except for Burgh.
"Hey guys," Bianca waved at her friends.
"What are you doing here B?" Hilda asked her and Hilbert's childhood friend.
"We thought you might be at the lab with Professor Juniper," Hilbert put his hands behind his head.
"We thought the same about you professor," May approached the woman with Ash and the others.
"Looker, and what are you doing here?" Ash asked with surprise in his eyes.
Professor Juniper, Burgh, and Looker began to chuckle, confusing the teens, except Bianca. "First Ash let me congratulate you on getting the Insect Badge. Second, everyone I'm Looker, a member of the International Police."
"International Police!" the teens exclaimed, with the exception of Ash of course.
"Ash, how do you this guy?" May asked her boyfriend.
Ash chuckled, disregarding May's poor manners when she used the term, "this guy", and spoke, "I met him with Dawn and Brock back in Sinnoh, back then he was investigating criminal activity regarding Team Galactic."
"Oh," May replied and turned to Looker, "Nice to meet you, I'm May, from Hoenn."
"And I can tell you're the apple of Ash's eyes after seeing your little stunt. Nice to meet you, May," Looker chuckled, referring to the kiss May gave Ash on the cheek.
"I'm Iris," Iris greeted Looker with a smile.
"My name is Cilan," Cilan introduced himself.
"The name's Hilbert," Hilbert still had his arms behind his back.
"And I'm Hilda," Hilda introduced herself as well.
"Nice to meet you all," Looker smiled at them.
"It's nice to have the three of you here again after so long," Burgh looked at Bianca, Professor Juniper, and Looker.
Ash turned to Burgh in surprise, "Burgh, you know Looker?"
"Of course, all the Unova Gym Leaders know Looker from way back, he's well-known by the other gym leaders and Pokémon League members in the other regions as well," Burgh stated.
"But what is an International Police Officer doing here in Castelia, and why are you here Professor Juniper?" Iris asked the emerald-eyed woman.
"Yeah, what brings you here too Bianca?" Cilan questioned the blonde-haired girl.
"Not that we don't mind you coming here to congratulate me for the badge," Ash placed his arms behind his head and chuckled arrogantly.
"I don't think they're here for that Ash," May sighed and frowned at Ash for his attitude. Ash laughed nervously and dropped the cocky demeanor, receiving a frown from Pikachu as well because of his immaturity.
"We're happy that you won Ash," Bianca stated.
"But as happy as we are for being here for it," Professor Juniper spoke.
"There's another reason we came here and Burgh, Professor Juniper, and Bianca volunteered to help," Looker finished the statement.
Ash, May, and the others teens tilted their heads in confusion. "What would that be?" Ash inquired.
"I'll explain soon enough, sadly, there seems to be no way to draw you out of it," Looker focused his stern gaze on Ash and May, baffling them even more as to what he meant and confused the other teens as well. Professor Juniper, Bianca, and Burgh seemed to be the only ones aware of the unknown situation.
All of a sudden, the ground beneath them began to shake and a loud explosion was heard, causing the windows of the Castelia Gym to crack. "Actually, forget my explanation; you're about to find out right now!" Looker stated and rushed out of the gym with everyone behind him.
"What just caused that?" Iris ran, panic in her eyes.
"Whatever it was, it didn't sound friendly," Cilan stated, grinding his teeth.
Ash and May looked at each other sternly and then nodded, preparing for the worst. The couple could somehow sense that something bad was about to happen.