Ash leaned back with his hands tucked behind his head as he stared up at the sky while he waited for his teammates to finish up their food. He figured they had earned a break considering all the work they had put in this morning between the battles they were in alongside their standard strength and conditioning routine.
Not to mention he was fairly tired himself. Twelve laps around the block and twelve reps of rolling heavy chunks of stone across the Pokemon Center's outdoor battlefield left them winded.
He stepped up his team's training recently partially because he wanted them to work on their new techniques. He figured it would take some time to fully get a handle on the techniques they learned via TM. Furthermore, he wanted to be ready for the gym. Erika may not have the raw power of Surge, but she made up for it with intricate strategy and variety. Facing Erika meant facing multiple battling styles.
However, infiltrating the Game Corner had rattled him. The world was a dark and dangerous place, much in part due to Team Rocket's growing influence in Kanto. He had learned to fight smarter, but he and his teammates needed to get stronger. Not only for their own sakes but so they could stand for those that couldn't stand for themselves.
He had seen what Team Rocket was capable of both in Pewter and at the Game Corner. Thinking about all the wounded and mentally broken Pokemon made him sick, not only because of how inhumane their experiments were but because he could see the bigger picture. His mind considered the things far too unpleasant to be spoken. The Game Corner operation was likely just one of many operations out there where those monsters were pumping Pokemon, whether poached or trafficked, full of those genes.
How many Pokemon had their psyche broken with doses of Berserk Genes? How many trainers' teammates and closest friends had been snatched from them never to be reunited again? What if one of his own had been taken from him and twisted into a killing machine?
Erika may have told him not to burden himself with the thought of the broken and dead, but it was far too late for that now. All he could think about was how distraught he'd be if one of his own had been taken from him and distorted into a Berserker and how such was likely a real possibility for many trainers currently. All he could think about was the suffering and growing threat posed by armies of corrupted Pokemon.
While the issue might have been one for the league to deal with, it was ultimately only a matter of time before that problem became his to deal with. He was aiming to become a master and it was the Elite Four and champions' jobs to handle these types of situations. Even if at the end of his conference challenge he only netted something as small as a spot in the league as an ACE Trainer, he would have to face Team Rocket again.
Whether the next confrontation occurred in a few weeks or a few years, he and his teammates would need to be ready for it when that day eventually came.
A cold, wet nose pressed against his ear and cheek and snapped him out of his thoughts. "Aurora, no!" he laughed as she licked his face.
He tried to squirm away only for Orion to hold him in place with one of his front hooves, letting the Alolan Vulpix continue to lick him.
"Dirty and underhanded!" Ash hissed.
Orion whinnied in amusement and rolled him over with a gentle push.
Titan nudged his side with his head, unintentionally jabbing the point on his head into his ribs. Ash immediately grabbed his now sore side. "Maybe…don't do…that." he wheezed, prompting an apologetic grumble from Titan.
Despite keeping his distance and staying above the fray, even Typhoon seemed to find the event amusing if the mischievous glint in his eyes was any indication. That and the fact that Ash could swear he was smirking.
"Okay, I take it that you guys are done eating now?" Ash chuckled as he looked over to find that everyone's food dishes were now empty. "Guess it is time to get back to work!"
"Flamethrower," Ash instructed.
Orion whinnied and spewed flames from his mouth, aiming at napkins Ash spread out on the ground to ignite them. Orion dashed towards the flames and stood in the midst of the fire. The Ponyta's mane burned brighter within the controlled blaze and the dancing flames dimmed to glowing embers.
Orion was definitely improving at Flash Fire which would come in handy. Fire types generally were invigorated by heat but Flash Fire took that a step further by allowing them to draw from the heat around them and even recycle the flames they emitted by absorbing them into their bodies.
Orion hadn't even come close to figuring out Solar Beam despite Ash giving him the TM; but since he was progressing at absorbing fire to properly utilize Flash Fire they were establishing the foundations to develop proper technique for Solar Beam.
"Ten more reps, after that we're going back to work on Protect and Curse."
Orion whinnied in acknowledgement and ignited another heap of napkins to step inside the inferno to absorb the heat and flames.
Ash quickly turned his attention to his Larvitar. Titan grumbled and stomped his legs in frustration. He had no problem with using Iron Defense and channeling the pulse of energy required to reinforce his armor but projecting and pushing that energy outward was something he couldn't do.
He didn't seem to have the capacity to utilize Protect yet. In fact, seeing Orion and Titan struggle so badly with it made him wonder if Pokemon more attuned to physical combat had difficulties using techniques that required projection of energy due to their use of the mind.
"Try it again," Ash instructed. "But really focus, channel your will and mind into forming a wall or dome around you."
Titan nodded and cloaked himself with Iron Defense before trying to push the energy outward. The energy field around Titan glowed brighter for a moment but failed to expand even a little bit.
The Larvitar grunted in frustration and fell flat on the ground in disgust.
"Okay, maybe we'll try something else. Can you show me Payback and Bulldoze again?"
Titan stood back up and swung one of his stubby arms forward like a punch. His fist flickered with a hint of maroon light as it sailed forward. Titan shifted his weight and his legs on the ground in rapid succession, sending weak tremors that caused Ash to lose his balance momentarily.
He couldn't help but grin. He was getting the hang of Payback and Bulldoze rather quickly. He couldn't help but wonder if part of that was because Titan was getting heavier from the diet of rocks and Pokemon food he was feeding him. It was likely only a matter of time until he could begin to try the advanced form of Rock Tomb.
"Alright, I want you to keep working with those. We'll revisit Protect after you work with Payback and Bulldoze a little bit."
Titan grunted in agreement before returning to swinging at the air with his tiny claws balled up into fists.
Ash turned and made his way over to Aurora. "Show me your progress," he instructed.
The Alolan Vulpix yipped and fired three small jagged arcs of blue light from her mouth, each creating ice on the ground where they landed.
Aurora clearly had no problem figuring out Ice Beam but given her skill with Ice Shard and Freeze-Dry, he wasn't surprised.
"Can you show me how you're doing with Payback?" Ash asked.
Aurora barked at him and crouched slightly before springing up into the air, channeling a weak current of energy through his tails, twirling around once, and swinging her tails through the air. Ash flashed her a thumbs-up.
"Keep working on your technique with Payback. While I don't envision close-combat ever being your niche, some balance would be nice. If we ever get in a situation where you're toe to toe with a brawler, you'll appreciate having a technique or two that will help you in physical combat. Also want you to work on lowering the temperature around you. You might not have the endurance for Snow Warning quite yet, but your stamina has improved to the point we can start laying the foundations."
He quickly turned his attention to Typhoon and groaned as he watched the Typhoon slash at the air with his claws. Ash rolled his eyes. Such a waste of potential.
"What happened to training with Protect and Ice Beam?" he scolded.
Typhoon snarled in protest and released a small stream of water from his mouth down into his right claw that he shaped into a condensed sphere of water. Ash rolled his eyes. Only the Totodile could pick up Ice Beam and Protect rather easily and not have any interest in utilizing them or training with them.
Typhoon zigzagged from side to side repeatedly before thrusting his arm down on the ground, causing the pressurized water orb to burst with a frothy explosion.
"Typhoon, come on, time to work on Protect and Ice Beam."
If Typhoon heard him, he was far too busy condensing water to use Water Pulse to acknowledge it. He clearly was going to have to make Typhoon realize the benefit of Ice Beam and Protect if he wanted him to use it.
"Typhoon, there's no shame in learning a defensive technique or using it. In fact, there's a reason Protect is important – it sets up opportunities to launch a counterattack." Ash remarked.
Typhoon's eyes shifted direction from the ground and the crater left from Water Pulse to his trainer. The idea of a counterattack seemingly caught his attention.
"Protect makes it possible to block an attack before it hits so you can counter with an attack of your own."
Typhoon fired a weak beam of light that formed a sheet of ice on the ground upon contact with the dirt.
"Ice Beam has its use too. Ice Beam can give you a terrain advantage in physical combat, restrain your enemies, and if you are willing to put in the work, it could also be used for improving Water Pulse." Ash continued, making sure to emphasize the last part.
Typhoon turned to stare at Ash.
"Now I have your attention, don't I?" Ash chuckled.
Ash cycled through the entries of Kanto and Johto grass types once more, hoping to commit the information to memory. He spent a great deal of his research time looking up Pokemon that could release spores and familiarizing himself with their effects along with their effects when combined. Knowledge of what you were up against could never hurt and he certainly needed the information.
He had studied status effects and the techniques that caused them in school, but never conducted an in-depth study. He was absorbing every titbit of information he could find – he looked up the compounds various powders and spores were made of, their flammability, whether they worked better in heat or the cold, their toxicity.
A bit to take in, but at least he had a general idea of what they were up against now.
"Ash…Ketchum." a feminine voice echoed through the intercom.
Ash staggered onto his feet, climbing up out of the wooden chair he was seated in. He winced due to the prickling sensation in his feet stemming from having his legs crossed for too long. He had a feeling he shouldn't have sat in that chair, much less for that amount of time.
He stumbled his way to the front desk and couldn't help but notice a few weird looks he was getting from the trainers in the lobby. He flushed a bit, realizing just how stupid it looked to be tripping over himself like a drunk. Thankfully, due to how early in the morning it was there were only a handful of people around and he was leaving.
Nurse Joy gave him a friendly wave as he approached the counter.
"So I presume the checkup is finished?" Ash asked.
"Yes, I just have to gather up your team and you'll be ready to go."
"Thanks," Ash replied, watching as the caretaker disappeared into the medical ward.
Fifteen seconds become thirty, thirty becomes fifty, fifty becomes sixty.
The door swung open again as Nurse Joy returned to the counter with a tray. Ash scooped up the three Poke Balls and the Luxury Ball before clipping each back onto his belt.
"So any issues I should know about?" Ash asked.
Their training regimen probably wasn't too straining for the team but it never hurt to ask just in case of unforeseen injuries.
"No, everyone has a clean bill of health." Nurse Joy replied. "Only thing I might point out is that your Larvitar is a tad undersized and your Totodile is a tad on the aggressive side. Seems to stem from the enlarged adrenal glands associated with Sheer Force genetics, but best to curb that type of behavior when it's easier to correct."
Ash nodded. "Trying to work with Typhoon's attitude and have been upping Titan's food and mineral intake."
Nurse Joy nodded. "Your team has some characters, especially Vulpix. She's a character, keeping the rest of the group in check."
Ash snorted. Now that was something he had to see, Aurora busting everyone else's chops. Not that he was terribly surprised. She was the most mature of the group – when she wasn't squabbling with Orion due to the overly energetic nature of the Ponyta.
"Sounds about right." he replied.
"Your team should be ready to go."
"Good, we did some intense training yesterday and wanted to make sure everyone is okay. I was hoping to challenge the gym today; but not if my team is too tired or hurt."
"Good luck!"
"Thanks!" Ash exclaimed as he headed out of the Pokemon Center.
He cringed as he made his way through the commercial district of Celadon, bombarded by the flashing lights and loud advertisements. He truly hated this part of the city, especially now. It was far too early in the morning for that type of noise and frenzy.
He did his best to block out the noise and distraction, pressing on towards his destination for Erika and the Rainbow Badge awaited him.
The sweet fragrance of flowers wafted in the air from the countless blossoms growing alongside the brick path ahead of him. Violets, in white and lavender varieties, were the most plentiful; although Erika also seemed to like camellia as well if the numerous pink and red blooms were any indication. Interspersed amongst the violets and camellia were the occasional magenta and purple pinwheel blossoms of primrose.
He couldn't help but be impressed. Erika had really outdone herself with the landscape. More importantly, it was almost silent, apart from the trickle of water from the occasional foundation. It was a refreshing change of pace and a nice escape from the noise of downtown Celadon.
Judging by the appearance of the gym, he suspected this was only the beginning. The Celadon Gym looked far more like a massive greenhouse than it did a gym due to its paned glass walls and ceiling. And it definitely had plants growing inside if the flowering ivy clinging to the metal support frames and panes were any indication. In fact, there was almost too much growth. The amount of ivy clinging to the frames made it impossible to see inside the gym itself.
Ash reached out to grab the handle of the door only for an old man – a journalist of some sort if the camera and press tags were any indication – to hold the door open for him.
"Someone your age will certainly appreciate this gym, the trainers are easy on the eyes." he chuckled.
Ash winced. He knew he was probably trying to joke with him, but it came off as creepy more than it did amusing. Not that he was going to let it bother him. He was surrounded by beauty – the inside of the greenhouse was even grander than the botanical garden outside.
The first thing he noticed was the heat inside the gym. It wasn't an uncomfortable humid heat like the Cerulean Gym's pool based battlefield but he certainly regretted wearing his sport coat. The second thing he couldn't help but notice was that the floor was dark, nutrient rich soil – at least the sections of the floor that weren't growing vibrant green grasses. Far more impressive than the array of colorful flowers was the blossoming cherry trees and peach trees. The canopies of pink blossoms formed a tunnel that guided trainers in and out of the gym.
Ash took his time through the tunnel, taking in the view before finally emerging from the tunnel. Instead of arriving in a typical lobby, he found himself in another botanical garden with the same flower arrangements as the garden outside of the gym.
More violets, more primrose, camellia, and even the occasional iris. The reds, pinks, lavenders, and purples all seemed to compliment one another much like they had in the outdoor botanical garden. However, unlike the outdoor garden, there was a large fountain in the middle of the garden and wooden benches for seating around the fountain. Massive hedges fenced the garden. Was this a room? The Celadon Gym's version of a lobby?
He didn't have long to dwell on it. "Hello!" a tall blonde exclaimed, setting the watering can in her hand down on the ground beside her. "Are you here to challenge the gym?"
Ash flinched. He hadn't seen her mostly because he was fixated on the hedge walls and the decor of the garden.
"Yes," he answered, giving the woman a once over. Shoulder length blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and he especially couldn't help but notice the bright floral pattern on her silk kimono being like the pink primrose grown in the gym's gardens. "Is this where challengers wait to face Erika?"
The blonde seemingly ignored the question and reached into her pocket for a buzzer, prompting a Kadabra to appear. "Inquire if Lady Erika is ready for challengers." the gym trainer instructed.
The psychic nodded before vanishing in a flash of light.
The blonde pointed to one of the benches. "Feel free to sit while you wait for word from Kadabra."
Ash shook his head. "No thanks,"
"Suit yourself," the woman replied.
"So am I the first challenger today?" Ash asked. "I mean, I don't see any other challengers here in the lobby."
The gym trainer visibly cringed. "Yes, you will be the first to challenge Erika today, although I wouldn't call this a lobby."
"So what do you call the lobby at the Celadon Gym?" Ash asked.
"We pride ourselves on providing a place for trainers to enjoy before their gym challenge rather than making them sit in a room of gray walls and tile floors. We think of this less as a lobby and more of an oasis or grotto." the gym trainer corrected.
Ash snorted. He was amused by the supposed superiority of the Celadon Gym for not making trainers wait in a drab room; although going the extra mile in something so trivial certainly fit Erika's professional persona. She didn't do half hearted measures and everything had to be neat, organized, and aesthetically pleasing. In a way, it reminded him of Surge's emphasis on reputation – even if the way in which they kept up their reputations were completely different.
A minute or two passed before Kadabra reappeared, teleporting beside its trainer. Kadabra and the gym trainer seemed to be in some sort of conversation, even if Ash couldn't make out more than a few parts of their discussion. "Incredibly long interview…workload…gym trainers."
A stuffy, masculine voice turned Ash's attention to Kadabra.
Pardon for the intrusion, but Lady Erika informs me that we should not keep any challengers waiting and send them in at once – to make them wait any longer than necessary would be unfitting of a professional.
"Sounds like something she would say," Ash chuckled.
Yes, so best to get you in there before she accuses us of improper procedure.
"So is there a door or…"
He didn't even get to finish his thought before he was whisked through time and space without warning. His stomach lurched and he was thrown forward and flat on his face as they emerged in an entirely different place. The entire world was spinning and it took every ounce of his willpower not to vomit.
Was teleportation supposed to be this volatile?
It was not that bad, was it?
"Why don't you ask my stomach?" Ash groaned. "I've teleported before and it was nothing like this. This was like a roller coaster."
I suppose I could work on my technique. I'm not very experienced.
"Please do, it's noticeable." Ash replied, cringing from the acidic taste of bile in his mouth.
"Salutations Ash, it appears that we have the fortune of meeting again, welcome to my gym,"
The world may have been spinning to the point he could barely make heads or tails out of anything, but only one person had a voice that blended affection with professionalism to these levels.
"Hello, Erika," Ash said, stumbling around a bit as he staggered onto his feet. "Nice to see you again."
"Let me offer my sincerest apologies, it would appear that Kadabra's skills are not quite up to par. He's a bit green because he has only recently learned Teleport and despite the intensive training regimen I have given him, he has apparently not yet mastered the more intricate aspects of the art."
It took a second or two for the dizziness to wear off but as soon as it did, Ash dismissed the apology with a wave. "We all gotta start somewhere, right?" he laughed. "Although I would definitely suggest more practice time…like a lot of practice time."
We will keep that in mind.
Erika chuckled. "I've been splitting the teleportation duties between Kadabra and Exeggutor to ease the burden on Exeggutor, but it would appear Kadabra is not ready yet. Perhaps some time with Sabrina might do Kadabra some good. My training with him might not be adequate."
Ash nodded, mostly because he was sure how to respond. He didn't want to pile on when Kadabra was already being called out and it felt inappropriate to comment on a situation between the gym leader and one of her Pokemon.
Instead, he gave his surroundings a once over to get a better idea of where he was now that the world wasn't spinning and in hopes of finding almost anything to comment on to change the topic.
The battlefield of the Celadon Gym was unlike any he had seen before. The battlefield itself was made of short grasses far more appropriate for a golf course than a gym. Lush green hedges again served as walls like they had in the grotto, marking the boundaries of the room, while countless tiny white flowers marked the boundaries of the battlefield.
"This is different but very nice. Seems to have had a lot of thought put into it."
"Thank you, I will be the first to admit that my gym's design is very eccentric but I desired to make something that captures the untamed state of nature and the beauty of nature. We have so much modernity in Celadon, I felt something that calls back to simplicity would be refreshing." Erika replied. "Hedgerow 'rooms' felt like a nice touch, which is actually very easy to do if you know how."
"It's very professional, although almost too nice to battle in."
"You need not worry about that, Ash Ketchum, upkeep is the job of my gym trainers and I. Your only concern should be doing your best against my team." Erika said, pausing momentarily. "You did come to challenge me, did you not?"
"Yes," Ash replied.
"Good, then let us begin at once," Erika said. "Tell me how many badges you have and how many Pokemon you have so I may properly assess your skill."
"I have three badges and four Pokemon, but I want a challenge. I want a battle that pushes me and my team to our limits and something that makes us grow – win or lose."
"Very well, Ash Ketchum, if it is a challenge that you desire… it is a challenge that you shall get."
Ash grinned as he made his way over towards his side of the battlefield and took his place inside the white lines. His heart felt like it was going to burst from his sudden rush of adrenaline. Erika slowly made her way over to her side of the battlefield and motioned for Kadabra who warped over to her side in a flash of light.
Erika turned to Kadabra who was joined by Floette who had emerged from one of the hedges. "I believe you know what to do." she said.
Both Pokemon floated over to one of the hedge walls of the room, keeping their distance from the battlefield. Yellow-green telekinetic barriers shimmered around the battlefield for a split second before fading and turning transparent.
Ash took the appearance of the barriers as a cue to begin and unclipped Orion's Poke Ball from his belt. He had to set the tempo of the battle and keep Erika from setting up her traps. "What are the rules?"
"Four-on-four battle, standard Indigo League protocol will apply. Challenger gets the first move."
Ash raised an eyebrow. He wasn't against the idea, but it certainly caught him off-guard because he never got to use his entire team before – not that it wouldn't be interesting. "Four-on-four?"
"In most cases, I would find a three-on-three an apropos challenge and evaluation of skill; but this a special case, is it not? You said you wanted a challenge, let us see how skilled you and your team truly are, shall we?" Erika replied, taking a Poke Ball from a pocket on her kimono before pressing the release.
A reptilian Pokemon with a pink flower growing on its back emerged upon the battlefield in a flash of light. The creature's dark red eyes scanned its surroundings and paced back and forth restlessly, causing the leafy fronds on its back to move up and down with each step.
Ash didn't need his Pokedex to know what he was looking at and not merely because he had looked through the Kanto index recently. It was hard not to recognize an Ivysaur due to the plant that grew on their back.
Ash immediately tapped the release button on Orion's Poke Ball, causing the device to expand. Erika choosing Ivysaur made him more certain of starting the battle with Orion. Not only did he have type advantage but he held a distinct speed advantage. Ivysaur weren't fast runners or agile due to the bloom on their back hindering their speed and mobility.
Ash pressed the release on Orion's Poke Ball again, sending the Ponyta out onto the battlefield in a flash of light. Orion bobbed his head and stamped his front hooves on the ground, itching to meet his foe head on.
"Nonstop pressure on Ivysaur, don't let up even for a second. Ivysaur aren't usually aggressive fighters and rely on stall tactics. We don't want to play to their strengths, so we're going to take the fight to them. Lastly, Ivysaur isn't mobile, you should be able to overwhelm it." Ash whispered.
Orion snorted and spewed soot and weak wisps of flame from his mouth.
"Mud Slap," Erika countered, just a hint of a smile forming on her face.
Vines sprouted from the bulb on Ivysaur's back and sunk into the ground to pull up chunks of dark topsoil from the battlefield that the grass type hurled at the incoming wisps of fire to douse them. Orion rushed forward and circled Ivysaur, continuously firing off weak wisps of fire and hot coals to test his foe's defenses. Ivysaur continued hurling dirt and gracefully bobbed and weaved to avoid the few Ember attacks that Mud Slap didn't manage to snuff out.
Orion quickly changed tactics, rushing in with Flame Charge and lowering his head to ram his opponent. Ivysaur sidestepped Orion only for the Ponyta to make a sharp turn and charge again. Even more vines sprouted from Ivysaur's bulb, all of which he used to launch himself up into the air and over Orion before lashing out at the Ponyta with the vines.
Orion grunted as one of the tendrils struck his back leg and another struck at his back. He turned his head and fired a weak plume of flame at the offending vines, incinerating them instantly before spewing a much larger plume of fire at Ivysaur's body.
Ivysaur dipped away from the swirling breath of flame, dropping to the ground and rolling away.
Ash stared at the grass type with a perplexed look on his face.
Orion poured more power into Flamethrower, exhaling larger plumes of fire to move the grass type into the spot he wanted before galloping forward to try to ram him with either Skull Bash or Flame Charge. Ivysaur continued his odd dance, rolling out of danger or using vines to launch himself into the air before retaliating with the occasional Bullet Seed or using Vine Whip to lash out at Orion until he reduced the vines to ash with an Ember or Flamethrower.
Ash gritted his teeth, feeling a tiny bit of frustration welling up inside of him. Even with Orion's boosts from Flame Charge, Ivysaur was still forcing a stalemate. So much for the Pokedex telling him that Ivysaur wasn't known for agility or speed.
Unless…
He looked up at the ceiling and the light shining through the glass roof. How had he missed something so simple? Erika chose a greenhouse design for a reason. According to the Pokedex, bright sunlight made Pokemon with the ability Chlorophyll faster. Even Pokemon that were slow runners had their reaction speed and agility enhanced.
He had to admit, it was clever; but there were ways around that. He had worked on Flash Fire with Orion for a reason.
"Flamethrower – burning battlefield," Ash ordered, hoping Orion would catch onto his plan.
Orion whinnied and unleashed another intense gout of flame aimed directly at Ivysaur's head and torso.
"Mud Slap," Erika countered.
Vines sprouted from Ivysaur's bulb again which he used to dig up and throw clumps of earth to douse the flames. Orion exhaled another breath of flame, this time aiming for the battlefield around Ivysaur and setting the grass ablaze. A wall of fire entrapped the grass type and the flames slowly began to spread across the entire battlefield.
Ash smirked. There was a downside to not having a dirt battlefield – grass was flammable.
Ivysaur frantically started to fling clumps of dirt at the flames in hopes of quenching the growing inferno that was now spreading across the entirety of the battlefield but to no avail. The fire was growing to the point the telekinetic barriers around the battlefield glowed from strain and the heat grew more unbearable. Even with the barriers around the battlefield, Ash felt beads of sweat dripping down his forehead.
More importantly, Ivysaur was trapped with nowhere to run. Even if he tried to use vines again, they would no doubt combust from the heat.
"Finish this, Orion!" Ash shouted. "Blaze Rush!"
"Energy Ball," Erika countered.
Ivysaur charged up a shimmering ball of emerald light in his mouth.
The weak energy field of Skull Bash fused with the inferno of Flame Charge as Orion galloped full sprint at his opponent and lowered his head. The Ponyta drew from the flames around him, absorbing the heat and the flames into his cloak.
Orion powered through the energy blast and lowered his head, ramming Ivysaur and sending the grass type careening into the psychic barriers with a loud smack. Ivysaur slid down the wall unceremoniously, landing amongst the sea of flames that was the battlefield and prompting Erika to return the grass type to its Poke Ball.
Ash felt his heart surge with pride. One down, three to go. Not that he could afford to get overconfident since this was far from over.
"Fire, the natural antithesis of the grass type," Erika began, staring at the flaming battlefield with an odd mixture of what seemed like reverence and sadness at the same time. "Whereas plants are life and growth, fire is destruction."
Ash tilted his head, somewhat confused by where she was going with the flowery analysis.
"Rather simplistic strategy against Ivysaur but effective. You even seemed to catch onto Chlorophyll. Not coming up for a counter to that has been the undoing of many trainers."
"Thanks?" Ash replied, not entirely sure what to say.
"However, all strategies have weaknesses. Relying on the destructive force of fire is not always feasible." Erika remarked as she drew a second Poke Ball from her kimono and tapped the release.
A bipedal, reptilian Pokemon emerged on the battlefield where Ivysaur had fallen and flashed a devious grin at Orion and waved his arms around frantically, seemingly taunting the fire type.
Ash frowned. This was definitely not a Kanto or Johto grass type. He reached for his Pokedex and held it up to scan the eccentric Pokemon, prompting the familiar robotic monotone AI to speak.
Lombre, the jolly Pokemon and the evolved form of Lotad. It lives at the water's edge where it is sunny. It sleeps on a bed of water grass by day and becomes active at night. Lombre's entire body is covered by a slippery, slimy film. It feels horribly unpleasant to be touched by this Pokémon's hands. Lombre is often mistaken for a human child.
"Keep it up, Orion," Ash said, giving the Ponyta a quick thumbs up.
Orion whinnied and stomped the ground with his front hooves. He charged at Lombre like he had Ivysaur, drawing upon even more of the fire around him.
"Flame Charge again?" Erika remarked with the faintest hint of the passive aggressive form of politeness she resorted to when annoyed. "Lombre, Blanketing Fog."
Lombre took a deep breath and spewed a white haze from his mouth that spread out across the battlefield. Ash gasped for breath. The air of the entire gym was heavy. Beads of condensation clung to the telekinetic barriers around the battlefield.
The fog extinguished the remaining flames on the battlefield and greatly weakened the flame cloak around Orion just as he collided with Orion. Lombre stretched out his arms and pushed back against the Ponyta.
Orion increased his flame output. Or he would have if not for the fog in the air suppressing his flames. Lombre kicked Orion's knees repeatedly, causing his front legs to buckle allowing him to toss the fire type aside. Orion let out a pained cry as he rolled across the ground.
Lombre opened his mouth. A jet of ice water poured from his mouth, dousing Orion and extinguishing the few remaining embers of his flame cloak.
Orion exhaled a weak stream of flame at Lombre's face that caught him off guard and caused him to stagger backwards. Orion popped up onto his feet and lowered his head for a Skull Bash, hoping to slam him into the telekinetic barrier.
Lombre twirled out of the way, causing Orion to pivot. Lombre took off, becoming a mere blur as he sprinted circles around the Ponyta.
"Double Team. He can't hit if he can't tell what is real. Ram him afterwards, Orion!" Ash commanded.
Orion flared up once more, engulfing himself with a modest cloak of fire and projected two illusions of himself.
"Mist, then Dynamic Punch." Erika instructed.
Lombre opened his mouth to expel another cloud of mist that not only revealed which Orion was real by dousing his cloak; but blinded him and caused him to hesitate. The mistake would cost them.
The grass type drew his right arm back to throw a powerful punch that connected with Orion's ribs with a loud crack. The Ponyta let out an agonized whine and slammed into the barriers with a thud, carried forward by his own momentum and the punch.
Ash shielded his eyes from the barriers flashing. This didn't sound good.
Lombre lunged at Orion and followed up his first punch with a second strike to his ribs.
Orion spewed a impotent stream of flames at Lombre in retaliation only for Lombre to counter with a barrage of glowing seeds from his mouth. The seeds ignited upon colliding with the flames before they pelted Orion's already sore side.
The fire did very little to Orion aside from invigorate him more but the projectiles slamming into his already sore ribs caused his legs to buckle and he fell to the ground. His adrenaline rush was wearing off, he was feeling the pain from Ivysaur lashing out with Vine Whip and Lombre's brutal punches.
All the energy used up from his offensive against Ivysaur finally caught up to him.
As the fog dissipated enough to make out silhouettes, Orion's defeat was clear.
Ash grabbed Orion's Poke Ball and aimed it at the unconscious Ponyta. A crimson beam pulled Orion back into the safety of stasis. Almost as quickly as he surged into the lead, he had fallen behind.
"Your Ponyta fought valiantly, even with the odds stacked against him. But as you can see, I adapted to your style and chose a Pokemon built to fight him. As a trainer, you must learn to adapt. Now the time has come for you to adapt to the changing circumstances." Erika said, pointing to him.
Ash nodded as he unclipped a Poke Ball from his belt. How to beat the living fire extinguisher – one with a preference for getting up close and personal to finish a fight? He tapped the release on the Poke Ball, sending out a small, armored dinosaur upon the battlefield.
Titan grumbled, a hint of confusion and worry in his voice due to the fog around him. He hadn't ever seen anything like it before. The rock type cloaked himself with Iron Defense and crouched down to make himself smaller.
"It's basically just clouds at ground level, it won't hurt you," Ash assured, causing Titan to relax a bit.
Even though the mist was dissipating, Ash couldn't help but worry. The technique made it easy for Lombre to catch his opponents off guard due to the low visibility.
"Titan, be careful, your opponent is strong and can use both grass and water techniques. He can also hide his position in the fog or blind you with it. Remain alert. We can win this but we have to be smart."
The rock type grunted in acknowledgement and straightened his posture.
"Larvitar? An interesting choice, is this how you intend to adapt, Ash?"
Ash smirked. Titan wasn't exactly his first choice in this situation since Aurora was more effective against both grass types and water types than Titan; but he wasn't ready to use his trump card yet. Not that he would sell Larvitar short. The next best thing to Aurora's ice was an unbreakable wall that could dish out hits with equal measure as he took them.
"Your move,"
"Titan, Screech,"
The miniature dinosaur let out a bloodcurdling shriek that caused the telekinetic barriers to glow from the vibrations. Lombre shuddered from the horrific sound and fired off a retaliatory Hydro Pump to silence him.
"Incoming!" Ash warned.
Titan sunk his jaws into the battlefield and pulled up a chunk of earth to throw at the pressurized jet of water only for it to practically crumble in his jaws. Grass and topsoil did not make good defensive walls. Titan hurled the chunk of earth at the incoming blast of water but the Hydro Pump cut straight through it and slammed into Titan. He skidded backwards but planted his feet in the ground and cloaked himself with Iron Defense.
Titan took a step forward followed by another and crept forward inch by inch. It took every bit of will and strength to fight back against the stream of water threatening to launch him across the battlefield and into the psychic barriers behind him; but his strength training had prepared him for these types of scenarios. Titan unleashed an ear-piercing scream once he was even remotely close and caused Lombre to stumble from getting disoriented.
Lombre didn't seem to like noise very much.
Titan hoisted another mouthful of topsoil and hurled it at the grass type. Lombre twirled out of danger and fired off a barrage of seeds from his mouth, forcing Titan to lift more chunks of earth from the battlefield to shield him from the assault.
The seeds tore through the shoddy barriers and slammed into Titan, causing him to wince. The battlefield of the Celadon Gym really was a problem. There wasn't any stone or solid material whatsoever to use as barriers.
"Mist, then Giga Drain," Erika commanded.
Lombre spewed thick fog that shrouded the battlefield in a haze and hid his figure. Titan looked around frantically only for glowing, green tendrils to spring forth behind him and wrap themselves around Titan. The rock type grunted and struggled to no avail as the vines began to sap away his strength.
Titan lashed out at the vines with his stubby arms, fraying the vines with his claws. The vines he couldn't cut he severed with his jaws. More vines slithered forward to his left and wrapped around Titan's torso and legs. Titan lashed out, swinging his arms wildly to cut the vines draining his energy only for replacements to surge forward and ensnare him.
Ash gritted his teeth. He couldn't see Lombre but he could see the glowing bands attaching themselves to Titan. His eyes widened. If Giga Drain worked like Vine Whip, the vines had to be an extension of Lombre which meant they could trace them back to the grass type.
"Titan, pull on the vines!" Ash shouted.
Titan grunted in acknowledgement and tugged on the vines. Something weighty was at the end. Another tug – this time with the strength he moved boulders around with – and Titan pulled his opponent in close. The rock type jabbed Lombre in the chest with a stubby arm balled up into a fist. Lombre pulled his arm back. The grass type's fist radiated with the light reminiscent of a Dynamic Punch and the energy of Energy Ball as he drove it into Titan's chest.
Titan grunted and stumbled momentarily, rattled by the jarring blow despite Iron Defense reinforcing his armor.
Ash raised an eyebrow. Just exactly how much force went into that punch? They didn't have time to think about it – Lombre swung his glowing fists wildly. For each hit that he took, Titan retaliated with a fist cloaked with an insidious gray aura. Despite being weak, Titan's punches left dark bruises where they connected and caused Lombre to grimace in agony.
Payback definitely lived up to its billing, empowering Titan's jabs by channeling the residual energy left from Lombre's strikes into his own punches.
The battle quickly devolved into a boxing match. Lombre landed a quick jab to the chest followed by a left hook to the jaw that chipped Titan's armor under his chin, leaving slivers of stone on the ground. Titan retaliated with Payback, delivering counter strikes to Lombre's kneecaps that caused the grass type to hiss. Lombre threw a rapid succession of punches, each hitting harder than the last. Titan took each blow and delivered a retaliatory jab to the knees.
After two or three punches to the knees, Lombre crumpled to the ground and grimaced while clutching his visibly contused knees.
Lombre was definitely hurting. The only advantage he had was that Giga Drain was still siphoning energy from Titan due to the vines being connected. Not that Titan was in any better shape. His armor was chipped and cracked in places from the force of Lombre's punches and he wasn't sure how much he could take. He was completely winded if his rapid, shallow breaths were any indication. They needed to end this quickly.
"Energy Ball – end this." Erika instructed.
"Pull him down," Ash commanded.
Lombre charged up a sphere of green light in his mouth and fired it at his foe. Or at least he would have, if Titan hadn't caught him off guard by tugging on the vines still attached to him again and made him fall flat on his face just as he fully charged up the Energy Ball.
Instead of launching forward and slamming into Titan, the ball of light crashed into the ground and exploded with the explosion rendering Lombre unconscious.
Ash took a deep breath. Lombre was a far more aggressive opponent than what he expected from Erika, but none of that mattered now. The only thing that mattered was that victory was in their grasp and they couldn't afford to falter.
"Well played, Ash," Erika congratulated while returning Lombre to his Poke Ball and reaching for another Poke Ball. "Lombre's physicality and ambush tactics generally are problematic for trainers; but it would appear that you and your Larvitar had no problem handling them."
Ash nodded and flashed Erika a quick smile. "We do our best."
"Let us see how you do against my next choice," Erika remarked as she tapped the release of the Poke Ball in her hand.
A pair of eyes stared at Titan from within a tangled ball of vines. Tangled vine body, red boot-like feet, and eyes tucked away inside the mess of vines…he recognized this Pokemon.
"You fought well, Titan, get some rest." Ash whispered, immediately returning Titan to his Poke Ball. Not only was he exhausted from his battle with Lombre but he knew that he didn't stand much of a chance against Tangela even if he was at a hundred percent, let alone when he was exhausted.
Tangela were virtually immune to physical attacks because of their body being a bundle of vines. It also didn't help that they had enhanced regenerative abilities. But above all, their tendrils ensnared any attacker able to get close and made it hard for a physical fighter to get close because of how far they extended.
Ash reached for the Luxury Ball attached to his belt and tapped the release. Aurora emerged upon the battlefield in a flash of light and greeted Ash with a friendly yip.
Aurora matched up better than Titan due to type advantage but also due to her ranged techniques. Besides, grass types and cold didn't generally mix well.
"Aurora, be extremely careful, Tangela has a long reach and a lot of different options to attack with. Stay vigilant at all times."
Aurora nodded and exhaled a gale that Tangela didn't even bother dodging, letting Freeze-Dry cover most of her body in frost and ice. The cold did exactly what he expected it to and caused many of Tangela's vines to wilt.
"Tangela, Revitalize,"
The grass type gurgled, acknowledging Erika's command. Roots sprung forth from Tangela's body and sank deep into the ground that pulled nutrients from the soil, restoring the wilted vines back to health but also causing Tangela's vines to grow.
Tangela lashed out at Aurora with rubbery vines, causing Aurora to zigzag to avoid being struck by Tangela.
"Keep up the pressure, Aurora," Ash ordered.
The Alolan Vulpix took a deep breath and circled her opponent, alternating between Freeze-Dry and Powder Snow. The cold winds wilted Tangela's body but the damage did not last for more than a few seconds due to Tangela's regenerative abilities.
Ash gritted his teeth. This was definitely going to be problematic. "Moonblast!" he shouted.
"Restrictor." Erika countered.
Aurora slowed and formed a shimmering ball of light in her mouth only for rubbery vines to shoot forth from underneath her, tripping her up. The energy blast sailed wide of its mark and into the psychic barriers around the battlefield with a loud bang. The barriers flashed brightly, forcing both Ash and Erika to shield their eyes for a moment.
Vines continued to multiply from Tangela's body with some sinking into the ground and shooting up around Aurora while others merely shot forward from Tangela.
Ash tried to count them. Ten, twenty, thirty…he quickly lost track.
Aurora darted back and forth frantically to avoid the vines and alternated between Freeze-Dry, Powder Snow, and weak Ice Beams to ward off the tendrils. However, for every vine Aurora managed to wither, dozens more took their place. A few tendrils wrapped themselves around her legs that she killed with a strong Freeze-Dry only for more vines to spring up from underground. Aurora slowly found herself quite literally backed into a corner. In front of her were scores of creeping vines and behind her psychic barriers. Aurora took a deep breath and exhaled, unleashing mighty gales of super cooled air and a few Ice Beams that helped ward off some of the vines but it simply wasn't enough. Tangela's vines wrapped around her, crushing her like an Arbok crushing its prey.
Aurora thrashed and squirmed trying to break free only for them to start to glow like Lombre's Giga Drain and siphon away her strength.
Aurora growled and unleashed a continuous gust of cold air into the air. Ash felt goosebumps forming on his skin from the temperature of the air dropping. The scarce condensation clinging to the barriers around the battlefield from Lombre's fog and the steam from Orion's flames being doused turned into snow and fluttered down from above. The vines ensnaring her withered from the temperature shift and fell harmlessly to the ground, but more surged forward to take their place even if the vines were noticeably smaller.
"Colder Aurora, don't hold back," Ash instructed, making sure to keep his voice low so only she could hear him. "Tangela doesn't react well to the cold, make sure to try to target the roots too. Hit those and you take out Tangela's ability to regenerate."
Aurora took a short breath to catch her breath after prolonged use of Freeze-Dry and exhaled again. The Alolan Vulpix tapped into her full power, chilling the air far below what most people and Pokemon dare even try to endure. Every vine caught in the path of the cold air shriveled and died almost instantly.
Tangela countered by sinking her vines into the ground to protect them from the cold, causing Ash to smirk. Another Freeze-Dry left several of them coated with a layer of frost. Aurora slipped into Agility – a slight surge of adrenaline enhancing her speed and dexterity – and circled around her opponent.
Weak Ice Beams and breaths of Powder Snow froze Tangela's roots and caused them to shrivel up. The grass type shrieked and raised vines to block the icy gales. The vines were getting even smaller and fewer in number due to Tangela being unable to draw in as many nutrients from the battlefield.
Unfortunately, Aurora was exhausted from wearing down Tangela with Powder Snow and Freeze-Dry. She slowed to catch her breath and fired off an occasional weak Ice Beam to pressure her opponent instead.
"Effect Spore, Tangela," Erika instructed, prompting the vine Pokemon to shake violently.
A cloud of dust kicked up into the air around the battlefield that Aurora inhaled, causing her to hack and sputter. She whimpered from the intense burning in her throat from breathing in the toxic spores.
Ash gritted his teeth. Had Erika planned for Aurora to be winded from avoiding the vines and trying to wear down Tangela to make spores more likely to work? If so, her tactics were underhanded and dirty – just the sort of pragmatism he respected.
"Tangela, Poison Ivy!" Erika commanded.
The vine Pokemon warbled in acknowledgment before dozens of slender vines leaking a foul smelling ooze snaked up from the ground and towards their target.
"Freeze-Dry!" Ash countered.
Aurora took a short breath to take in air to expel gusts only for her to wheeze from the spores she inhaled, burning her throat even more. Aurora tried to zigzag away from the incoming vines but was quickly overwhelmed by the sheer amount.
Dozens upon dozen of vines bent back a bit before surging forward with a loud snap like a whip cracking. Aurora winced from the vines striking her and slathering the toxic ooze on her.
Aurora dropped to the ground in agony from the spores making it difficult to breathe and the toxic sludge burning her skin. Erika frowned – winced even.
"Tangela, Frenzy Plant." Erika muttered, a very subtle melancholy in her voice.
Ash raised an eyebrow. Since when could a Tangela use Frenzy Plant?
The vine Pokemon gurgled as she planted roots into the ground again. The battlefield radiated with a faint shimmer of viridescent light before dozens of massive spiked roots erupted from the ground and slammed down around Aurora.
Aurora locked some in place with Disable, giving herself time to sidestep the root, while she froze several of the others with Ice Beams that withered the roots. Unfortunately, there were far too many roots and they overwhelmed Aurora with several of the roots crashing down on top of her.
Aurora panted and wheezed as she forced herself back onto her feet. She couldn't catch a break in this match. She faced exhaustion from having to whittle down Tangela's defenses, spores burning her throat and making it hard to breathe, burning toxic ooze, and now had been crushed by giant roots.
And judging by her trembling legs, she didn't have much fight left in her.
Erika's facade of emotionless professionalism crumbled a bit more. She cupped her hands together and looked away if only for a second. Opponent or not, she clearly didn't like seeing Pokemon injured and in pain.
"Aurora, Ice Beam, Moonblast – don't hold back!" Ash exclaimed.
Aurora circled around her opponent, alternating between weak Moonblasts and Ice Beams to harass her opponent. The explosive energy blasts and Ice Beams withered away quite a bit of Tangela's body along with all but one of the roots she drew nutrients from the soil to regenerate.
"Power Whip, finish this." Erika said, albeit with a hint of remorse in her tone.
Tangela shifted her remaining vines forward and lashed out at Aurora with the glowing tendrils.
Ash frowned. Tangela's final act of desperation proved to be too much for Aurora and as a result she lay unconscious on the battlefield. He quickly returned Aurora to her Luxury Ball and unclipped one last Poke Ball from his belt.
It wasn't exactly how he envisioned the match to end because he wasn't able to account for all the tricks Erika had up her sleeve. Nor was it the most optimal. Typhoon would be at a type disadvantage and have to clear both Tangela and whatever else Erika had waiting in the wings.
Not that they weren't up for the challenge.
Erika took a deep breath. "For what it's worth, my apologies for the brutal approach, Ash Ketchum, but Freeze-Dry had to be neutralized." she said. "It's much less taxing than Ice Beam and therefore more dangerous against grass types."
Ash gave her an incredulous look and waved off the apology. "It's a battle,"
"Still, that does not mean that I have to like some of my strategies. Effect Spore is very…uncivilized."
Ash snorted and shook his head, doing his best to keep from outright laughing. He wasn't sure he ever saw a trainer quite as proper as Erika to the point she seemed more machine than woman.
Ash tapped the release, causing Typhoon to emerge from his Poke Ball. He pointed at Tangela. "She beat Aurora so this probably will be too much for you," he whispered, appealing to his pride. "But you'll give it your best, even if you lose?"
Typhoon growled at the remark and glared at his opponent. His eyes gleamed with murderous intent, prompting a smirk from Ash. Totodile had definitely taken the bait.
Tangela lashed out at Typhoon with her lone tendril only for Typhoon to slash through it with a swipe of his razor-sharp claws.
"Ice Beam," Ash commanded.
Typhoon grunted and fired jagged lightning bolt-shaped beams of energy that coated Tangela in ice. The grass type recoiled from the pain and gurgled in dismay. Several more blasts of cold from Typhoon and Tangela's entire body was coated in ice, immobilizing her entirely and prompting Erika to return Tangela to her Poke Ball.
Erika nodded approvingly and wrung her hands. "Good, good, I'm afraid that even if Tangela managed to wear down your Vulpix that she had very little left to handle your Totodile. There is an ebb and flow to battles just as there often is in nature. A constant cycle in which things are constantly changing." she remarked, pausing for a second. "My apologies, my advice and remarks are probably somewhat repetitive."
She swapped out Tangela's Poke Ball for another and tapped the release button on the Poke Ball sending out a bipedal flower Pokemon. Ash recognized the grass type immediately and gagged from the pungent odor coming from Gloom.
"This is my last Pokemon, Ash Ketchum – do not go easy on us. It is time to see just how good of a trainer you are."
Ash forced a smile, doing his best to ignore the horrific smell of Gloom and to repress the growing urge to throw up. "Everything rides on this fight, Typhoon, show them what you're made of."
Typhoon hissed and channeled adrenaline and traces of draconic energy through his body. Totodile rushed at his foe and swiped at Gloom with his claws, raking the grass type across the face repeatedly. Gloom recoiled and stumbled backwards.
"Revitalize," Erika instructed, prompting the floral Pokemon to plant roots into the ground.
Typhoon continued slashing at Gloom's face with his claws, but each cut healed nearly as fast as the water type could inflict them. Gloom retaliated with Energy Balls, occasionally forcing Typhoon to back away from the grass type or forcing him to duck underneath the incoming projectiles.
Ash tilted his head. Two things about Revitalize didn't make sense to him. The first being that Ingrain made the user stationary. It didn't make sense for Erika to restrict Gloom's mobility. The second being that Ingrain's healing factor shouldn't have been instantaneous which meant something was also at play or stacked with it to make it more effective. Synthesis, perhaps?
Glowing vines sprung forth from Gloom's body and wrapped around Typhoon. Or at least they would have if Typhoon hadn't slashed through them with his claws. Typhoon formed a Water Pulse in his hand and rushed his foe. He lunged forward and thrust the sphere of water into Gloom's chest. Water Pulse detonated on impact, launching foam everywhere and stunning Gloom only for whatever injuries it inflicted to heal up almost instantly.
"Effect Spore, Sweet Scent, Grass Knot," Erika added in rapid succession.
Gloom gurgled softly in acknowledgement and a cloud of dust erupted from Gloom's body, dousing Typhoon in toxins. The water type snarled and formed an even larger sphere of water in his hand. A thrust of his arm and the orb of water exploded in Gloom's face, causing him to grimace.
Gloom opened his mouth and drops of drool-like sap rolled down to the ground. Both Ash and Typhoon recoiled from the horrific stench stemming from Gloom's sap and Gloom seized upon the distraction.
Roots shot forward at Typhoon. A slash here and a slash there with his claws cut apart the roots, but the sheer amount quickly overwhelmed Typhoon. The roots wrapped around Typhoon's legs and tightened. Typhoon thrashed to no avail due to roots locking him in place
Typhoon cut the roots with a quick flick of his wrist and spewed a pressurized jet of water that hit Gloom in the face. Gloom shrugged off the blast of water and released dozens of shoots from his body, each of which glowed with a faint viridescent light. The tendrils latched onto Typhoon, slowly siphoning away the water type's energy.
Ash gritted his teeth. They were definitely not doing this again.
"Ice Beam!" Ash exclaimed.
Typhoon growled and opened his mouth to fire jagged arcs of energy that immediately withered the plant life they touched and coated everything else in a layer of ice. Scores of roots and vines fell to the ground from Typhoon blasting them with Ice Beam and slashing through them with his claws. Typhoon zigzagged back and forth and circled Gloom, spewing more and more ice.
"Petal Storm," Erika commanded.
Hundreds of glowing flower petals swirled around Gloom like a whirlwind.
Ice Beam, Water Gun, Water Pulse, Scratch – it didn't matter what Typhoon tried because Gloom managed to shield himself from the attacks with the petals. Ash clenched his fists.
It was already hard enough to deal with Gloom's regeneration without the added problem of him having the ability to negate Typhoon's entire arsenal of attacks. Worst of all, Typhoon was tiring. His reactions were slowing dramatically, he had lost a step or two, and his attacks were decreasing in strength. Even Water Pulse was about a quarter of its usual size. His higher physical endurance granted by Sheer Force could only do so much to negate the toxins coursing through his body. Getting doused at point blank range by Effect Spore combined with Dragon Dance enhancing blood flow throughout the body was not a good combination.
"Acid."
Gloom spewed a corrosive sap from his mouth that soaked Typhoon and caused the Totodile to hiss in pain. The few drops of sap that trickled down off his body and onto the ground withered the blades of grass.
"Ice Beam!" Ash exclaimed, prompting Typhoon to unleash an arc of glowing energy from his mouth.
"Unleash Petal Storm," Erika commanded.
Gloom gurgled. The cyclone of pink flower petals surged forward and clashed with Ice Beam. The cyclone drove Ice Beam back and swept Typhoon off his feet, throwing him into the psychic barriers with a thud. Ash winced and shielded his eyes from the flash of barriers around the battlefield.
Typhoon snarled and picked himself up off the ground. He was woozy based on the stumble in his walk, his breath labored, and bruises were visible on his skin from getting thrown into the psychic barriers along with chemical burns from the sap spewed on him ; but being tossed across the room just seemed to make him angry.
Ash smirked. He could work with that. Typhoon's anger and ego just had to be channeled in the right direction. "Dragon Dance, follow it up with Rage."
The Totodile hissed, channeling more draconic energy through his body before barreling towards his opponent. They were taking a major risk since the short term boosts from Dragon Dance and Rage would only exhaust an already tired Typhoon out even more, but given the circumstances they needed a way to pierce the wall that was Petal Storm.
"Energy Ball, Giga Drain, Grass Knot." Erika ordered.
Gloom unleashed a rapid fire barrage of orbs of light, slowing Typhoon and causing him to zigzag wildly. The grass type seized upon the delay, sending forth dozens of roots and vines to ensnare Typhoon. Typhoon thrashed and bit through his restraints with his jaws. He opened his mouth and multiple arcs of energy sailed from his jaws. Dozens of vines and roots shriveled and fell harmlessly to the ground from Ice Beam killing them instantly.
Typhoon ripped apart his bindings and lunged at his foe, forming another Water Pulse in his right hand. A quick thrust and the sphere of water slammed into Gloom's face. Or it would have if not for another whirlwind of flower petals spinning up around him that blocked the attack.
Ash scowled. Something definitely wasn't right about Petal Storm. Petal Blizzard or Petal Dance shouldn't have been able to block attacks like it was. Scratch, Water Pulse, and Water Gun didn't penetrate the shield. Even Ice Beam only seemed to wither the flower petals.
Another Water Pulse formed in Typhoon's left claw was thrust forward into the wall of petals spinning around Gloom. Ash squinted as he noticed the gleam within the cyclone and snorted. He couldn't believe he hadn't caught on sooner. Gloom somehow infused psychic barriers or Protect into the tornado of flowers.
"Nonstop offensive, Typhoon, don't let up for even a second!" Ash shouted.
Typhoon snarled and formed a Water Pulse in each claw. Simultaneous explosions caused the psychic barriers to flash from him driving both orbs of compressed water into Gloom's whirlwind wall of petals. Gloom tried to drive Typhoon back by firing some of the petals in his face to blind him or blasting Energy Balls at him.
Typhoon growled and flailed wildly at the petals in desperation. Slashes from his claws, punches, and even throwing his body weight against the barrier of petals didn't even seem to dent the barricades. It was a solid effort, but Typhoon didn't have anywhere near the firepower required to overcome Petal Storm and he was quickly running out of steam.
Each swipe of his claws, each punch, each headbutt against the petals grew weaker and less frequent.
"Grass Knot, bind then finish this with Solar Beam." Erika said, making sure to keep her voice low.
Roots slithered up from the battlefield and wrapped around Typhoon, holding the exhausted water type in place as Gloom took in light. A bright yellow sphere formed at the tip of Gloom's stubby arms and expanded further and further in size.
The ball of light stretched into a wide beam and sailed forward, slamming into Typhoon and sending him crashing into the psychic barriers of the gym with a thud for a second time.
Ash shook his head and chuckled out of frustration. Out of all the gyms to have some sort of technique he wasn't prepared for and didn't have a counter for…he definitely didn't expect it to be Celadon – Sage of Celadon or not.
"We're just not strong enough yet," Ash muttered, prompting an angry snarl from Typhoon.
Ash raised an eyebrow. Broken, battered, and bruised – the water type lifted himself up off the ground with his arms only to falter and fall flat on his face. Gloom gurgled in amusement, prompting a furious glare from Typhoon.
Suddenly, a light nearly as bright as the sun lit up the gym. Ash winced due to the brightness but couldn't help but grin. He knew what the light was and what was about to happen. Typhoon's form began to change – his snout grew rounder, fangs protruded from his jaw, the spikes on his body grew larger, and his body became thicker and more muscular.
In Totodile's place stood a much larger Croconaw and more importantly with the evolution, the biological changes seemingly healed his injuries.
Erika's eyes widened. "What. In. The. World?" she gasped.
Erika had taken the words right out of his mouth. Ash had heard of Pokemon evolutions happening out of desperation but had never seen. Usually a Pokemon that was close to evolving generally showed signs they were on the verge of evolution such as fur or scales changing color or prominent traits of their evolved form starting to manifest themselves. However, once in a while the change was forced out of desperation – even if such an evolution was far more common in the wild. It required physical maturity or at least for the Pokemon to be close to physical maturity and ready for its next stage, but out of survival instinct or desire for more strength a Pokemon could evolve itself and rush the growth.
"Typhoon, let's see just how much stronger you've gotten, shall we?"
The Croconaw snarled and channeled draconic energy through his body once more before forming a massive Water Pulse three times the size of even the largest Water Pulse Typhoon could create as a Totodile.
"Petal Storm," Erika said, an uneasy tone to her voice.
"Full power, let's see just how durable those shields are!" Ash shouted.
The wall of petals circled around Gloom, reinforced by weak telekinetic barriers fused into the flower petals. Water Pulse collided with the whirlwind around Gloom and exploded, causing the barriers around the battlefield to glow vibrantly. A second Water Pulse crashed into the wall followed by a third, and a fourth.
Ash smirked. He had a plan. A crude plan, but a plan nevertheless. Every barrier and wall had a limit that it could take. They just needed to find that limitation and exceed it. A fifth massive Water Pulse thrust into the swirling whirlwind of petals caused the petals to scatter and Gloom seemingly lost control over the technique for a split second, allowing Typhoon to fire a giant Ice Beam at Gloom that caused the grass type to let out an agonized grunt from the cold.
Gloom regained his focus and launched the flower petals swirling around him at Typhoon, blinding him again long enough to hit him with an Energy Ball. The Croconaw skidded backwards but planted his feet in the ground and retaliated with a Water Gun that would easily have passed for a Hydro Pump.
The massive jet of water slammed into Gloom, drenching him with water. "Aim lower, cut the roots," Ash said, keeping his voice low that only Typhoon could hear him.
"Solar Beam, Rapid Fire," Erika commanded, prompting the grass type to take in sunlight and launch a barrage of small blasts of energy rather than the full power beam.
Typhoon zigzagged back and forth, retaliating with streams of pressurized water that sliced the roots Gloom drew nutrients from the soil with. Gloom shrouded his roots with a thin coating of energy.
Protect or Reflect? He couldn't quite tell since the light of the barriers was very faint, but they flashed everytime Water Gun crashed against them and prevented the jet of water from slicing through the roots like it had earlier.
More importantly though, Gloom had to be tiring. Erika wasn't resorting to Petal Storm offensively or defensively.
"Energy Ball," Erika said, pointing at Typhoon.
Gloom quickly changed tactics and fired a sphere of green energy at Typhoon. The water type slashed at the energy blast with his claws, his razor-sharp claws cutting through it with ease. Typhoon hissed and spewed another Water Gun at Gloom's face to blind him. Typhoon formed a Water Pulse in each hand only for the flower Pokemon to shield himself with another swirling wall of flower petals reinforced by psychic barriers.
Weak and short-lived. Gloom was tiring if some of the petals scattering and the fact he dispelled the whirlwind of petals and launched them at Typhoon to blind him almost immediately was any indication.
"Effect Spore," Erika said.
Gloom released another cloud of spores that practically coated every inch of the battlefield.
"Not this again," Ash grumbled.
He needed to figure out a way to neutralize Gloom and fast. He wasn't about to watch Typhoon get worn down by toxins a second time, especially since this time they wouldn't have the benefit of an evolution to bail them out.
Ash couldn't help but notice water pooling up under Gloom from all the water he had doused the grass type with. And while Gloom had seemingly drawn a great deal of it in with his roots to further revitalize himself and cause himself to grow, the water gave him an idea.
"Ice Beam, don't let up," Ash whispered.
Typhoon spewed a large arc of energy from his mouth that Gloom blocked once more with Petal Storm, albeit a far weaker one than any of his previous uses of the technique.
"Aim lower," Ash muttered.
Typhoon fired a second beam low and at the ground that immediately froze everything it touched. While nowhere near as proficient with ice as Aurora, Typhoon was able to capitalize on all the puddles and the water dripping from Gloom's body. The chilling beam turned all the standing water into ice and trapped Gloom in place. Frost and ice even formed on his body, only further weighing him down.
More importantly, the cold withered the roots Gloom used to draw in nutrients.
"Finish this, double Water Pulse." Ash commanded.
Typhoon snarled and formed a massive sphere of water in each hand as he lunged at Gloom. The explosion shattered the ice around Gloom, lifted him up into the air, and threw him into the psychic barriers behind him with a loud crack.
Gloom slid down the barriers and onto the ground with an unceremonious thud.
"Make sure he stays down," Ash instructed.
Typhoon unleashed one last Ice Beam to freeze Gloom to the ground for extra measure, although the precaution proved to be unnecessary since the grass type was apparently already unconscious either from the concussive force from Water Pulse or slamming into the barriers.
Whatever the case, the battle was over and they had pulled out a win. Ash took a deep breath. "Good work, Typhoon, you were spectacular," he whispered.
The water type grumbled in agreement and folded his arms.
"You fought well, I am proud of you." Erika said with a smile as she returned Gloom to his Poke Ball and tucked his Poke Ball into her kimono after it shrunk down. She pointed at Ash as she made her way over to his side of the battlefield. "And as for you, it looks like I underestimated you. You are remarkably strong and it was that strength that resulted in my defeat."
Ash chuckled. "I didn't do much, Typhoon deserves most of the credit. If not for him evolving, I don't think we would pull off that win."
Typhoon grunted in agreement and straightened his posture. Ash snorted. He would have to be careful with his praise, lest it go to Typhoon's head.
Erika nodded approvingly at the water type. "His evolution made him much stronger, I'll give you that." she remarked. "But do not sell yourself short, because it is your training that prepared him for that evolution. Trainers are nothing without their Pokemon and Pokemon nothing without a good trainer to help them grow. It's like a garden – many factors go into the growth of plants such as environment and cultivation. It is clear that your team has had a good environment and been trained well. As a result…I present you with the Rainbow Badge."
Erika reached into a separate pocket of her kimono and pulled out an emblem in the shape of a flower, holding it out for Ash in the palm of her hand.
Ash reluctantly took the badge from her and gave it a quick once over. Red, blue, violet, yellow, pink, green, orange – the Rainbow Badge was as bright as he expected it to be. It would look good next to his other three badges.
His heart swelled with pride. His fourth gym badge was proof that Erika was right. He and his team was growing and now they were halfway through the Indigo League circuit. Only four more and they would be able to take on the conference.
Not that he would look too far ahead. The conference was still a long ways away and they could not afford to get complacent. The road ahead was even more difficult – Koga, Sabrina, Blaine, Giovanni. Not to mention that the Game Corner was a far from subtle reminder that the world was getting more dangerous and that they needed to be ready for whenever their time to confront those dangers came.
"Thank you,"
"You are welcome, Ash Ketchum, but this is just one reward." Erika replied before handing him a floppy disk. "For beating me, I give you Giga Drain. A bit of a horrifying move given how it drains an opponent's energy but no one can argue its use."
"Thanks, it seemed to be pretty useful when you used it."
Erika nodded. "You have yet to see it fully implemented." she remarked, a hint of the sickeningly sweet politeness she used during threats or when annoyed seeping out in her voice.
"Is that so? What would that look like? And what about Petal Storm? Is there really a way to infuse defensive techniques into elemental attacks?"
Erika smirked. "You'll have to come back and face my real team if you want answers to these questions."
Ash snorted. "You can count on it."
Author's Note: Sorry for the length between chapters. College and life can be exhausting. This chapter in particular took forever and was exhausting. Not going to lie, Erika is not my favorite gym because there's not a whole lot one can do with the Celadon Gym. But I pushed forward and we have a new chapter. Took me a little while to get the gym battle as I like it and probably isn't up to my usual quality of battles. Kanto grass types are a bit...bland? That being said, I hope you enjoy it anyway. Don't forget to favorite and follow and I always appreciate your reviews. God bless, StandingMan signing off.