"I know I should get used to it, but big cities sure have a different feel to them," Ash couldn't help but say as the towering buildings of Celadon City greeted them, a feeling Pikachu shared as he looked up in wonder.

"You never left Pallet Town much growing up?" Misty asked with a mischievous chuckle.

"I left Pallet Town a few times, I've even been to other Regions, but yeah, I've spent most of my life in Pallet," Ash said.

"That's true. Most of the time when our families met up it was in the more rural or small towns. Though can't say I ever minded," Cedric chuckled…right before he grimaced as a scent hit his nose. "Ugh…and now I remember why smaller towns are nicer sometimes…" he groaned, right as Ash grimaced as well.

"What's that smell?" Ash groaned as well.

"I think it came from those girls that just walked by," Brock said, looking lovestruck as always while Misty sniffed the air and smiled.

"I think you're right, it must be their perfume," she said…right before she looked at Ash and Cedric who were both covering their noses and sweat dropped. "Oh yeah…I guess perfume must not agree with you two," she winced.

"There are certain downsides canines like us have to go through," Ash grumbled.

"Be glad you're a Vaporeon. Their sense of smell is the weakest of the Eeveelutions," Cedric said.

"...are you two going to be okay?" Brock asked.

"Oh we'll be fine…as long as nobody goes spraying something like that perfume at us. That or we start wearing makeshift masks," Ash said.

"Glad to hear that at least," Misty sweat dropped.

"Anyway, don't let us stop you if you want to enjoy the scents," Cedric said.

"Yeah, I'll just go scout out the Gym first," Ash said, before he looked at Pikachu, giving his partner the silent question.

Pikachu thought about it for a moment, before sniffing the air. He didn't find the smells unpleasant, but if he got too close to the source that might change. With that in mind he simply climbed up Ash's shoulder, making his answer clear.

"Okay then, we'll be scoping out the Gym. I'm curious to see what Gym Leader Erika is like myself honestly," Cedric chuckled. Even if he had little interest in the Pokemon League, he was a Trainer too.

"Okay then, let's meet up at the Pokemon Center in say…how does three hours sound?" Brock said.

Nobody had any objections, so the group went their separate way for now.

XXXX

Finding the Celadon City Gym wasn't hard. Pretty much everyone knew where it was, and there were even conveniently placed maps of the city for travelers. When they got there though…

"...so uh…" Cedric coughed awkwardly. "It's an…interesting design," he said.

"You're being nice. It's the flower of a Gloom," Ash said dryly, as true enough the Celadon City Gym DID in fact have a section of the roof that was for some reason designed to look like a Gloom. Pikachu sweat dropped as well.

"Well look at it this way…at least you got a big hint at what Pokemon line she's likely to use I guess?" Cedric sweat dropped. "...think they'll allow your Pokemon to wear nose plugs though?" he added, remembering that while not as bad as say Grimers or Muks…Gloom and Vileplume were a close second.

"I'll pack some just in case," Ash sighed before they soon went into the Gym. Like with all the others, there was a section that functioned as a normal gym, as well as spots for Pokemorphs or Pokemon to spar. However, the unique part of this Gym was very clearly the fact that it doubled as a greenhouse. Heck, one might argue it was more of a greenhouse than it was a Gym considering that the receptionist explained to them that there were other levels of the Gym which due to the plants being cultivated in said levels, weren't open to the general public.

In short, it was quite different than the other Gyms Ash had been to up till now. Still, that didn't change what they were here for, which was why Ash and Cedric were soon exploring the Gym further, though there was a slight issue.

"Oookay, not that I'm complaining, but I'm not the only one who feels like I walked into a daycare, right?" Cedric whispered to Ash.

"I'm right there with you," Ash sweat dropped, though Pikachu seemed to be having fun, as they found themselves somehow partaking in a bit of storytime with a group of kids as in front of the class was a Bellossom Pokemorph. She had short dark blue hair which had a hair band keeping it in place and her species' signature flowers poking out of her hair. She was dressed in a simple but elegant kimono that made one think of a female of culture. This was the Gym Leader of the Celadon City Gym, Erika Tamamushi.

The two teenagers clapped politely to follow the kids as Erika brought her story to a close, Pikachu having a few tears in his eyes as it WAS a rather touching story. Still, that didn't quite get rid of the awkwardness that was the whole situation, as rather than watching Erika's skills as a Trainer…they'd ended up getting a different type of view of her…granted it was one that showed why she was well liked amongst the Gym Leaders of Kanto.

Didn't change how awkward it was for a pair of teenagers to be amongst a bunch of kids. Still, no sense in ruining it for the kids by being obstinate, hence why the two just played along. Eventually the class was over and the kids were now having some free time as they interacted with the Pokemon inside of the gym as well as learning a few things about the various Pokemon from the various assistants in the Gym.

"I must say it was quite a surprise to see the two of you in class," Erika giggled a bit as she was now talking to Ash and Cedric. "Am I right to assume you were here for different reasons?" she asked rhetorically.

"Pretty much, yeah," Ash admitted.

"Well seeing as you didn't challenge me to a Gym Battle the first chance you got, I think you'll have a pretty good chance," Erika chuckled. "You'd be surprised-"

"How many Trainers rush into a Gym Battle thinking they can win on the first try?" Ash finished before she could. "Yeah, my parents kind of drilled it into my head that that's setting yourself up to lose. Royally," he snorted.

"I'm guessing you get a lot of those?" Cedric smirked a bit.

"A few every week, yes," Erika giggled a bit. "Unfortunately I'm afraid you won't be getting any advantages today. I'm not accepting Challengers today on account of agreeing to use my Gym as a place for the kids from the local school to spend the day. A sort of field trip if you will," she explained.

"Fair enough. I can always challenge you another day anyway," Ash chuckled a bit. "Though since we're on topic, can I ask how many Pokemon we'd use in our Match?" he said as he opened his jacket a bit to reveal the four Badges he'd already obtained.

"Hm…I see you've managed to get a Badge from Sabrina. Impressive," Erika nodded. "For Trainers with four badges, I prefer making it 3 on 3, so choose wisely," she smiled.

"I'll keep that in mind," Ash nodded, grateful for her willingness to tell him that much. "We'd better go though, we're supposed to meet our friends at the Pokemon Center."

"I will be awaiting your Challenge," Erika chuckled a little as they soon left the Gym.

XXXX

"Talk about bad luck that you had to try scouting the gym the one day she wasn't taking challengers," Misty couldn't help but say as the group was now gathered at the Pokemon Center.

"Well, it can't be helped," Ash sighed while Pikachu shrugged on his shoulder. "All we can do now is…" he trailed off when he felt something moving in his backpack…and a small glow was coming from it too.

"What's up with your bag?" Cedric blinked in surprise as Ash quickly put his bag down and opened it to retrieve the incubator that held the Pokemon Egg he'd gotten from the S. S. Anne.

"Hey, it's your Egg. It's hatching!" Brock gasped, to which they all quickly rushed the egg to Nurse Joy.

The moment she saw the glowing egg she didn't need to hear more and quickly moved everyone to the room that was prepared for such occasions. The egg was soon placed on the special table with a few monitors hooked to it to monitor the egg's condition, while everyone waited with baited breaths.

The egg continued to glow before said glow became brighter and cracks started forming on the egg's shell, followed by a bright light that had them all avert their gaze. The light soon died down and when they looked back, their eyes widened with a mix of wonder and joy at the sight of the newly born Pokemon. It's body was an icy blue color, and while it looked a bit odd at first, the group quickly realized the Pokemon looked VERY similar to a Sandshrew.

"Is this a Shiny Sandshrew?" Misty blinked.

"No, I believe it's an Alolan Sandshrew," Nurse Joy said, quite surprised as well.

"Let's make sure," Ash said as he took out his Pokedex. "Sandshrew, Alolan Form, the Mouse Pokemon. This is a version of Sandshrew that is native to the Alola Region, and is thus an Ice/Steel Dual Type Pokemon. Alolan Sandshrews evolved to adapt to the colder areas of Alola after migrating to avoid volcanic activity. Their hides are strong as steel and allow them to move quickly on snow and ice."

"So the Egg you got was from Alola. Who'd have thought," Brock chuckled as by now Sandshrew was sniffing around curiously, looking eager to explore the world now that it had hatched.

Pikachu hopped off of Ash's shoulder and was soon on the table as he went over to the newborn Pokemon and cheerfully greeted it. Sandshrew seemed unsure at first, but Pikachu was patient and after a few minutes of interacting, Sandshrew seemed to slowly trust him. Seeing that Ash slowly stepped closer, and while Sandshrew seemed unsure at first, as it slowly sniffed the hand Ash extended, it seemed to start to trust him, enough so that he could slowly pet his new Pokemon, Sandshrew clearly enjoying it.

"There's a cute sight," Misty chuckled.

"A Trainer and their newborn Pokemon is always a lovely sight," Nurse Joy smiled. "If I may?" she asked as she moved closer.

"Ah, right," Ash nodded, understanding what she wanted as he moved aside, letting Nurse Joy examine Sandshrew. Fortunately she found nothing wrong with Sandshrew and thus gave the Pokemon a clean bill of health.

XXXX

"Huh, for a newborn he's really energetic," Brock couldn't help but say as right now the group was in a nearby park, their Pokemon free to run around…and amongst said group, Sandshrew (confirmed to be male) was one of the most energetic of all.

"Well, Nurse Joy DID say he was perfectly healthy," Ash chuckled a bit.

"Then you've got quite the Pokemon to raise," Cedric chuckled as right now Jeffrey was giving some of the smaller Pokemon, including Sandshrew a ride right now. "So, back to the other issue at hand, what's your plan?"

"Well, I know at least that I can use three Pokemon. Two of them are obvious. Pidgeotto and Charmander would really be helpful in my Battle," Ash mused. "Though… Lampent could also use a proper battle debut as well." he said, before looking at Sandshrew "MAYBE Sandshrew too if possible."

"You sure about that?" Brock frowned. "I mean, I know Pokemon ARE able to fight from…practically after birth, but still…"

"I did say 'if possible'," Ash said a bit dryly. "I'm not exactly a fan of sending a newborn out to fight either. It's just that Lampent might have the right Type, but she doesn't really have any offensive Fire moves," he frowned.

"That IS a problem," Cedric hummed.

"And that's a problem…why?" Misty blinked. When they looked at her in confusion, to which she quickly clarified. "We're in Celadon City. You know, home of the biggest Shopping Mall in all of Kanto. I'm pretty sure finding a TM for Lampent should be easy enough."

"Huh…good point," Ash blinked.

XXXX

The Shopping Mall was easy enough to find, but with an immediate goal in mind, the group didn't spend too long looking. Ash quickly browsed and picked what he needed, buying a technical machine for Flamethrower, and along the way he was able to get his hands on a Dusk Stone and an Ice Stone for his new Pokemon. If the two of them ever felt like wanting to evolve, he could at least give them the option to do so now.

With that said, it was time for some training. Quickly finding an open area for that, Ash wasted no time in using the Technical Machine on Lampent, as she seemed quite pleased to learn Flamethrower, even doing a few practice shots. When the training began, while Ash was a bit more focused on the Pokemon that would be able to help him a lot in the upcoming match, he made sure everyone on hand was getting some training. Just because this was the Celadon Gym didn't mean that she wouldn't have some variety to her Pokemon. If anything he should expect the possibility she would have a Pokemon that didn't quite fit into her aesthetic in order to throw challengers off. Granted that was unlikely seeing as the whole point of a Gym was to be hard but beatable, but still his parents had taught him it paid to consider that.

Training was…fairly straight forward. Knowing how Grass Pokemon worked, he made sure to have his Pokemon practice dodging, because even with their type advantage, if they were hit with Status Moves then that would be a big dent in the battle plan. He also took time to train Sandshrew, the little Pokemon showing to be very eager to fight. Whether or not he would allow that…remained to be seen.

Shaking his head, he focused on the training of the Pokemon he was most likely to pick for the Gym. Up above he saw Pidgeotto doing several aerial drills, aiming to focus on her evasion. As she trained, Ash couldn't help but idly wonder how long it might be before she Evolved. On the ground he saw Sandshrew quickly darting in and out of the ground to avoid some weak shots from Charmander who admittedly wasn't trying too hard to hit Sandshrew, but Ash wasn't going to raise any issues with that. As long as Charmander aimed close enough that Sandshrew would need some effort to dodge, it counted as training.

At the same time Lampent was practicing her new Move, wanting to be able to get it right when the time comes. At the same time Ash had asked for a bit of help, his friends having made a makeshift training device for evasion, which the Pokemon were using intermittently to help raise their speed and evasion. All in all, the training was going smoothly, and Ash was feeling pretty confident.

XXXX

Training went smoothly and thus Ash decided to give the Celadon Gym a try the next day. After confirming that yes, Erika WAS indeed accepting challengers today, the group were soon at the Celadon City Gym. "I know it's not the first time I've been here, but it really hammers in how each Gym is kind of a reflection of the Gym Leader," Misty chuckled.

"Not like our Gyms aren't the same," Brock chuckled. "Though having a Gym that's also a greenhouse…yeah, that's definitely Erika."

"Don't suppose you got any hints to share?" Ash asked half jokingly.

Brock and Misty snorted at that. "Well if you WANT a hint, let's just say you're not gonna be muscling through the Gym Challenge this time," Misty chuckled.

"So it's one of the Challenges that test the brain rather than the body," Cedric mused. "You gone through any of those yet?"

"Nope, this is my first one," Ash frowned a bit. "All the others were obstacle courses of one kind or other."

"That's because everyone you've faced to this point…we're all Fighters. Erika isn't. Let's just say brain challenges are more likely when the Gym Leader isn't a Fighter," Brock nodded.

"Well, whatever it is, bring it on," Ash smirked, while Pikachu pumped his paw eagerly as well. Even if he likely wasn't going to be fighting, he shared in the enthusiasm.

Like with the other times, Ash simply registered at the receptionist and was ushered to the Challenge area. Quickly changing to his Fighter Outfit even though he wasn't expecting a fight this time around, Ash and Pikachu soon found themselves in a section of the Gym they didn't see the other time…specifically what appeared to be a large hedge maze, one that covered the practically the entire floor of the large area…and the stairs that would take him down to the beginning of the maze. The task was obvious, but since naturally JUST making it through the hedge maze would be too easy, he was given a watch…one that was set to start counting down the moment he entered the maze. The countdown was set to 1 hour, meaning that's all the time he had to clear it. Before he'd gone down the stairs he had taken a moment to look at the maze, hopefully that look would help him get an idea of where he needed to go, and he also noticed that the area they were in had four distinct large stone discs that each had the carving of an Oddish, a Gloom, a Vileplume, and a Bellossom respectively. He noted that the Bellossom was over the start of the maze, while the Gloom was over the exit of the maze. "Nice of them to give us landmarks," Ash chuckled. "You ready, Pikachu?"

Pikachu nodded with a determined 'Pi!', and the two were soon off. The moment they crossed a boundary, the watch started counting down. As expected, the maze wasn't easy. The twist and turns certainly confused them a few times, but the presence of the markers made it so they never got TOO lost. Still, the maze's nature and the time limit was certainly making this harder. The feeling of urgency spurred them on at a faster pace.

As time went on Ash quickly realized what the challenge here was. A challenge of keeping your cool even in a pressing situation…and right now he was wishing he could have just gotten an obstacle course or something, because half an hour had passed and while they were making progress….he estimated they were only halfway through the maze at best.

"Okay, yeah…this is actually hard," he wiped the sweat off his brow, a mix of running…and the nervousness that comes from watching precious time tick away little by little. "We need another approach. Any ideas?" he asked Pikachu. He wasn't fully sure that was a good idea, but well…it was either that or they'd lose the challenge.

Pikachu frowned as he thought about it, before he realized a simple way of doing things. With his small size, it was easy for him to climb up the hedge maze and perch himself on the walls. Looking around quickly, he soon started pointing out directions.

"Okay, not fully sure this is okay…but they didn't tell us what we COULDN'T do either," Ash sighed a bit. "Alright, lead the way, buddy."

Pikachu didn't waste time doing just that. Now that he could see over the walls, it was easy enough for him to point Ash into the right direction, but even then the maze was pretty long. As it turns out they hadn't even been half way through when they got this idea…and boy was Ash glad he'd let Pikachu do the leading, because when they FINALLY reached the exit, the time on the watch told him they had less than 3 minutes left. Not TOO bad, but still cutting it close.

Getting through the doors and thus clearing the challenge, Ash and Pikachu were…a bit more tense than usual. The reason for that being that Ash was half expecting some kind of message or someone telling him that they'd failed the Challenge due to technically not completing the maze the intended way…but to their pleasant surprise, none came.

"Huh…was what we did allowed?" Ash mused, to which Pikachu shrugged. Still neither of them were going to look a gift horse in the mouth, and quickly started preparations for the next part of this. It was time to face Erika.

After a bit of time in the designated waiting room, Ash soon heard his name be called, and they were soon in what appeared to be Erika's field of choice though…

"Uh…is it really okay for us to be fighting in a greenhouse?" Ash couldn't help but ask.

Erika chuckled a bit. "Yes, I have a very good sprinkler system in place, and even then…" she answered before pressing a switch and a reinforced glass wall rose up from the ground around the field. "I have precautions in place," she nodded.

"Glad to hear it. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night if one of my team accidentally burned down a Pokemon Gym," Ash snorted a bit, picking up that he'd apparently asked her a question she'd heard often enough. "Oh and just to make sure, I cleared that Challenge, right?"

"You did. You cleared the Maze within perfectly acceptable conditions," Erika nodded. "Now then, are you prepared? "

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't," Ash smirked a bit as he readied for the Battle. It was time for him to truly Challenge the Celadon Gym.