AN: Alright, today we get to the OC gym. I want to thank everyone who submitted ideas for the Gym and its gym leader. I picked my favorite one and built on what was provided by the poster while the runner up is going to make a Cameo as their Gym Trainer. I did make a couple additions to have a coherent/matching aesthetic for the two and the town, plus some added backstory since this is an original location. The biggest changes are a single Pokémon for their team and the name of the badge (but the name fits the type and the backstory given). I'll put the exact names of the winners in an Author's Note at the end of the story.
A Courageous Heart
Chapter 12
-Giovanni-
Sitting back in his chair with a content sigh, Giovanni sipped at his coffee, a smile on his face as his call wrapped up with his wife, both of them unfortunately having to get back to work. Thankfully he would only have to remain in Cerulean for another week or two at this rate. The League was filled with talented trainers of all sorts so selecting a water trainer to take a sabbatical out here to run the Gym for the current league season while a permanent Gym leader was found wouldn't be too difficult. He was halfway through his paperwork and just thinking about what to potentially get for lunch when his phone began to ring again.
Seeing Brock's name, he quickly answered, wondering if this was connected to the thieves they'd caught before, "Brock, did something happen?"
"Not related to the thieves." Brock, clearly well aware of where his thoughts had gone, assured him "It's about the Cerulean sisters, or the fourth one at any rate."
"Yes, I did note that one of them was absent when I performed my inspection." Giovanni mused, "The youngest, correct?"
"Misty, yeah." He could hear Brock grimace through the phone, "She's…well she's an angry one. Thought I'd call to send you a heads up, she's furious that the Gym was taken away given it used to be her parents."
"Why wasn't she here?" he was more curious than anything else, understanding why she'd be angry even if her anger would do nothing to change the situation.
"Because she got angry enough to let her sisters bait her into 'swearing to leave Cerulean and not return until she was an acknowledged water Pokémon Master." Brock snorted, "Given that they goaded her into this oath about half an hour after she got her first Pokémon that will likely take a bit."
"If she's that green then there's no way she would make a viable Gym Leader." Giovanni shook his head, "And even still, it's up to the league to choose a new replacement. Her best bet would be to apply to the league and then prove her ability. Perhaps she should try to qualify for the Indigo Conference?"
"That's not a bad idea actually." Brock sounded relieved, "Thanks, I'll suggest it to her. Angry or not she's still an old friend."
"That's right, your father and her parents would have been Gym Leaders around the same time." Giovanni nodded in understanding, it made sense that the two would know each other and have done so since childhood.
"Yeah, this'll hopefully calm her down…or at least let her channel her anger productively." Brock sighed, "I don't have all the details but from what I picked up from her rant when she dropped by someone torched her bike too so she's in one hell of a foul mood lately."
"I wish you luck then." Giovanni nodded as the call ended and he went back to his paperwork, a glance at his email showing that Jessie, James, and Meowth were still observing Ash and Mallow, the boy apparently about to finally go for his second badge.
-Ash-
"Grimmdale huh?" Ash checked his pokedex map, confirming he was in the right town and that this place had a Gym. It was a smaller Gym admittedly, not many people coming to the little town in the middle of the woods, but it was still officially recognized.
"I'm guessing they probably use Dark types here." Mallow nodded to the twin statues of Absol that flanked the entrance to the town.
"Probably." Ash nodded, trying his best to keep his composure around his travelling companion. Ever since the beach, and his revelation of his growing feelings for Mallow, he'd been unsure of what to do or say around her. She was rapidly becoming his best friend; she was his travelling partner. If she felt the same or was even just willing to give it a shot and things worked out then it'd be great, better than great even! But if she didn't, if she wasn't, then it could make things extremely awkward, especially on the long journey. He wasn't sure what to do about it, what to say, how to approach her, any of it.
Thankfully he'd managed to not let her think anything was off so far. Or at least not anything more than she already knew. His scars were still something he wasn't fully comfortable with, not yet at least.
As they walked through the town, the Gym clearly visible towards the back, he noted that the entire place reminded him of some of his dad's Pokémon. Definitely strong, but trying to look more intimidating or dignified than they normally were. But those same Pokémon dropped the act the second they got excited or started getting belly rubs.
Reaching the large building in the back of the town filled with dark colors and dark types, Ash pushed open the door. Inside the entry hall, he saw a darkly colored yet comfortable waiting area, a single trainer sitting by a desk.
"You here for a badge?" the trainer, wearing dark pants, shades, and a black jacket with a white fur lined color, raised an eyebrow. The man was lithe and tall, managing to put out an ominous presence similar to the town's.
"Yes, I'm Ash Ketchum." He approached, offering his hand to shake as the trainer did so, only pausing for a brief moment when Ash's scars came into view.
"Soliel doesn't have any other opponent's today, so I'll go inform her of your challenge." The shades wearing trainer nodded, "Come on." As the tall man stood up, Ash felt Mallow grip his arm somewhat nervously, the two being led to a dark room, the battle ring the only part illuminated enough to see clearly, "Wait here, I'll bring the Gym Leader." The man ordered before vanishing into the shadows. They continued to wait in the darkness, Mallow still holding his arm, until the sound of footsteps echoing in the shadows reached them.
"Thank you, Tracer." The woman who spoke had a dull monotone voice, stepping forward as she stood out from the shadows around her. The woman's pale skin was part of it but mostly it was the white. White hair, white pants, even a white jacket that clung tightly to her. The only exception are her red eyes that stand out from the white of her clothes and the black shadows that surrounded her.
"Greetings trainer, I am Soliel Emrys, Gym Leader for the Grimmdale gym." The woman nodded to him politely, her voice still a rigid monotone while the Gym Trainer, Tracer, moved to the referee position, cracking his neck and knuckles ominously.
"I'm Ash Ketchum, of Pallet Town." Ash nodded, giving Mallow's hand a reassuring squeeze.
"Tell me, Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, how many badges do you possess?" Soliel asked him, her red eyes studying him and Mallow intently.
"This will be my second." He admits as Soliel nods, holding out her hand as a platform rises up beside her carrying three pokeballs.
"Then I shall use these two against you this day." Soliel declared as Tracer nodded.
"The battle will be two on two, with only the challenger being permitted to make substitutions." Tracer raised a pair of dark flags, one red and one green, "Gym Leader Soliel, send out your Pokémon first!"
"Come forth, Murkrow." Soliel called out, bringing out the dark fire type, likely intended to counter anyone hoping to come for an early win with bug types given how fast those evolved. Or anyone who'd managed to find a fighting type.
"Come on out, Rookidee!" Ash brought out his own bird, the small round flying type chirping in challenge to the dark corvid they were facing.
"Begin!" the referee declared, Ash wasting no time.
"Rookidee, use leer!" he called out, the tiny bird's eyes gleaming as it glared at Murkrow which let out a startled squawk, "Now use peck!"
"Murkrow, use gust to dodge." Soleil called out, the dark flying type using the powerful beating of its wings to rapidly gain altitude and avoid Rookidee's attack.
"Speed claw." Ash called out, the combination part of a strategy he'd devised from studying what movies Rookidee could learn. The little bird started to chirp, moving faster and faster as they began using hone claws and agility in tandem, boosting their speed, attack, and accuracy while making attempts to hit the still dodging Murkrow. Although not trying too hard, he didn't want Soliel to catch on till he was ready.
"Snarl." Soliel ordered, her eyes narrowed slightly, clearly starting to figure out he was up to something. But then Rookidee gave the chirp he knew meant she was ready.
"Power trip!" Ash roared, looking forward to seeing what the move in question could do. Its base power was exceptionally weak but what made Power trip so special was that it's strength would grow exponentially as the Pokémon user's stats were increased. If the mon in question had all seven stats 'maxed out' as it were, then the power would be increased by forty-three times the original output. And, lowering stats bellow their normal amounts wouldn't weaken the attack's boost.
"Speed claw…Hone Claws and Agility!" Soliel's eyes widened as her monotone broke, a hint of excitement and shock getting through, "Murkrow, dodge it!" except Rookidee knew to hide how much their speed had been boosted, going all out now and slamming hard into the unprepared corvid. Rookidee slammed into the Murkrow hard, starting to hammer away with peck attacks to whittle away any resistance that would have remained after the initial impact.
"Murkrow is unable to battle, Ash Ketchum is victorious." Tracer called out, "Gym Leader, bring out your final Pokémon." As Soliel recalled Murkrow, Ash brought back Rookidee, taking a deep steadying breath as he readied himself. He wanted to give all his mon a shot in Gym Battles, he wanted to be fair…he had to be better for-
"Jolteon!" he sent out the electric type at the same time Soliel sent out an Absol. Instantly, the albino woman's eyes narrowed. He hadn't used the electric type against Murkrow, so she was well aware something was up. And combine that with his obvious scars and he had a feeling she'd pieced together more than he'd have liked.
"Yawn!" Ash called out his order the instant the referee gave the signal to fight, the unavoidable attack working perfectly as the Absol began having to fight off the drowsiness.
"Quick attack into bite, try to fight off the drowsiness." Soliel's monotone was struggling to come back as she gave her commands, Ash noting that she was shaking ever so slightly, as if she was trying to resist doing something.
"Double kick when it gets closer!" Ash ordered, unsure if Jolteon could keep up with the Absol boosted by quick attack.
"Eon!" the therapy Pokémon called out, eagerly performing the attack Nidorino had taught them.
"Sol!" Absol growled as Jolteon's feet impacted hard against the staggering white furred dark type.
It became a game of cat and mouse, Jolteon having to dodge and bait Absol, hammering away with Double Kick while the well-trained dark type fought falling asleep with everything it could. And the longer the battle waged on, the more excited Soliel became, her monotone stoicism falling away to exuberance. Unfortunately for her, the sleep was inevitable as Absol, still early in its training if it was being used in a second badge battle, fell to the yawn, leaving them open to attack until they were unconscious.
"Winner is-" Tracer began only to be cut off by Soliel.
"That was awesome dude!" the stoic and composed gym leader in her early twenties was now a bubbly exuberant young woman.
"…Heh?" Mallow blinked at the personality swap.
"Damnit Soliel." Tracer sighed, slapping a hand to his face, "You just had to drop early."
"…Oops?" the woman realized she'd stopped being stoic, "Sorry Tracer."
"Shade, damn it." The gym trainer grumbled, "You know I prefer being called Shade."
"Sorry, sorry." Soliel sighed, clicking a button as the lights came on in the room, Ash blinking at the sudden brightness. When his vision cleared, Soliel was taking off her form fitting jacket, tossing it onto a coatrack and donning a very soft looking but distinctly oversized hoodie, a glimpse of a rock band t-shirt underneath only being visible for a moment.
Approaching them with a grin, Soliel pulled out a badge reminiscent of an Absol's crescent blade "Congratulations, Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town. You've won your Treble badge."
"Heh?!" Mallow reiterated. He didn't blame her one bit.
AN: So, the Gym Leader was the suggestion of Grimmideal's with 'Shade' being the creation of Devonm0 (with my edits I mentioned before). You'll see more of Soliel in the next chapter (and maybe learn more of the OC town too).