Chapter 18

Now we finish lunch, we decide to train my Pokemon, and Serena suggests that we try to fish some Pokemon, we think there's another water type for us to capture so we can easily go through the Rock Type gym.

However, I get a bite and it turns out to be a Skrelp, a Poison and Water type, but it seems to be injured. Bonnie tries to put on the bandage, but Skrelp is so scared that it fires a Sludge Bomb at us, we have to hide behind the rock. "Why is it so mad?" Elline asks.

"Maybe it thinks we're its enemies!" Serena says.

"We're not." Pikachu tries to stop the Skrelp, but it is hit by the Toxic attack and now it is poisoned. The Skrelp then swims off, and we quickly bring it back to Ambrette City's Pokemon Center to heal up, but on the way, we come across a van and there is a couple who have the Antidote that can help us.

After they help us, we thank the couple, and after introducing ourselves, the man says, "My name's Eddy, and this is my wife."

"I'm Lindsey. Nice to meet you. Eddy and I are underwater archeologists." They reveal that they're diving underwater because there seems to be a sunken ship called S.S. Cussler, it sank due to hitting an iceberg many years ago. They reveal that the Cussler may sit off the Muraille Coast because of strong underwater currents.

We decide to help search the ship as well, and they reveal that they're a bit shorthanded at the moment, but we also need to listen to them because the whole trip could be dangerous.

When we go on the ship, we find a lot of whirlpools, but after a while, the whirlpools disappear. I say, "They're just like the whirlpools back at our Water Manor in Johto..."

"That's because the intersecting currents that create those whirlpools change regularly, as usual, they're right on schedule. You shouldn't be seeing them for a while now."

Eddy continues to sail ahead, and soon we arrive at their dive spot. Lindsey prepares to enter the submarine and has to break the news to us that there is only room for two other people to join her.

David decides to decide by using a Lottery machine, and it turns out that both Serena and I win the lottery and are the only two to go on the ship. David says, "Well, guess that's it."

Then both Serena and I go into the submarine with Lindsey, and we are amazed at the Water Pokemon in the water. Serena notices the Skrelp and says, "Hey, is that the same Skrelp?"

"I think you're right. There's the bandage." I say. "I'm so glad it found its friends."

"Yeah." Just then, the submarine is suddenly caught up in the current, which causes an interference with the communication system. However, Lindsey isn't fazed by it but is instead excited that their theory about how the Cussler got swept away is proving to be correct.

We were worried that the submarine would go too close to the sunken ship, and we also noticed the Skrelp following the sunken ship. Lindsey decides to follow them, and we notice a distinctive Milotic emblem on the ship's hull, which Eddy confirms is the Cussler.

"Look! Dragalge!" Serena says. "They are Dragon Type Pokemon, right?"

"Yeah..." I say.

Lindsey then states that the Dragalge appears to fusing the two ships together as a group of Luvdisc, Chinchou, and Remoraid emerge from the Cussler and begin playing with the group of Skrelp. Eddy explains that the Dragalge used Acid to fuse the two ships together to create one whole structure for a bigger home.

However, we notice a light coming, and it turns out that there are pirates who try to steal the treasure, they have been trying to destroy the ship so that they could get the treasure. Serena says, "So they are pirates?"

"Yeah... I think they're after the treasure in the sunken ship..." Lindsey says, "Let's follow them."

We sneak behind them, but then we find that Skrelp and Dragalge are glaring at us, thinking that we're with the pirates. They try to attack with Acid, and I yell, "Stop it! We're on your side!"

The Skrelp that we know recognizes us and she quickly stops the others from attacking us. And then they try to go over to the pirates. When we find the pirates trying to open the safe, we yell, "Stop right there!"

"What is the meaning of you breaking into this ship?" Lindsey asks.

"Tch... we're here for the treasure of course." The captain says, not fazed that we're here.

"How do you think you're going to get away with that?" Serena demands.

"You're so dense. We'll blast it of course!" The captain takes out some sort of remote and we find that his crew already set the bombs there. Once they throw the smoke bombs, they try to use it as a cover to escape and bring the safe with them. Instead of chasing them, I have Froakie chase after the Skrelp to stop the pirates while we're back to the submarine.

The safe breaks through the hull walls of the ship, creating a hole. Lindsey fears the shipwreck will collapse from taking on too much water. We are not going to let this happen, so we have the Dragalge and other Water Pokemon to help out. The Pokémon try to hold the Cussler up, but change strategy after we suggest they seal it shut with a metal plate. The Dragalge uses Acid to attach the metal seal to the Cussler, which does the trick as the structure stops collapsing.

Eddy radios in, glad to hear that the Cussler is safe, but warns Lindsey that the whirlpools are scheduled to return again. When we get back to the surface, we can't find any pirates, but we find Froakie and Skrelp both trapped in a whirlpool.

"Oh no!" I gasp.

"Even Water-types can't withstand a whirlpool." Lindsey says.

"Froakie! You've gotta jump!" I yell.

Froakie orders Skrelp to get on its back before making several jumps across several bits of debris. After successfully jumping, Froakie finishes off with one last big jump and is safely caught by us, and everyone is relieved that they are both alright.

"You guys are awesome." I say.

After that, Skrelp wants to join our team, and we capture the Skrelp, while the others bid farewell to us as they return to their underwater home.

Skrelp: The Mock Kelp Pokemon: Poison and Water Type. Camouflaged as rotten kelp, they spray liquid poison on prey that approaches unawares and then finish it off.

Eddy reveals that they were able to pinpoint the exact current that carried the Cussler to the location it is now, but Lindsey remarks that she was impressed by the many Pokémon living down there, and that they were the real discovery. As Clemont compliments Froakie's incredible leap, I suddenly realize that such a big leap might help us defeat the Cyllage Gym.

"We're finally in Cyllage City!" Serena says.

"Yeah... I can't wait to go and challenge Grant." I say.

"But first, we need to explore the area first." David says.

And as we explore, we find some stands that are selling a Sachet and a Whipped Dream. We decide to purchase those two so that we can evolve Spritzee and Swirlix.

Aromatisse: The Fragrance Pokemon: Fairy Type. Evolve from Spritzee by trading with a Sachet. Its scent is so overpowering that, unless a Trainer happens to really enjoy the smell, he or she will have a hard time walking alongside it.

Slurpuff: The Merigune Pokemon: Fairy Type. Evolve from Swirlix by trading with a Whipped Dream. Its sense of smell is 100 million times better than a human's, so even the faintest scent tells it about everything in the area. It's like it can see with its nose!

There is also the Cycle ship, and instead of needing a Bike Voucher, we just need to ask a question and then we'll able to get a free bike. Though we don't actually need it, but it will be great to have one.

And that's when we find Grant on the way. "Well if it isn't Ash!" Grant says. "Nice to see you again."

"Hi, Grant, what are you doing here?" I ask.

"I was just having a Bicycle race, and I took first place." Grant says.

"There was a bike race? That's cool." David says.

"Yeah. I feel bad that you missed it. Here-allow me to give you this Strength HM in consolation. If one of your Pokémon uses the move, it will be able to push large rocks around."

So another HM, I decide to give it to Elline instead. Grant says, "However, if you want to use the move outside of battle, you'll first need a Badge from the Gym I run in this city. On that note, I'll be waiting for you in the Gym. Come challenge me at your leisure."

"You bet, I can challenge you right now if you want to." Grant then takes us to the gym which is on top of the mountain, but when we get there, we notice a giant climbing wall.

"Now climb on up!" We notice that Grant is already climbing, and he says, "The battlefield is on top, and there are some gym trainers midway! My Cyllage Gym specializes in Rock Type Pokemon, and I feel my challengers should all experience my great love of rocks. So I designed the gym to accomplish that by allowing you to climb up on your own power!"

"You don't mean all of us, do you?" Elline asks.

"No. Not to worry. We've got an elevator over there as well!" Grant says. "The choice is yours! Now, just because you don't scale the wall doesn't mean I won't accept your challenge."

Serena asks, "What are you going to do, Ash?"

"Climb it of course." I say.

We find the gym guide and he says, "Hey, hey, it's the future Champ! What's goin' down? This is the Rock-type Pokémon Gym, but you already figured that out, am I right? Rock types are great, aren't they? Weak to Steel, Water, and all kinds of things! Now check out that wall. You can climb it if you start from one of those blue spots. Left, right, up, down-you'll need to climb every which way to reach the Gym Leader!"

I gulp a little before I decide to climb while the others are going to take the elevator. I can see that Bonnie also wants to climb but she's stopped by Clemont. As I climb, I meet the first gym trainer, a Rising Star Didier. "I need a break after all this climbing and training!"

He uses a Dwebble and a Relicanth, so I go for Clauncher to battle, and Clauncher's Aura Sphere and Water Pulse really help a lot in defeating him. "No gain, no pain!"

Then I continue to climb, and the second gym trainer is Rising Star Manon. "Only those with a noble spirit can try to take on the challenge of the Cyllage City Pokemon Gym!"

She uses a Solrock and a Lunatone, so I decide to have Zoroark deal with them. Zoroark defeats one with Night Daze, while the other one just Self-Destruct but is not able to defeat Zoroark. "This gym was waiting for a Trainer and Pokemon like you!"

And the third one is a Hiker named Craig. "I'm ready to go! If you think you can find a weakness in my defense, come at me!"

He uses only a Roggenrola, so I go with Honedge, with a Metal Claw, Roggenrola tries to use its Sturdy ability, but it doesn't seem to use because of the Shadow Sneak in the end. "Uhh! A battle is a battle - you're gonna come at me whether you find a weakness or not..."

The final gym trainer is a Hiker Bernard. "Y'know what? Climbing is a lot like solving a puzzle. It's a game of logic!" He uses Rhyhorn, Nosepass, and an Onix, so I go with Skiddo and Flabebe, using their Grass-type attacks to defeat all three Pokemon. "You're a tricky one! Truly a mountain that I couldn't surmount!"

Then the final climb, I was a little tired as I almost slipped, when I notice Grant staring at me, I know I have to move forward. After reaching the top, I say, "Hey there, Grant. I made it."

"Well done, Ash." Grant says. "So what were you thinking about when you were climbing?"

"Uh, well, I wasn't thinking about anything." I say.

"That's perfect. So, what were you looking at?" Grant asks.

"Straight up, where I was going." I say.

"Excellent. That means you achieved a state of enlightenment. Your mind was crystal clear. Unclouded. Now that you've successfully conquered the wall, the next wall you will need to conquer is me. And that's what you came here for." Grant says.

Clemont asks, "A question. Why do you have challengers climb the wall?"

"So that inner peace can be achieved. Scaling the wall. It's the best way I know to achieve a state of enlightenment. When I do that, I forget about everything else and the only thing I concentrate on is reaching the top. That is my one and only goal. The only thing I want is to arrive at my destination. As long as there is a wall for me to climb, I will rise to the challenge. I want challengers to achieve the same state of enlightenment when they climb up here to me."

Elline says, "I see..."

"I've been waiting in eager anticipation! What have I been waiting for? For a worthy challenger to appear! It's quite an achievement to have climbed all the way up here. Very impressive, actually! I have a feeling that our battle will turn out to be worth the wait! I hope you'll show me that your skill as a Trainer surpasses even mine."

The battle is a 2-on-2, and Grant says, "Now let's see which Pokemon you plan to use to scale the wall, and that wall is me. Amaura, let's go!"

I was expecting to be an Onix, but I guess that he goes for Amaura this time. I decide to go with Froakie, hoping that the Water type advantage is there.

"Froakie, Water Pulse!" I decide to do the leading, though Amaura goes for Aurora Beam, striking it back and hitting Froakie. "Froakie, are you alright?"

Froakie nods and I say, "Alright. Let's go!" Just then, it tries to slow Froakie's moves by using Thunder Wave, and Froakie is paralyzed.

"I can see your strategy is, Ash." Grant ays. "Clearly attacking Amaura is your goal. But now that you're paralyzed, can you deal with it?"

Amaura goes for Take Down, but I have Froakie stay calm and go for Double Team, Amarua stops as he notices some of the Double Team are paralyzed while some aren't, and they have been running around in circles.

"A speedy Double Team, indeed. But it isn't gonna help you one bit against our next move." He says and I know what's going to come. "Now it's time to experience the true power of Rock types! Use Rock Tomb!"

Here it is, the move is here, and I say, "Froakie, ignore the paralysis. Watch carefully then, jump!"

Froakie then jumps into the air, with some paralyzed clones being taken down. Grant says, "That should end your Double Team. Now let's see if you can escape from our Rock Tomb."

"Now, Froakie, show them what all that training was for." Then Froaikie jumps from rock to rock, even the paralysis isn't going to slow him down until he is fully on top of Amaura.

"How is it possible?" Grant gasps.

"We saw that Rock Tomb with your Onix, and I knew we'd have to beat it for me to earn the badge. So we did some serious special training to come up with a way to counter that move. It's called the Froakie Rock Tomb Climb!"

Up in the air, Froakie fires a Water Pulse directly at Amaura's head. Amaura goes for Take Down, which Froakie narrowly dodges before using Water Pulse to finish it off.

"Alright. The Froakie Rock Tomb climb rocked it hard!" I say.

"Yes! The training paid off." Serena says.

"You were great, Froakie!" Bonnie says.

"Using Water Pulse from super-close range. It sure worked well." Clemont says.

Grant recalls Amaura and says, "You're quite a surprise, Ash. It's exactly like what Viola warned me about. She advised me not to underestimate you and she was quite correct."

"The best defense is a good offense. That's the way I battle." I know that he still has one Pokemon, and he goes for a Tyrunt, so his team this time are Fossil Pokemon...

"Tyrunt is also a Dragon-Type... which is not going to be good..." I mutter. I decide to keep Froakie in, and Froakie goes for Double Team, which tries to surround Tyrunt like we did to Amaura.

"Tyrunt, Rock Tomb!" I know it, this one can use Rock Tomb as well. So we decide to do the same Rock Tomb Climb, and Grant says, "What a fascinating strategy."

"Here we go. Use Bubble!" I say. Froakie manages to hit Tyrunt, but Grant smiles, "I won't be overly confident. Now, Tyrunt! Jump!"

However, Tyrunt jumps high into the air before unleashing a devastating Draco Meteor, knocking Froakie out.

"Tyrunt can use Draco Meteor..." David says, "And Tyrunt is already a Physical attacker... that doesn't seem to affect it..."

"How do you like my Tyrunt? I'm especially proud of Tyrunt's strong legs and the Rock Tomb is the absolute best of the best." Grant says. "And its Draco Meteor, just how will you climb that wall?"

"You know what I think? The stronger the opponent, the more fun of the battle. I'll deal with any wall you put up for me to climb. Pancham! I choose you!"

When I send out the Pancham, it also seems to be ready to battle. "Your spirit is strong, although Rock Tomb Climb is creative, it won't work against Draco Meteor." Grant says.

"We'll see about that. Tyrunt! Arm Thrust!" Pancham charges forward, and the same goes for Tyrunt.

"Jump, Pancham!" I yell, and Pancham jumps into the air, that's when Tyrunt goes for Draco Meteor as well. Pancham dodges the upcoming meteor while slamming Tyrunt with the attack.

Pancham is now charging at the falling Draco Meteor, and I yell, "Pancham! Low Sweep! Jump as high as you can! Let's make it a Draco Meteor Climb!"

Pancham treats this as a performance and uses the powered-up legs to kick the meteor while getting higher and higher. Serena says, "Looks like Rock Tomb Climb!"

"But they turned it into Draco Meteor Climb!" Bonnie says.

"No matter what happens, you can never count Ash and Pancham out." David says.

"Look at that, Tyrunt! Dragon Tail!" "Use Low Sweep!" The leg manages to kick Tyrunt as the tail also hits, both of them are back down to the ground.

"Excellent. Quite well-executed." Grant says.

"We keep on getting stronger even while we're battling." I say.

"And an exciting battle it is." Grant says. "To show my respect for my passion, I'm going to wrap this up with my favorite move. Time for Rock Tomb!"

"Well, I'm ready for it! Deflect it with Comet Punch!" Pancham then starts to punch the rocks back, and one rock manages to get into Tyrunt's mouth.

"Tyrunt!" Grant gasps, and I know that Tyrunt can't use its mouth anymore. I say, "Now I'll wrap this up! Vital Throw!"

Pancham is now getting close while throwing Tyrunt to a rock, knocking it out of the battle.

"You were so awesome!" I hug Pancham. "We won!"

Clemont says, "That Ash never ceases to amaze me..."

Grant says, "You have proven to be a wall that I am unable to surmount! That sure was a fearsome and heated battle. Thank you so very much. That Rock Tomb climb really surprised me. But the biggest surprise of all was having you use a close-range Vital Throw with the mouth being sealed."

"Everyone is awesome." I say. "Thanks to Froakie and Pancham. This is a victory to both of you."

"There are some things that seem out of reach no matter how hard you try. However, it's important that you never give up-no matter the opponent or the odds. I could tell from our battle that you and your Pokémon understand that. To commemorate such an impressive show of teamwork, please accept the Cliff Badge!" Grant says.

I take the badge from Grant, and he says, "With the Cliff Badge in your grasp, you should have no issues working together with Pokémon up to level 40. This even applies to Pokémon you've received from other people in trade. Now that you've become a master wall climber and conquered this Gym, it's time you thought about how to apply your skills in other areas! Think about how you can improve yourself, as well as the Pokémon that are always by your side. When you find the answer, that's when you'll truly be able to smile!"

"I understand." I say.

Then we decide to go to Shalour City for our third gym badge since Serena says that there's the Tower of Mastery nearby. Grant says that we have a different experience in the Shalour Gym, but he doesn't want to spoil it. Then he also asks for a rematch in the Battle Chateau, which I gladly accept.

Here is a new chapter, and this is the second gym complete. I hope you like it and the next chapter will be Route 10.

Ash and Serena's Pokemon:

Venusaur, Charizard x2, Blastoise, Pikachu x2, Alakazam, Gengar, Kangaskhan, Pinsir, Gyarados (Shiny), Aerodactyl, Ampharos, Scizor, Heracross, Houndoom, Tyranitar, Gardevoir (Shiny), Mawile, Aggron, Medicham, Manectric, Banette, Absol, Garchomp, Lucario, Samurott, Audino, Zoroark, Hydreigon, Chespin, Fennekin, Froakie, Bunnelby, Fletchling, Vivillon x20, Litleo, Flabebe (Rainbow), Skiddo, Pancham, Furfrou, Espurr x2, Honedge, Aromatisse, Slurpuff, Inkay, Binacle, Clauncher, Helioptile, Tyrunt, Amarua.