Chapter 12

The Green, Green Grass-Types of Home

My friends and I arrived in Coumarine City a few days ago to challenge Ramos, the Grass-type Gym Leader. Unfortunately, he told us the Gym was closed for the Festival of the Stone-Eyed Maiden, a week-long ceremony. It took a little persuasion, but Ramos accepted our Gym Battles.

In exchange, we were asked to help prepare for an important event regarding the festival. The afternoon before we would actually challenge the Gym Leader, we got to work. It was mostly general setup and decoration at the base of the Pledging Tree. We laid a series of bleachers out for a large crowd to sit down at. Diancie and I laid out a white carpet down the middle thereof, while most of the boys set up a small stage of sorts near the base of the tree.

As we neared the conclusion of our hard day's work, Brock looked around at all we accomplished. "Wait a minute..." He began. "I know this setup! We're preparing for a wedding, aren't we?"

The rest of us looked around, and as soon as we realized it. "A WEDDING!" Bonnie, Cocoa, Misty and I squealed. At that instant we already started to fantasize about it.

"Wedding dress..." I started.

"Wedding rings..." Cocoa added.

"Wedding cake..." Bonnie licked her lips.

"Wedding bouquet toss..." Misty sighed.

Ramos chuckled. "Well, technically, it's a mock wedding. A play of sorts to celebrate Jan and Aila's love for one another."

"Is this a tradition for Coumarine City?" Clemont asked.

"Nope. First time, actually."

Diancie smiled. 'So this is that "something special" you mentioned the other day!'

Ramos nodded. Then he took a quick look around. "This looks perfect. Well done, everyone, and thank you once again." With that, he started to walk toward the tree. "Come back here tomorrow. I'll be waiting to give you those Gym Battles."

As we walked down to South Coumarine, Brock spoke up. "We all worked really hard today, How about some ice cream? My treat!"

"Yippee!" Bonnie cheered as she held up her satchel. "Doesn't that sound yummy?"

"Denene/Sure does!" Dedenne and Squishy replied.

Then there was trouble. Out of nowhere, a Staraptor swooped down on us, trying (and failing) to snatch Bonnie's satchel. The first time, a lot of us jumped out of the way. As it came back to try again… "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash called. The Mouse Pokémon fired one at the Staraptor and scared it off.

Fortunately, nobody was hurt. Well, almost nobody. Midway through the sudden attack, I heard Cocoa cry in pain. She was sitting on the ground, clutching her leg. "Cocoa!" I rushed to her side. "Are you okay?!"

"What happened?!" Ramos asked.

My partner winced as she pulled her pawn away from her leg. "I think I twisted something on that landing..." she told us.

We waited for a good half hour at the Pokémon Center, before we saw Cocoa again. She had hobbled over to us in crutches, with the injured leg all bandaged up.

Nurse Joy and Wigglytuff followed her out to the lobby. "Cocoa's treatment is complete."

"Is that leg going to be okay?" I asked her.

Nurse Joy nodded. "I'd give it two or three days to heal up completely."

"Two or three days?!" Cocoa asked in disbelief. "But we have a Gym Battle with Ramos tomorrow!"

"Absolutely not! If you don't get enough rest, it'll take even longer to heal!"

I sighed. "Well, it'll be alright. I'll just postpone our Gym Battle until after the festival."

Diancie hobbled over and tugged my skirt. 'Now that I see how much you care for and love your Pokémon, you might not need to...' She then reached into her sleeve (If you can call it a sleeve) and pulled something out.

We were all surprised when we saw what she had. "A Mega Stone?!"

"Where did you find that?!" asked Clemont.

Then the Jewel Pokémon shook her head. 'I did not find it,' she began. 'I always had it. Even before I met any of you. Pabi told me it was a very special stone, and that I should always have it.'

I took a closer look at the Mega Stone, which glowed a bright pink as Diancie held it close. "I wonder..."

The next day was the second to final day of the festival. This would be the day that we would challenge Ramos and earn our fourth Gym Badge, and quite possibly the Grass-type Pure Heart.

Most of us were already awake, prepared, and willing to get right to it. Before we left the hotel we were staying in, I noticed something. "Wait. Where's Serena?"

Ash and I went up to her room. We knocked, and Grace allowed us to come in. We found her daughter right away… she was still sound asleep.

"Is she okay?" Ash asked.

Grace smiled. "She's fine. Yesterday took a bit of a toll on her, so I decided to let her sleep in." She looked at her daughter in a loving way. "I've never seen her so determined before, even during our Rhyhorn training."

Ash and I looked at one another and nodded. He tapped Grace's shoulder. "If she wakes up while we're gone, could you tell her we went to the Coumarine Gym?"

"I'll give her the message."

A short walk later, we arrived at the top of Coumarine Hill. I looked up at the Pledging Tree in awe. The mushrooms and vines covered the Tree, giving it the appearance of a running waterfall.

"I never would've guessed that the Pledging Tree served as the Coumarine City Gym as well," Misty commented.

"I guess that's what you'd expect from a Grass-type Gym Leader," Bonnie added.

"Then, let's get moving," Ash stated boldly. "First one to reach the top gets to challenge Ramos first!" He took off up one of the vines, and the rest of us followed.

Clemont groaned. "I should probably see a pulmonologist after this..."

Scaling the tree was like scaling a mountain, but with more wood and less stone. After a good fifteen minutes or so, we reached the top in exhaustion. Ash made it first, I was somewhere in the middle, and Clemont was still climbing for another minute or two.

From the top of the steep incline, we could already see the battlefield in the center, a greenhouse to the right, and some Berry shrubs surrounding the battlefield. The branches from the Pledging Tree surrounded us like a forest, and the only light that illuminated the area was the sun peering through the leaves.

"Wow..." Brock sighed. "This makes the Celadon City Gym pale in comparison…"

"Good afternoon, everyone!" came a sudden voice from behind. Ramos emerged from a doorway in one of the branches.

"Good morning, Ramos," Ash replied. "We've come for our Gym Battles, if you don't mind."

"Now, now. Don't be hasty," Ramos chuckled. "After all, you kids just climbed the largest tree in the nation. How about some tea first?"

We all kindly accepted his generous request. As we sat down at a table, he served the refreshments, telling us it was given to him as a gift. It was my first herbal tea, and I really enjoyed it.

Afterwards, Ash was about to make his request for a Gym Battle when suddenly...It would be wonderful if all of you helped me tend to my garden. Won't you?"

An unusual request, but we accepted. Misty, Bonnie and I watered the plants, while Ramos and Brock trimmed the branches. Ash, Clemont and Brock were asked to pull some weeds from below. This seemed to frustrate Ash. He was really looking forward to a Gym Battle.

"Look on the bright side, Ash," Misty smiled as she remembered something. "At leasT you don't have to dress up as Ashley for this Grass-type Gym."

Ash stared back coldly. "Ha, ha… I forgot how to laugh..." He started to yank out the weeds faster and more violently.

"Whoa! Stop right there!" Ramos stated, and Ash froze. "Young man, you musn't yank out the weeds so carelessly." He then kneeled down beside him to show what he meant. He pulled the weeds apart to reveal a couple young sprouts growing in between them. "See? If you get caught up with what's right in front of you, you may lose sight of what's need to observe closely with a calm mind, and then you'll be able to discern the important things, especially during Gym Battles."

Ash stared for a moment as Ramos gently pulled out the surrounding weeds. Then he smiled. "I understand. Thank you, Ramos, and I'm sorry."

"That's alright," the Gym Leader stood up. "Looks to me like you're ready for that Gym Battle now."

What Ash said next really surprised us. "That's okay… let's finish this up first."

Half an hour later, after we finished with Ramos garden, their Gym Battle was about to commence. Ash handed his Goomy to Bonnie. "Goomy, for now, I just want you to watch and learn, okay?" The Dragon-type replied in obedience as Ash approached the field.

Ramos' assistant stepped up to the midway line, ready to explain the rules. "BOth Trainers will have the use of three Pokémon. Furthermore, only the challenger will be permitted to substitute Pokémon." The referee then looked to his left. "Challenger Ash, you may present your first Pokémon when ready."

Without hesitation, Ash pulled out his first partner. "Fletchinder, I choose you!" ...and the Ember Pokémon soared onto the battlefield.

Ramos did the same as he revealed his first choice. "Now, Jumpluff, let's go!"

As we continued to watch, Dexter revealed Jumpluff's data.

Jumpluff
The Cottonweed Pokémon
A Grass and Flying-type

Jumpluff drifts around the world with the seasonal winds. It releases cottony spores as it travels.

"I guess it makes sense to use a Fire-type against a Grass-type," Bonnie stated.

I kneeled down to the Mythical Pokémon beside me. "Okay, Diancie," I started, "after this will be your first Battle against a Trainer. For now, let's pay close attention to how Ramos battles."

'Right,' she replied.

The referee raised a hand. "Battle BEGIN!"

Ash Ketchum VS Ramos Salerno
Fletchinder VS Jumpluff
Battle BEGIN!

"Fletchinder, use Flame Charge!" Ash began right away. Fletchinder appeared to catch fire as it swooped to its opponent.

"Use Cotton Guard!" Ramos called. Jumpluff's body glowed white, and puffs of cotton appeared around it. The puffs of cotton then disappeared in a puff of smoke, and Jumpluff glowed blue. Fletchinder's smashed into Jumpluff, landing a direct hit. But Jumpluff emerged from the smoke seemingly unscathed.

"No way!" Bonnie gasped. "But how?!"

"Cotton Guard is a status move that raises the user's defense," Brock told us, "so Jumpluff took less damage than it should have."

"Now, Sunny Day!" Ramos shouted. Jumpluff raised its hands into the air, causing the sun to shine brighter, with a bright beam of white light covering its body in the process.

"Steel Wing!" Ash called. Fletchinder's wings shined a striking silver as it charged, but with Ramos' command, Jumpluff evaded the attack with ease.

'Whoa, that's fast!' Squishy commented.

"It must be Chlorophyll," Misty chimed in. "It increases the Pokémon's speed in warm weather."

"But keep in mind," I reminded them, "this weather condition also increases the power of Fire-type moves."

"I know just what to do… Flame Charge!" Ash declared. Fletchinder flew rapidly toward Jumpluff, only to miss once again.

However, after Ash called it a second time, Fletchinder slammed into Jumpluff and dragged it into the branches. "Cotton Guard!" Ramos cried out, hoping for Jumpluff to defend itself. But it was already too late. After a bright light filled the trees, Jumpluff fell down and crashed onto the battlefield.

"Jumpluff is unable to battle," the referee announced. "Fletchinder is the winner."

Ash congratulated his Fletchinder as Ramos retrieved his Jumpluff via PokéBall. "A battle of speed against speed," Clemont commented, "and typical Ash."

Ramos smiled as he pulled out another PokéBall. "We're just warming up. Now, Weepinbell, come on out!" A bell-shaped creature appeared on the battlefield, which Dexter analyzed.

Weepinbell
The Flycatcher Pokémon
A Grass and Poison-type
Weepinbell sprays a poisonous pollen onto its prey to immobilize them, then swallows them whole.

"It looks strong," Brock commented, "but Fletchinder still has an advantage as a Fire-type."

The referee turned to his left. "Challenger Ash, will you substitute your Pokémon?"

"No, thank you," Ash replied. "I'll be sticking with Fletchinder for as long as I can."

"In that case, let the battle resume."

"Flame Charge!" Ash called as Fletchinder dove to his opponent.

But Ramos' Weepinbell dodged it swiftly. I suppose it had the ability Chlorophyll as well. As Ash's Fletchinder prepared another Flame Charge, Ramos smiled confidently. "Jump and use Poison Powder!" Weepinbell released a sparkling purple powder from its mouth. It was too late to dodge - Fletchinder flew right into it, becoming poisoned in an instant.

'Uh-oh...' Diancie muttered. 'He's trying to wear him out. What if that happens to us?'

But I gave her a reassuring hug. "Don't worry about that. You can't get poisoned if you keep your distance."

Fletchinder tried to recover from its poison for Ash's sake, but Ramos had other plans. "Now, use Razor Leaf!" Weepinbell released multiple green-glowing leaves from its body at the opponent. Since it was not really effective, Fletchinder was able to hold on.

"Flame Charge!" Ash commanded once again as Fletchinder made its move.

"Dodge it!" Ramos stated as Fletchinder jumped out of the way. "Now use Slam!" Weepinbell grabbed Fletchinder by the wing with one of its leaves and threw him to the ground. It was just enough to knock out the last of Fletchinder's HP.

"Fletchinder is unable to battle! Weepinbell is the winner!"

Ash rushed onto the battlefield, lifting Fletchinder carefully into its arms. "You were great, Fletchinder. Leave the rest to us..." He returned his partner into his PokéBall and went back to his end. Then he pulled out another of his PokéBalls and tossed it. "Hawlucha, I choose you!"

As the Wrestler Pokémon emerged onto the battlefield, Misty turned to me. "Hawlucha's a Fighting and Flying-type, right?"

I nodded. "So it has an advantage over Grass-type moves."

"Hawlucha, use Flying Press!" Ash called out. His partner leaped into the air and slammed on top of Weepinbell, causing some damage. "Way to go, buddy! Keep up the offense with High Jump Kick!" Hawlucha went airborne once again and began to drive his knee onto the opponent.

"Dodge and use Poison Powder!" Ramos shouted. Weepinbell jumped out of the way, and Hawlucha crashed into the ground, inflicting damage upon itself. To make matters worse, the Poison Powder flooded the area, poisoning Hawlucha with ease.

"Hang in there, Hawlucha!" Ash cried out.

"Razor Leaf!" Ramos called. Several tiny leaves slammed into Hawlucha, inflicting damage. Hawlucha would have dodged it, but the poisoning slowed him down. "Now, use Slam!" Just like before, Weepinbell tackled Hawlucha and slammed him into the ground.

"This can't be good," Bonnie whimpered.

Though Ash was not ready to go down without a fight. "Hawlucha, use Flying Press!" The Wrestler tried to do as his Trainer said, but the poisoning slowed him down.

Ramos smiled with confidence. "Grass Knot, let's go!" Weepinbell's eyes glowed light green. Then, two green-glowing vines grew out of the ground near where it was standing. The vines grabbed Hawlucha while he was still airborne and slammed him into the ground.

"Hawlucha!" Ash cried. Fortunately the slam was not enough to deplete its endurance. "Hawlucha, way to hang in there! Now, use High Jump Kick!" Hawlucha then performed a double backflip and kicked Weepinbell right between the eyes.

Ash was feeling pleased with his Pokémon's prowess. But that fell short when… "Use Slam now! Before Hawlucha can get away!" The opponent wrapped its leaves around the Wrestler and let him have it. And that was that.

"Hawlucha is unable to battle! Weepinbell wins again!"

Ash was now behind by one Pokémon. He had only one Pokémon left. I knew Goomy was not battling, and his Frogadier had a disadvantage with Grass-types. So my best bet was that Pikachu would be Ash's final choice.

...but I was wrong. "Frogadier! I choose you!" He pitched the PokéBall at the battlefield, and the Bubble Frog Pokémon emerged therefrom.

This had me boggled. "What're you playing at, Ash?" I muttered quietly.

"It's all on you, Frogadier! Use Water Pulse!" Frogadier launched the projectile at Weepinbell, who dodged it and landed at the center of the battlefield. "Double Team!" A series of copies popped in and they all started running around in a large circle around the opponent.

"Weepinbell, Grass Knot." At that moment, Ramos' partner closed its eyes, confusing all of us. It sat there for a moment as the Frogadiers continued to run. Then the Flycatcher opened its glowing eyes. In an instant, the vines emerged in front of the real Frogadier, tripping it.

Ash was flabbergasted, just like we all were. "How'd-?! What-?! How did you do that?!"

Ramos laughed. "You can use Double Team all you want, but you can't fool us. Razor Leaf!" Weepinbell launched the projectiles.

"Water Pulse!" The sphere of water countered the oncoming attack.

"Poison Powder!" A cloud of purple mist engulfed the area.

But before it could reach Frogadier… "Use your Frubbles as a mask!" Ash called out. Frogadier pulled his Frubble scarf over his nose and mouth. The Poisonous gas covered Frogadier, but he came out completely unscathed.

Everyone smiled, even the Gym Leader. "Okay, now I've seen everything."

"That's Ash for you," Brock laughed. "Always thinking outside the box."

"Double Team, again!" Frogadier and its ethereal copies began to encircle Weepinbell once again.

"This again? Grass Knot!" Ramos said confidently.

This time, Ash really paid attention to Weepinbell's eyes. As soon as they opened… "Jump, and use Aerial Ace!" Frogadier's arms turned into long blue knives, which slashed the opponent and its Grass Knot. When the dust settled, Weepinbell had collapsed.

"Weepinbell is unable to battle! Frogadier is the winner!"

Now each side was down to just one Pokémon left. Everything depended on which one Ramos would use next. I had to wonder - Would it be Gogoat? Or did he have some trump card up his sleeve to fare against Frogadier?

I got my answer soon enough. "Go, Go, Gogoat!" The Mount Pokémon appeared on the battlefield.

"Use Double Team!" Ash stated. The encirclement began.

"Mow then down with Vine Whip!" Ramos' Gogoat spawned two vices from the tuft in its next and swung them around in a circle, poofing them all until the real Frogadier was slapped.

"Aerial Ace!" Frogadier charged at Gogoat, arms at the ready.

"Razor Leaf!" Ramos' Gogoat spawned a series of leaves from its mane. But this time, they spun around him, forming a fierce whirlwind. I had never seen a Razor Leaf like this one before.

Frogadier slashed through the whirlwind, hoping to strike down the enemy, but when the dust settled, Gogoat was just gone. We had no idea where he went… until another barrage of leaves attacked Frogadier from above. Then Gogoat emerged from the branches above.

"Double Team!" Another swarm of Frogadier appeared out of thin air. This one had more Frogadier than the other few combined. It seemed that Frogadier himself was improving its move with every use.

But Ramos seemed unscathed. "Leech Seed!" Gogoat spat out a seed, and as it soiled itself, it quickly sprouted into a large plant that struck all of Frogadier's copies.

Fortunately, it missed Frogadier himself. "Aerial Ace!" With Gogoat distracted, the move landed a direct hit.

"Not bad," Ramos commented. "So what's next? Our Horn Leech!" Gogoat lowered its head and its horns started to glow green. It then fired two green beams from its horns at the opponent. When the attack hit Frogadier, sparkling green orbs of energy fly out of him and into Gogoat.

"What was that?" Bonnie asked.

"Horn Leech," Misty told her. "It does damage to an opponent and heals its user at the same time."

"No fair!"

"All's fair in a Pokémon Gym Battle."

"Leech Seed, now!" Ramos commanded. Gogoat sprouted another plant that enveloped Frogadier and drained him of his energy. Seconds later, the plant dropped him. "Gogoat is able to use that move so well because we believe in one another a hundred percent."

"Oh, man… what am I gonna do?" Ash knew that he believed in his Pokémon too, but he was beginning to succumb to the pressure and started losing hope of winning the battle.

Pikachu on the other hand, had not. (Ash!) As he spoke, Squishy translated. (Don't give up, yet, Ash! Remember, you guys took on Korrina's Lucario and won! That was your first battle against Mega Evolution, no less! He did something even I haven't done yet! I believe in you, Ash, and so should you!)

After a few seconds, Ash smiled. "Thanks, buddy..." He took a deep breath and turned his attention to the Bubble Frog. "Frogadier! We're gonna win this one! I promise!" That seemed to be all the encouragement they needed. "Aerial Ace, let's go!" Frogadier prepped the attack.

But before he could execute… "Let's wrap this up with Razor Leaf!" Ramos commanded. This time, the whirlwind encircled Frogadier as Gogoat ran around him. As Frogadier tried to attack Gogoat, the latter launched Razor Leaf after Razor Leaf at its opponent. The Bubble Frog fended off the attack with his Aerial Ace, and lost sight of Gogoat in the process.

Ash tried to assist him in finding Gogoat, but he was about as successful as his Pokémon. Then he remembered what Ramos said before… "Calm your mind… discern the important things..." I barely heard him say. Then he cried out to the vortex. "Frogadier! Ignore the Razor Leaf! Feel Gogoat's presence in the other side of it!" The one on the battlefield was surprised at first, but did as told. He closed his eyes and listened to the opposite side of the whirlwind as the move slowly chipped away at his HP.

Then I could tell that he spotted it. "Now! Let him have it!" Ash called out. Frogadier charged through the vortex and struck Gogoat with a direct hit. "Double Team!" A series of copies emerged.

"That won't work! Vine Whip!" Gogoat spun its vines and struck all the copies… but it missed Frogadier itself.

"Water Pulse!" Ash stated. The Water-type fired a hit that landed between the eyes of the Grass-type. Even though Frogadier was at a clear disadvantage, the move was just enough to knock his opponent out.

"Gogoat is unable to battle!" The referee held his hand out toward his left. "The team of Ash Ketchum wins!"

The rest of us cheered as Frogadier leaped at Ash in a congratulatory tackle. Goomy, it seemed, was near speechless.

A few moments later, Ash and Ramos met at the center of the battlefield. The former held out his hand. "That was a fantastic battle. I am impressed by your strategy."

"Thanks, but I mostly owe it to your words of wisdom," Ash replied as they shook hands, "about focusing on what was more important."

Ramos chuckled. "You got me, whippersnapper. Now..." He received a tray from his assistant. "...here's proof of your victory here - the Plant Badge."

"Thank you," Ash quietly received the Badge and placed it in his case. Then he turned back to us. "Okay, Diancie! Now, it's your turn!"

'Right,' she replied. 'My first battle… Now that it's time, I'm a little nervous...'

Ash gently rubbed her head. "It'll be fine. Just focus on Brianna's voice, and you've got nothing to worry about." Diancie nodded in reply as we began to take our position.

After a fierce battle against Ramos, Ash won his fourth Kalos Gym Badge. Up next, my first official battle with Diancie. Will we prevail with the disadvantage against Rock-types? Does Ramos actually hold one of the Pure Hearts? And if not the Grass-type, which one? The answers to come as the journey continues...

MEANWHILE...

It took quite a lot of persuasion, but Serena was able to convince Nurse Joy to let Cocoa come to the Pledging Tree and witness Diancie's potential Mega Evolution. Her primary condition was that Cocoa herself would not leave the wheelchair she let them borrow. Along the way, they reunited with Shauna, who wanted to see the same thing. Unfortunately for them, they barely missed the monorail. And the one coming down would not arrive for quite some time. So they just had to walk up the hill instead.

About halfway up the steep hill, Serena was feeling winded and came to a halt. "I swear, every incline we climb seems to get one step higher than the last one."

Cocoa set the brakes on her wheelchair. "At least you don't have to push me," she stated as she shook her arms.

Before they could resume their climb, Shauna noticed something. In the distance, she could see a shape from the distance. She was barely able to aim her own Pokédex at it before it disappeared.

Absol
The Disaster Pokémon
Long ago, superstitions were spread about it, saying it brought disaster. In actuality, this Pokémon possesses a calm disposition and warns people of any crises it detects with its horn.

"An Absol?" Shauna wondered. "I didn't think they lived this far north..." Then she had an idea, which she quickly shared. "Serena! Why don't you try to catch it?! An elegant Pokémon like Absol would do wonders for you in the next Showcase!"

Serena herself was surprised. "Me? What about you?"

"Nah! I have too many Pokémon as it is. Think of this as my consolation gift to you."

She smiled. "Aw, thank you, Shauna!" She proceeded around the hill, and Shauna followed, pushing Cocoa along the way.

The three girls searched for a good twenty minutes, but found nothing. "I know I saw it. The Pokédex registered it." She leaned against a wall of vines to think about where it may have gone… only to discover there was no wall, just vines. She fell backwards into a hidden cave.

"Shauna!" Serena rushed in to help her up. "Are you okay?"

"I think so..." She then looked back into the darkness. "This must be Absol's cave! Come on!"

The three girls carefully made their way into the cave, guided by the light in Serena's guidebook. It was just barely safe enough to wheel Cocoa in with them. A few minutes into the cave, they found themselves in what looked like a large natural well. It stretched up to about twenty feet high on each stretch of incline, with shallow pools of water everywhere.

But what truly stood out to the three girls was what stood at the center of the well.

"It… can't be..."

STAY TUNED...