The sun shined as it always did in Saffron City, the Heart of Kanto. Cars sped in the streets, people walked in droves, and noise was the only pollution the city boasted.
Ash Ketchum wasn't a fan of city life. The teen figured this out in Daigon City, where he swore there were fireworks all night even though he couldn't spot any. It wasn't long until he remembered what type of place Daigon City was, which meant that he realized those loud sounds were not fireworks.
Of course, Saffron City was far from its Black Sheep: maybe its anti-version in many ways. But the point was that Ash felt homesick for the (relatively) peaceful Pallet Town.
Wes didn't notice this as they sat in a booth in the Pokemon Center Café. "What is that?"
On the table, instead of food to eat, there were bits and pieces of a small monocle-like device.
"It's a Battle AR." Ash picked up the destroyed object. "It gave my Pokemon a cool power boost back at Sliph Co. But that Shadow Mirage destroyed it. I'm trying to fix it again so I can use more of that Synergy Rainbow thing."
It was Synergy Burst, but Ash didn't get a chance to get a brochure of the item.
Wes, on the other hand, knew more than the teen, at least when it came to machines. "Okay, stop."
Ash did so.
Wes stared Ash right in the eye before asking, "Why do you have glue?"
The silver-haired young man motioned to how the teen held glue over two pieces of metal.
"To fix it?" Perhaps it was best not to mention Ash was only using glue because he couldn't find any Duct Tape.
"Have you ever fixed machines with glue before?"
"... No?"
Wes fought the urge to pinch his nose. "Alright. Give me those things before you make it worse."
The young man of Orre took the device. "Alright, without looking at the blueprints, this little device doubles as a computer. You can tell because they have specialized silicon motherboards compacted together with a CPU Zif Socket and an AS Galarridge Chipset. Some of the holographic panels are missing, and the HDD Connectors are in pieces. The frame itself seems to be made of tempered Lairon Steel that shows groves where the wires connected to the mother box, and these look unique to whatever region they came from."
It took a second for Wes to realize it was too quiet in his booth. He saw Ash staring at him with all the energy of a Deerling in headlights.
"You can't glue this stuff together." Those words Ash understood much better.
Wes then saw something among the pieces that stuck out. It was a hexagonal-shaped rock, but it was glassy and crystalline in nature. However, it was also cracked right down the middle.
"Huh. What's this fancy rock doing here?"
"It fell out of the Battle AR. I think it's a Synergy Stone?"
"Huh. Never heard of it. Is it like those Mega Stones?"
"I've seen those, and they're round and marble-y."
Wes had heard of those things after leaving Orre. The idea of stones transforming Pokemon into temporary but strengthened forms always weirded him. Then again, he summoned a legendary time-traveler with a flute. Wes supposed he was in no position to criticize. "Obviously, they use this as the conduit and power source. The crack looks like it's on the surface, so it still looks good. But that's besides the point. Do. Not. Use glue for this."
"But I want to have a cool power-up for my Pokemon!" Ash whined.
"Then wait for it. We'll pick up a repair kit or order it online. Either way, it's going to take time. Don't rush."
Ash brooded over the fact he wasn't getting cool power-ups anymore. Wes couldn't help but find the kid almost like Rui when he 'upset' her: adorable in a pup-like way. "Speaking of rush, where are we heading to next?"
That changed the attitude of the raven-haired teen as he excitedly explained he was on his way to the second gym of Saffron City.
Wes had to admit that he was interested in gyms but never invested enough to join in. Now that he thought about it, how was Justy? Because of how barren Orre was, the guy would never be more than just a pre-gym leader. Justy might have had better luck if he was born anywhere else.
Huh. That's the story of anyone in Orre.
Ultimately, and seeing he had nothing else to do with his hoverbike gone, Wes (somewhat bitterly) followed Ash towards the town's second gym.
The gym used to be called a dojo. That's what Ash recalled the few times Sabrina spoke of the second gym in Saffron. When asking Wes what the difference was, the silver-haired adolescent shrugged his shoulders. Formal education wasn't common in Orre. As such, Ash technically knew more than Wes when it came to a dojo.
I'm sure that fact won't come back to haunt them.
Returning to the point, the Dojo itself looked like many large eastern-styled buildings. Or something one would see in Johto.
Astro perked up the closer the two went towards the entrance.
Ash was curious why his starter acted that way, but heard the sounds of battle before he could even ask.
When they went through the doors, the first thing the group noticed was fire.
An Arcanine battled against a Pokemon Ash didn't recognize. It must have been a foreign Pokemon as it looked like a bipedal Octillery and blue instead of red. The way it moved its tentacles showed that it looked more like a fighting type than a water type.
Even though the foreign Pokemon struck with a ferocity that even Astro had trouble following, the Arcanine dodged each strike with grace that reflected its PokeDex title.
"Grapploct!" The trainer of the foreign Pokemon, a dark-skinned girl wearing what looked to be a mix of a martial arts gi and sports uniform with the number 193. Ash swore the girl seemed familiar to him but he couldn't say where he knew her from.
She punched the air. "Use Octolock!"
The blue Pokemon struck twice in a way to force the fire type to move in. With better positioning, Grapploct trapped Arcanine in a stranglehold.
"Now, use Liquidation!"
The Grapploct lifted a tentacle high as water started to flow and form around the limb.
"You know," Ash recognized the voice coming from Arcanine's corner. "Trapping me also traps yourself. Arcanine, Flare Blitz!"
No one but Wes realized it, but Arcanine wasn't struggling the second he was ensnared. Instead, steam emanate from the fire type while a soft glow started to shine. When he heard his trainer's voice, Arcanine's entire body exploded into flames strong enough to evaporate the water coming from the limb. Grapploct screamed as the intense fire burned every part of his body.
"Grapploct!" The trainer of the blue Pokemon cried out.
Ash looked over to the trainer of the Arcanine. His eyes widened when he spotted the leader of Team Valor: Candela.
One of the three Gym Leaders of Viridian showed strength with a simple swipe. "Now, Arcanine, use Fire Fang and get him off you!"
The "legendary" Pokemon bit into the tentacle closest to his mouth. With a yank over the weakened Grapploct, Arcanine pulled away the creature and slammed him into the ground.
The blow made an audible slap that made every human and Pokemon not battling flinch in pain.
Grapploct open his eyes but saw what looked to be the flaming maw of Arcanine charging a Fire Blast right above his face.
"Alright, Arcanine. Back off." At Candela's command, Arcanine dropped his attack and backed off.
The opponent of Candela sighed before looking at the referee. "I concede this battle."
The girl in full karate or judo gi raised her hand. "The winner is Candela!"
The two trainers recalled their Pokemon and went up to each other.
"You're pretty strong, Bea!" Candela shook hands with the other trainer. "Gym leaders in Galar are as strong as Elite Four in other places!"
The trainer named Bea kept a formal look. "They claimed you were the strongest of the Gym Leaders in Kanto. I can see why they say such things."
"I'm flattered, but my friends, Spark and Blanche, are strong in different areas that aren't power." Candela looked out to the crowd. "Alright, get back to training! Show's over!"
Ash noticed that most of those watching wore red, signaling that members of Team Valor frequented this gym. But it made him wonder why. Don't they have their gym to hang out in? Why are they also here?
Candela turned around and spotted Ash. "Huh. Hey, Spark's rookie!"
The wave made the teen walk up the Valor Leader. "Hey, Candela!"
"I saw your little stunt yesterday on the TV... before I got the ADs on new appliances. You really can't stay away from all this weird stuff."
"What weird stuff?"
Candela remained frozen in her smile as she processed the teen's sincere words. She decided to stop processing it. "Anyway, what brings you over here?"
"I'm here for my fifth badge!" Ash pumped himself up. "So I want to challenge the Gym Leader!"
Candela suddenly looked apprehensive. "O-Oh? Uhh, maybe you can come back again tomorrow?"
Bea, who happened to stick around after her battle with Candela, had her eyes widen. "Wait. When I challenged the Gym Leader of this dojo, you asked to step in for them."
Wes picked up what was going on. "Is something wrong with the Gym Leader here?"
Candela sighed as she rubbed the back of her head. "There wasn't supposed to be until I got a call from... ugh." She turned her head away from the group where a person in Valor Uniform walked through a sliding door.
"Tell me she's out of there by now?"
"Sorry, Leader, she's still locked the gates."
"This is such a hassle." She looked over to Ash and the rest. "Please give me a moment." Without waiting, Candela strode out the side exit.
"Huh," Wes folded his arms. "Color me curious."
Bea narrowed her eyes. As someone dedicated to becoming strong, it didn't sit well with her how someone similar to her abandoning her duties.
"Is she injured?" Ash asked out loud before he pumped himself up. "Then maybe we should help!"
"You really want that badge, huh?" Wes raised his brow.
"Yeah, but it sounds like there's trouble. Shouldn't we help out?"
"... How did you say the same exact words as her?"
"What?"
Wes fought the urge to sigh. "Come on, let's go see what this is all about."
Wes, Ash, and a curious Bea followed after Candela towards what looked like a shrine area behind the gym.
The shrine was elaborate enough to have its gated walls inside what looked to be the backyard. In front of two gate doors thick enough to stop a hungry Snorlax, Candela banged her fist on them.
"Ena, will you open these doors already!?" The Valor leader cried out. "We need to talk!"
She and the other three looked up. A Patrat sat on top of the temple gates, watching while its tail swayed with the wind.
Wes, Bea, and Ash watched Candela turn to the Patrat. "She hasn't collapsed from exhaustion again, has she?"
The normal-type from Unova shook its head once.
"Can you please get her or the others to open the door? She's been doing this for the past week!"
The Patrat jumped behind the doors. The group heard a single click before the temple doors started to slide.
"Thanks," Candela looked at the Patrat as it walked out the gates. "I guess she's about to collapse then." She turned around. "And you three! Come on! I might need help carrying and-slash-or dragging her out of here."
The three in question had enough decency to look embarrassed before following Candela.
"So what's going on? Why did the Gym Leader lock herself in her room?" Ash walked up to Candela.
"A simple but not inaccurate way to describe it," Candela mused aloud before she turned serious. "Ena is more than a Gym Leader; she's the new head of a weapons dojo. Recently, her grandfather and previous gym leader retired. But before he did, he performed this unique sword technique that Ena was desperate to learn." Even though the area they traveled through was beautiful in a traditional eastern setting, the others noticed Candela frowning. "Unfortunately, my old sensei is far too carefree while Ena is overserious and competitive. Before he moved to Alola, the only instruction he gave to Ena was—and I quote— Combine both arts in a fun way."
"So she's painting?" Ash looked up to the gym leader.
Candela, Bea, and Wes looked at Ash at the same time before the Valor Leader continued her words. "I mean technique or combat arts. The Saffron Dojo boasts combat techniques from ancient Sinnoh. They practice and teach two main styles here: Agile and Strong Style."
"I've heard of those techniques!" Bea gasped as her eyes widened. "They're real and here!?"
"What are those?" Ash asked again, yet Wes didn't know why it sounded like a big deal.
Candela smirked before saying her following words mischievously, "You'll see it in a battle."
Ahead of the group, a loud sound echoed outward. It sounded like the tail end of a whip, and it came from another pair of doors leading into a temple.
The four ran ahead and pushed the doors open. The trainers didn't know what to expect, yet they still panicked at the site of a girl down on the floor with Normal-type Pokemon crowding around her in panic.
"She really did it again, didn't she!?" Candela yelled before looking at the Pokemon. "Where's her Audino?!"
Ash took in the features of the Gym Leader while everyone scrambled to see if she was well. The gym leader looked like someone straight out of those old Samurai movies. She had black hair tied in a ponytail with a red bow. The downed gym leader wore what looked like a Miko Shrine Maiden attire in those same Samurai movies; hers was worn out and fitted more for something sporty. She even had leather arm guards covering both her hands.
But Ash's attention zeroed in on the ornate samurai sword near her person. He never saw a real weapon outside of movies and reached for the handle.
...Only for an arm to grab his hand before he could touch the blade.
"N-Not yet! I almost had it, Candela!" Ash saw the greenest eyes staring back at him, but they seemed out of focus.
"Ena, you're grabbing your next challenger!" Candela made the girl let go of Ash. "That's it! You're going to bed! No temple training for a week! Lopunny, help me with her!"
As Candela and the others helped the Gym Leader out, Ash looked back at the sword Ena dropped. The raven-haired teen studied the blade: there were scratches on it. Ash followed where the weapon pointed and saw a slab of solid stone with gashes.
The Patrat that opened the gates held a scabbard before picking up the blade. The weapon was twice the normal Pokemon's size, but Ash watched as the Unova Pokemon sheathed the sword just as a samurai would.
When the Patrat finished the sheathing with a click, the teen heard multiple cracking noises. Ash turned back to the stone slab, only to see it fall into pieces.
Ash stood in silence as dust started to fly in the room. "...That was awesome!"
"You are an idiot!" Candela told the girl on the bed. The Valor Leader tapped her foot impatiently. "You had other responsibilities today! So why did I receive a call from Carlos saying he couldn't find you anywhere?!"
"There were no challengers today. And Carlos needs to learn patience."
Candela sighed into her hand. "He was looking for you for over 30 minutes! When he found out about the temple gates, he called me, and don't say you had no challengers. You know Team Valor members frequent this place! I listed this Gym as a resource for getting stronger and a place to get a badge!"
Meanwhile, outside of the infirmary, Bea and Wes watched the door. The room was supposed to be soundproof, but the two trainers could hear muffled screaming from behind the door.
"You okay?" Wes' question made Bea turn to the blue-clad Snagger. "You've got a weird look on your face." That was a nice way of telling her that she was glaring at a piece of wood.
Bea's mind went back to after her loss against the Galar Champion. She tried training to become stronger, only to almost get crushed by a mountain with her Pokemon. She learned a valuable lesson that day but seeing it in another person unsettled the Galar Gym Leader.
"She's making a mistake I made. But unlike me, I don't think she'll realize it soon."
"Hey, I've at least she has friends watching her back." Wes thought back to the lifestyle of Orre. But thinking of Orre always made the Snagger want to change the subject. "So, I overheard Candela saying you're from Galar? What brings you over to Kanto?"
"The Chairman of our League scheduled one year of no League Period due to conflict of interests with other sponsors. During the break, I won a free trip to Kanto and sought to learn how trainers here battle. I was fortunate enough to face Candela. Even in Galar, we've heard stories of the three new teams of Kanto." Bea looked up to Wes. "You do not look like a Kanto native as well."
"I'm from Orre."
"Orre? I'm not familiar with that region."
Wes felt insulted... if he actually cared about his home. He shrugged his shoulders, not saying anything else.
This was a good thing as the door opened, revealing Ena walking out with an arguing Candela.
"Ena, you need to rest!"
"Candela, I respect you highly, but I am perfectly aware of my own limits! I can still run the gym and master the Unite Style."
"Fine, then you should have no trouble handling a gym challenger right now." The Leader of Team Valor crossed her arms. "In fact, he's right..."
As Candela looked over at the two, Wes realized that it was too quiet in the hallway.
"You are my challenger?" Emerald eyes met with gold ones.
"No. No. I'm here with," The Snagger needed to sound cooler than admitting he was hassling a teen for money. "A business partner."
"Ash? A Business partner?" Candela raised her brow at the thought of Spark's new rookie fluent in mercantile principles.
"It's lucrative." Not entirely false for Wes. It was nice for someone to pay for his meals.
...willingly...
...as opposed to him just stealing other people's money and food to get his own.
"But seriously," Wes had a feeling he was going to be changing the topic a lot in his near future. "Where is Ash? I thought he was behind us."
"This is so cool!" Ash swung the practice sword like a baseball bat.
'Your form needs work,' The Patrat picked up a bokken that looked tailor-made for his size. 'We will start with grips, stances, and then Shomen-Uchi, also known as overhead strikes."
"I've always wanted to learn how to use a sword! Isn't this cool, guys!?"
The rest of Ash's Pokemon all held wooden swords in one way or another. Notus and Prince Nidorino held theirs in their beaks and jaws. All of them didn't quite know how to use the weapon, but they were eager.
'Less talk,' The Patrat wielded the blade better than the six combined. 'More practice!'
Bea narrowed her eyes before stepping forward. "I, too, am a challenger. Your fellow Gym Leader stepped in for you, but now that you're here, I want to challenge you formally."
"Very well." Ena held her sword near her waist. "We'll meet in ten minutes. I need to gather my Pokemon. What is your current gym badge count?"
Candela spoke up. "Ena, this is Bea from Galar. She's a visiting Gym Leader and came to learn about how we battle in Kanto."
"In that case, we will use our best teams. 4-on-4 double battles."
Both Bea and Wes blinked at the challenge.
"Wait, you do double battles here?" Wes found himself asking.
Ena nodded once. "My Grandfather demonstrated the Hisuian Styles by using Pokemon that wielded Strong and Agile congruently. I will honor his tradition."
"I could have sworn he did that to have more of his Pokemon out to play more..." Candela mused aloud.
"The point is!" Ena cleared her throat. "I accept the challenge. Prepare accordingly."
Ena left with Candela after the samurai girl. Wes turned to Bea. "Have you ever done a double battle before?"
"I can do it." Bea's eyes narrowed with determination.
The Snagger noticed she didn't deny his question. "Look, from where I come from, all battles are double battles. It isn't just commanding two Pokemon at the same time." After defeating Cipher and conquering Mt. Battle, Wes knew what he was saying.
"Really? Perhaps you can give me some advice for this upcoming fight."
Wes wasn't expecting her to listen to him so easily. However, he focused back on the topic. "Ten minutes isn't much, but I can give you a few pointers I learned..."
Silence usually goes with empty spaces. That wasn't the case here as people watched the incoming battle between Gym Leaders. Although there were around a hundred people, one could hear a sneeze from the opposite side of the room.
Ena stood across from Bea. The Galarian gym leader noticed the slight tremors from overworking herself.
"Alright!" Candela raised her hand. "This is an exhibition doubles match! 4 vs 4 Doubles Match! Each trainer can switch Pokemon mid-battle. First to knock out two Pokemon wins!"
Wes raised his brow at those last two stipulations. He wondered if that was to help lessen Ena's fatigue by shortening the battle.
"Trainers, show your Pokemon!"
"Falinks! Machamp!" "Dee! Dum!"
Bea noticed the Pokemon Ena threw out. She had her suspicions about the Pokemon from earlier, but now she knew for certain: this was a normal type gym. Dee, the Kecleon, and Dum, the Smeargle.
With all members on board, Candela swung down her arm. "Begin the match!"
Bea punched the air. "Machamp, Bullet Punch! Falinks, First Impression!"
Her orders were swift as her combat movements. Bea's Pokemon rushed in—and attacked empty ground?
The shadows of Bea's team shifted before moving away from the fighting Pokemon. Dee came out, grabbing Dum as they left the shadows.
Bea narrowed her eyes. That was Shadow Sneak the Kecleon used right now. But something wasn't right: why was it faster than her attacks?
"Dee, Agile Style: Psybeam! Dum, Agile Style: Toxic Thread!" Ena commanded.
Psybeam slammed into Falinks while Toxic Thread ensnared and poisoned Machamp. Bea saw Machamp powering up through Guts. She saw her chance and called out, "Machamp, Cross Punch!"
Machamp powered through the poisonous web and rushed the Kecleon. However, the Pokemon motioned its leg to step on its shadow. To Bea's credit, she caught Dee off guard; there was no way it could use Shadow Sneak that fast again.
However, her eyes widened when the Cross Chops phased through the body of the normal type.
"Now, Dee, counter with Agile Style: Power-Up Punch!" The normal Pokemon powered his fists and unleashed a barrage on the stupified Machamp. Each hit grew with intensity before one punch sent the mightier Pokemon flying back.
"Falinks, Brick Break!" "Dee, Agile Style: Phantom Force!" "Machamp, Dynamic Punch!" "Dum, Shadow Sneak!"
Wes narrowed his eyes as the battle raged on. "Hey, why is that Kecleon's stripe changing colors during each of its moves?"
Candela, who stood not too far from the referee post, asked, "What do you know about Kecleons?"
"I know they've got an ability to change types, but I always heard that it sucked."
"Yes, Color Change has a lot of weakness: it has to take the type of the move it gets hit by. But that's not Dee's ability. She has the rare Protean ability: where she changes type similar to the attacks she uses."
Wes whistled. "That's a strong ability. She can always use STAB moves and turn into the right defensive types to avoid supper-effective moves like how she was able to turn into a ghost type before Machamp hit her." He frowned when he saw Dee and Dum moving even faster than when the battle began. "And there's this Agile Style: it's making her Pokemon move so much faster."
"You noticed, huh?" Candela looked back at the battlefield. "Let's see if Bea spotted it too."
The fight looked like nothing changed as no one was able to land a clear hit on each other. But Bea knew she was losing the momentum of the fight. Both Falinks and Machamp were poisoned and slowed by Dee's Toxic Thread while Ena's Pokemon moved faster as time went on. Ena turned this into a battle of attrition where she had all the advantages.
Still, if there was one thing that Bea excelled at, it was recognizing patterns. That, and Wes told her that double battles require her Pokemon to work together. "Machamp, pick up Falinks!" Using his four hands, the fighting type picked up most of the Formation Pokemon except for the main one.
"Throw them to your right and kick the last one forward!"
Machamp, using his Gut's boosted strength, launched the Falinks in multiple directions. The four smashed into Dum while the main Falink head used Throat Chop on Dee while she was a ghost type.
Seeing Dee's stripe change color back to red, Bea knew that the Protean user dropped her type change. "Close Combat, Falinks!" Bea swiped her hand.
Even from two different zones, Falinks pulled off the attack. The main head slammed into Dee while the four bullied Dum until all four rammed into him. But this was done in a way that both normal types started to fly towards a Guts-powered Machamp.
"Now, Machamp, Cross Chop! End this!"
The fighting type motioned his hands to start glowing with power. However, Dum regained control mid-air and fired some strange orb at Dee.
Suddenly, Dum snaked his tail around Dee and vanished with Phantom Force.
Machamp swung and missed, but Dum appeared and slide right behind the towering fighting type. Dum spun on his heel, spinning faster and faster until the winds gathered together and a powerful tornado appeared.
Bea recognized it as Hurricane, but she didn't know why it was so strong compared to the times she usually saw the attack.
"Agile Style: Skill Swap?" Candela whispered after recognizing the move Dum performed. "Dum has Protean and used a Strong Style: Hurricane."
The pull of the doubly empowered Hurricane yanked both fighting Pokemon into its spin. Eventually, Dum stopped spinning and slumped to the ground, looking exhausted. Dee slowly got up.
However, that last move was more than enough to take out the weakened and drained Machamp and Falinks. Both Fighting Pokemon fell to the ground with swirls in their eyes.
With two Pokemon down, Candela called the results of the fight. "Falinks and Machamp are unable to battle. Ena is the winner!"
Wes found himself walking over to a frustrated Bea. "Hey, you did great for your first Double Battle. Her Pokemon were just too used to fighting as a team."
"I couldn't convey my emotions properly in this fight. I still have ways to go." Bea looked to see Ena recalling her Pokemon before starting to make her way out of the arena.
No doubt she was going to continue training herself to exhaustion.
Candela made her way after her friend. However, the samurai Gym Leader was already at one of the exits and opened the sliding door.
Bea and Wes looked on with confusion as Ena dropped the blade she was carrying. Even though they couldn't see her fully from where they were, was the Gym Leader so shocked?
"Woo-hoo! That was awesome, Astro!" Wes recognized that voice. "What was that cool move you just did!?"
It seemed like Ena answered Ash's question. Though, many wish she didn't do it in the following way:
"HOW DID YOU MASTER THE UNITE STYLE!?"
If Wes didn't suspect it before, he was now sure Ash was cursed.
[Author Notes.]
Yo! So, welcome to the next Ash's next misadventure! We also meet the second OC Gym Leader: Ena, the laborious samurai. As a kid playing Pokemon Gold for the first time, I really thought there were two gyms in Saffron, so I was surprised I got a Pokemon after defeating the same NPC again instead of a unique one like the Gym Leaders.
This is my take if that Dojo evolved into a proper Gym. (And Journeys says that it did eventually become a proper gym?)
And since Journey inspired this idea, I thought it would also be fun to include Bea! She's really cool, and she inspired the creation of Ena.
Huh.
Ena. Ash. Wes. Bea.
... Well, that's an odd coincidence.
Anyway, I played Legends Arceus when it came out, and it made me want to create a Gym based on its mechanics of both Strong Style and Agile Style. I'm really excited to incorporate those mechanics into the style of this story. Bea Vs Ena was a taste of what Ash's next Gym Battle is going to be like.
Also, Ash still has a Battle AR from Pokken. Do you know what that means in his future? I thought it would be fun to give Ash a mechanic different from Mega Evolution and the likes. And for this story, I think Synergy Burst is going to work splendidly for my style.
So anyway, that's all I have to say for now. Thanks for reading!