Chapter 7:

The Class is in Session

Nowtoch City

Just like the Ranger had said, it didn't take long for the group to arrive at Nowtoch City. As per usual, a sign greeted the group:

Welcome to Nowtoch City

The Bustling City in the Mountains!

After the small, rural towns of Moki and Kevlar, the group wasn't expecting to find themselves entering such a large city, in both extension as well as height, given that there were multiple skyscrappers that stuck out of the skyline. The city, however, wasn't all concrete, steel and glass, as there were numerous green areas, such as parks, as well as plenty of trees planted across the sidewalks, as well as around the edges of the city.

While Ash had wanted to go straight to the Gym as soon as they entered the city. However, Serena convinced her that doing so wouldn't be the best option right now, given that they had spent a lot of time inside a cave battling literal armies of wild Pokemon left and right.

"And you want your Pokemon to be at your best when you face your first Gym Leader, don't you?" Serena had asked.

And no matter how much Ash wanted to rebuke that question, he was unable to come up with any arguments, and conceded she had a point. So they headed straight towards the Pokemon Center in order to get their Pokemon restored to their best, and would take the afternoon to rest.

Natalie said she was going to a Pokemart in order to buy some more pokeballs, as well as other necessities, and Serena had suggested to go and do some general shopping. She was hoping that a large city like Nowtoch would have something more to offer in terms of shops than the small towns of Kevlar and Moki, something Natalie had agreed with. Bonnie also decided to tag along, leaving the boys alone in the Pokemon Center.

Ash didn't want to rest. Normally, he would train, but given that his Pokemon needed to rest, he couldn't do that either. So he was now sitting on the lobby of the Pokemon Center, doing the next best thing: find information about the Gym Leader he was about to face.

"So, how's the research going?" Clemont asked, coming with a pair of soda cans in his hands. He handed one to Ash, which he happily accepted.

"Did you know that the Nowtoch City Gym Leader, Maria, used to be Tandor's Champion?" Ash asked.

Clemont's eyes opened wide in shock. "No way! They weren't kidding when they said that Tandor's Gym Leaders were much tougher than average!"

"Yeah. Though being a Champion works a little different here than in other regions," Ash said, as his eyes looked at the screen of the Pokedex. "Rather than the League winner having to fight the Elite Four and then the reingning Champion, the League winner becomes Champion directly. Then, the reinging Champion must enter the League in order to defend their title. If the Champion declines to return, they automatically give up the title and becomes vacant until the next League winner.

"Maria won the League the last three years, but this year announced that she wasn't going to defend her title anymore, and decided to become a Gym Leader instead," Ash finished his explaination. "Her Gym also doubles as a trainer school, where she teaches young children how to become proper trainers. Huh, just like Roxanne."

"Don't you think that fighting a former Champion is a little too much for your first Gym Challenge?" Clemont asked, looking a little worried for his friend's chances. "Not to mention Natalie, who is a beginner. Even if Gym Leaders use weaker teams desginated to fight beginners, it might still be too much for her."

"On the contrary, it gets me even more pumped! I mean, I can't hope to be a Pokemon Master if I only take the easiest road, don't you think?" Ash asked. "Besides, it's not that I'm a stranger to Champions. Diantha wasn't even the first Champion I battled against."

"Yes, but have you ever defeated a Champion before?" Clemont asked.

"I have faith that my Pokemon can push through any obstacle, no matter how big it is," Ash said, looking at Pikachu. "Right buddy?"

"Pi, pika!" Pikachu happily agreed.

"If you say so," Clemont replied, but didn't sound very convinced.

…

The next morning, the group of five headed towards Nowtoch Gym. Unlike the many skyscrappers, the Gym was a mere two story building, rather simple in design, with the symbol of the Pokemon League above the entrance that separated it from the rest of the buildings. As the automatic doors slided open, a soft chime announced to the people inside of the newcomers.

"Welcome to Nowtoch Gym!" the receptionist, a maroon haired woman in her forties, greeted the group, smiling. "Did you come to join Maria's trainer school, or do you plan to challenge her to a Gym Battle?"

"The latter," Ash added.

The receptionist then noticed the size of the group, and arched an eyebrow. "Are all of you going to challenge her?"

"No, just me and Natalie," Ash said, pointing at the younger girl.

"Very well then. Please follow that corridor to my left, and you'll find the battleground. Meanwhile, I'll inform Maria that she has challengers," the recptionist said, as she grabbed the phone. "She's usually teaching now, but she's willing to interrupt her classes to face challengers."

"Thank you," Ash said, as he and the rest of the group walked towards the corridor the receptionist had told them about.

After walking out of the corridor, the group reached the battleground, just like the receptionist had told them. The Nowtoch Gym battleground was a pretty standard field of dirt, without any frills, bells or whistles. Rather fitting for a Normal-type specialist as Maria.

A few seconds later, another door leading into the battleground opened, and a group of children lead by a pair of young women walked in. One of the women was carrying a pair of flags and a jacket with the Pokemon League symbol on its breast, meaning that she was a referee.

The other, whom everybody presumed was Maria, was a woman in her late twenties, with straight black hair that fell down her back, gray eyes, and fair skin. She was wearing a short sleeved white shirt, a pair of jeans, and maroon sneakers.

"Alright children, sit down, and don't make any noise, understood?" Maria told the children, who nodded and went to sit on the bleachers around the battleground, while Maria herself headed towards the group. "Heya! Welcome to my Gym! I'm Maria, the Gym Leader. So, I was told that I had a pair of challengers eager to battle me."

"That's correct! My name is Ash-"

"-Ketchum from Pallet Town," Maria said, much to the boy's surprise.

"You... you know who I am?" Ash asked.

"Yep. The latest Kalos League was pretty intense, and that was before all the stuff with Team Flare. I showed many of the matches in class, since you can learn quite a lot from them,"Maria explained. "And who is the other challenger...?"

"That would be me," Natalie said, raising her hand. "Name's Natalie Raine."

"Raine? Oh, I see, you're one of Kellyn's kids, are you?" Maria asked,

"Kellyn?" Ash repeated. "As in, Kellyn the Ranger?"

"Chief Ranger," Maria clarified. "You know him? Have you met him already?"

"I met him sometime ago in Sinnoh," Ash said. "So, he's now working on Tandor?"

"Sinnoh?" Natalie asked. "Oh, you must have met my older brother, Kellyn Jr."

"So, you have another brother besides Vitor?" Serena asked.

"Yep. He decided to follow dad's footsteps and become a Ranger. When he was old enough, he left Tandor in order to see the world and hone his skills," Natalie explained.

"Anyway, back on track," Maria interrupted, crossing her arms. "You two want to challenge me for a badge. So, who's going to go first?"

Ash looked at Natalie and smiled at her. "Ladies first?"

Natalie rubbed her arm and averted Ash's gaze. "Actually... how about you go first? That way, I'd get a better idea of what to expect of a Gym battle. If you don't mind."

"Not at all. I hope you can learn a thing or two by watching me fight, then," Ash said.

"And she won't be the only one. My children are really excited to see one of the Kalos League finalists in action, live," Maria said, as she and Ash walked towards the battleground. "So, even if this is your first Gym Battle in Tandor, given that you're an experienced trainer, I'm going to use some of my strongest Pokemon. Is that okay?"

"Sure. I want you to do your worst," Ash confidently said.

"Well, well, somebody has a lot of faith in his chances," Maria laughed, as she and Ash took their respective places. "Did you know that you're about to face a former Champion?"

"I do. And that makes it even better," Ash replied.

The referee raised both her flags. "This is an official Gym Battle between the Gym Leader Maria, and Ash Ketchum. The battle will be single format with no time limit, and each trainer will use up to three Pokemon. The battle will be over when one side has no more Pokemon remaining. Only the challenger may make substitutions. Trainers, select your first Pokemon."

"Alright Pikachu, I choose you!" Ash said.

"Pika!" Pikachu happily replied, jumping from Ash's shoulder and landing on the ground on all fours, electric sparks jumping from his feet.

"So you start with your famous Pikachu. Well, I guess if you want to deal with a mouse, the best answer is a cat. Felunge, go!" Maria said, tossing a pokeball forward.

The pokeball opened, releasing a bipedal cat-like Pokemon, with white fur, the fur on one of its front paws being orange and the other brown, and its feet of the opposite colors. It also had a brown patch of fur over one eye and an orange one over the other. It had two tails, one brown and the other orange. The Pokemon reminded Ash of Feleng, another cat-like Pokemon he had seen during Serena's first contest. He pulled out his Pokedex to scan it:

"Felunge, the Nimble Cat Pokemon, and Feleng's evolution. Normal. They're are expert hunters, able to see in very low light and move without a sound. Many people keep them to deter pests such as Chynimunk."

"Your Felunge looks strong. But you're going to need a much bigger cat to deal with this mouse!" Ash boasted.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu empathically added.

The referee lowered both flags in a chopping motion. "Begin!"

~Challenger Ash (Pikachu, ?, ?) VS Gym Leader Maria (Felunge, ?, ?)~

"Pikachu, let's start with Quick Attack!" Ash ordered.

"Pika!" Pikachu said, before dashing forward towards his feline opponent, leaving a trail of fading white light behind.

"Counter it with Brick Break!" Maria ordered.

"Fel!" Felunge meowed, as one of its paws started to glow white, and the moment Pikachu leaped towards it, it slammed its glowing paw onto Pikachu's head, sending the electric mouse bouncing backwards.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried.

"Well done, Felunge! Now, Fury Swipes!" Maria ordered.

Felunge's claws seemed to grow twice their size, while also glowing with a white light, as the Nimble Cat Pokemon moved to slice Pikachu. On his part, Pikachu did his best to dodge and evade all the slashing swipes aimed at him, while being pushed back. Pikachu tripped and fell on his back. Felunge smirked, and leaped into the air while raising one of its claws, ready to deliver a brtual strike.

Fortunately, Pikachu rolled on his back just as Felunge's claw smashed against the ground, opening a small creater, and the Mouse Pokemon jumped back to his feet.

"Well done, Pikachu! Now, use Thunderbolt!" Ash said.

"Pikaaaa...!" this time, it was Pikachu who jumped into the air, as sparks jumped from his cheeks, before his body releasing a powerful bolt of electricity towards his Normal-type enemy. "CHUUUUUUUUUU!"

"Felunge, dodge it with Dig!" Maria shouted.

Felunge jumped into the air, spinning its body rapidly until it became a living tornado, before drilling itself underground just as the Thunderbolt passed towards him.

Ash smirked confidently. "Let me show you what we do with Pokemon who think they can escape from us by going underground! Pikachu, Iron Tail on the field!"

"What?" Maria asked in surprise.

Pikachu jumped into the air, his tail glowing with a silvery sheen, before he slammed his tail into the battleground, smashing a large hole on it and sending many rocks flying in every direction. And most importantly, forcing Felunge out into the open once again.

"And Iron Tail again!" Ash commanded.

"Block it with Shadow Claw!" Maria ordered.

"Pika!" Pikachu shouted, as he leaped towards the still airborne Felunge, swinging his tail against it. Felunge's claws were coated in a black ghostly aura, and used them to parry Pikachu's Steel-type move. However, it wasn't enough, and Felunge was sent crashing against the ground, while Pikachu landed on his feet.

…

Meanwhile, back on the bleachers, Maria's kids were cheering, mostly for her, but also because they were enjoying the battle. Sitting near them were Ash's friends and Natalie.

"Whoa, I knew Ash was good, but not this good!" the Tandorian girl said. "I don't think I would have come up with something like using Iron Tail on the ground to counter Dig."

"Ash is a very experienced trainer. When you have fought as much as he has, coming up with new tactics quickly become a second nature," Serena explained. "When he started training me for Contest Battles, I didn't have much idea of complex tactics either, but the more we sparred, the easier it became."

"Let's hope it's true, because I don't think I'm going to get very far as a trainer if this is my competition," Natalie said.

…

Back on the battleground, despite Pikachu's direct hit, Felunge quickly jumped back to its feel, showing that it still had enough energy to continue the battle.

"Are you okay, Felunge?" Maria asked. The Nimble Cat Pokemon nodded, and its trainer smiled. "Good! This was just a little setback."

"This will be more than a mere setback! Pikachu, use Electroball! Rapid fire!" Ash ordered.

"Pika!" Pikachu jumped into the air, forming a sphere of yellow electricity on the tip of his tail, before tossing it at the Nimble Cat Pokemon, followed by another, and another, and another.

"Do you plan to exhaust Felunge by either forcing it to dodge or to parry, but that's not going to work. Felunge, grab one of those boulders and use it as a shield!" Maria ordered.

"Lunge!" Felunge said, as it tan towards one of the many boulders that Pikachu's Iron Tail had scattered around the battleground, grabbed one almost as big as the feline Pokemon was, and used it as a shield to absorb the incoming barrage of electric spheres.

"What?" now, it was Ash's turn to be surprised.

"You don't get to be a champion if you don't know how to think outside the box," Maria said. "Now Felunge, grab onto that boulder, and move towards Pikachu!"

"Fe, lunge!" the Nimble Cat Pokemon said, rushing forward.

"Not a bad idea, but your plan has a glaring hole in it!" Ash said. "Pikachu, Iron Tail on that boulder!"

"Chu!" Pikachu said, as his tail once again glowed with a metallic sheen, and slammed it against the boulder, shattering it to pieces, and sending Felunge flying backwards.

"Felunge!" Maria cried.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered.

"Pika...CHUUUUU!" Pikachu yelled, releasing once again a powerful electric blast.

This time, Felunge was unable to dodge, and took the full brunt of Pikachu's most powerful attack, letting out a shrill meow of pain. The bipedal cat dropped to one knee.

"And finish with Iron Tail!" Ash said.

"Pikapikapikapika...!" Pikachu said, rushing towards the weakened Felunge, his tail glowing once more.

"Felunge, Attract!" Maria called.

"Oh no! Pikachu, stop!" Ash shouted.

Felunge waved her arms, sending a flurry of pink hearts towards the incoming Pikachu. Unfortunately for Pikachu, he had no time nor space to either stop to a halt or even maneuver around the attack, and the pink hearts reached him. Pikachu's own eyes turned into hearts and his mouth formed a goofy grin as he looked enthralled at Felunge.

"That was a close one, huh?" Maria said, sighing in relief. "I think I should have used that move earlier. Oh well, no point in mullying over roads not taken. Felunge, Shadow Claw!"

"Feeeeel!" Felunge meowed, as her claws were coated in the same ghostly aura as before, and delivered a couple of painful spectral slashes at the spellbound Pikachu.

"Pikachu, move!" Ash shouted.

But Pikachu continued standing there, besotted, and taking Felunge's attacks, pain not even registering in his brain.

"Felunge, now Fury Swipes!" Maria ordered.

"Pikachu, snap out of it!" Ash begged.

But Ash's pleas fell on deaf ears, and Pikachu once again took the full brunt of Felunge's attack, who swiped time after time after time, puhsing Pikachu backwards.

"Finish with Brick Break!" Maria ordered.

That moment, the effect of Attract finally ended, and Pikachu snapped back to his senses, much to Ash's joy and relief.

"Yes! Now quickly-"

However, Pikachu winced and fell to his non-existent knees as a wave of pain washed over his small body, now feeling the effects of the attacks he took while under the effect of Attract. And that didn't allow him to dodge in time, and the Brick Break connected, sending Pikachu falling backwards.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried.

Pikachu landed on his back, his arms and legs sprawling on the ground. Grunting in pain, the electric rodent tried get back to his feet, but was unable to.

The referee raised a flag in Maria's direction. "Pikachu can't fight anymore! The winner is Felunge!"

…

"YAAAAAAAAAAAY!" the schoolchildren cheered in unison, happy that their teacher was in the lead now.

Naturally, Ash's friends didn't share their joy, as they watched with a bit of worry as the Pallet Town native walked over Pikachu, scooped it between his arms, and brought him to his side of the battlefield, while he whispered something, probably some words of encouragement or reassurement.

"I can't believe Pikachu just lost like that..." Bonnie lamented.

"Yeah, he was about to win, and then BAM! Attract!" Natalie said, raising her hands in the air. "If her Felunge knew that attack, why didn't she used it before?"

"She was clearly keeping it as some sort of last resort. I imagine she wanted to see if her Felunge could beat Pikachu without using it," Clemont explained. "A good trainer never reveals all their cards at once."

"And now Ash has lost one of his two most veteran Pokemon," Bonnie pointed out.

"It doesn't matter. I'm sure Ash will find a way to turn the match around," Serena said as she watched Ash reaching for the pokeballs buckled to his belt. "The match has only begun."

…

"Birbie, I choose you!"

Ash tossed the pokeball forward, releasing his first and so far only Tandorian Pokemon.

"Bir, birbie!" Birbie chirped, as he was released from the capture device.

Maria quirked an eyerbow, and shook her head. "First a mouse, now a little bird? Tsk, tsk."

"You're about to discover that this little bird packs quite the big punch," Ash retorted.

"Birbie versus Felunge! Begin!" the referee said.

"Given that you already know about Attract, no point in hiding it anymore. Felunge, Attract!" Maria ordered.

"Feeeeel!" Felunge meowed, as she waved her paws, releasing a flurry of pink energy hearts.

"Birbie, fly around to dodge them!" Ash ordered.

Birbie did as was commanded, and began to fly high in circles around the battleground, easily dodging the heart-shaped projectiles.

"Now Birbie, use Air Cutter!" Ash ordered. "Then get close to Quick Attack!"

"Dodge!"

Keeping distance, Birbie's wings began to glow with a faint blue light, before flapping them twice, releasing a pair of crescent-shaped blades of wind, which the Nimble Cat Pokemon gracefully dodged, missing their mark. But while the feline Pokemon was busy dodging, Birbie shot towards her, leaving behind a trail of fading white light.

"Getting close and personal? A daring strategy, Ash, but a foolish one!" Maria said. "Felunge, Brick Break!"

Felunge raised one of her paws, which began to glow with a white light, ready to smack the Eden Bird Pokemon the moment he got any closer.

"Birbie, Flash, now!" Ash shouted.

"What?"

Birbie's crest under his beak started to glow, before it exploded in a burst of blinding white light, causing everybody to shield their eyes, and for Felunge to cancel her Brick Break. The Nimble Cat Pokemon hissed in pain as the sudden burst of light left her temporarily blind.

"Birbie, quickly, use Gust!" Ash commanded.

"BiiiirBIE!" Birbie chirped, as he flapped his wings as fast as he could, creating a tornado around the blinded Felunge that lifted her into the air.

"Follow with Quick Attack!"

Birbie barreled towards the airborne Felunge, slamming against her body with as much strength as the little bird could muster. Then a second time. Then another, and another and another. The last Quick Attack send Felunge pummeling down, before she crashed against the ground with a painful boom.

And just like Pikachu before, Felunge didn't appear that she could move anymore. The referee raised a flag.

"Felunge can't fight anymore! The winner is Birbie!"

Maria sighed, and returned Felunged to her pokeball. "Good job, girl. Take a rest."

…

Now, it was the schoolkids who were disappointed, whule Ash's friends

"Yes!" Bonnie cheered. "They're even."

"Man, that Birbie is a beast in a cutie clothing," Natalie commented, remembering her own battle against the bird.

"Well, Pikachu had softened Maria's Felunge, so Birbie only had to deliver the finishing blows," Clemont said. "Fortunately, Birbie hardly had to spend much energy fighting Felunge, so he should be good for whatever Pokemon Maria sends next."

"Here goes my next Pokemon. Go, Kinetmunk!" Maria said, tossing the pokeball forward.

The capture device opened, releasing Maria's second Pokemon. It was a slender, quadrupedal rodent with long legs. It was covered in yellow fur, with blue markings above its green eyes and around its back, and a long tail of the same color.

Ash pulled his Pokedex out to scan it.

"Kinetmunk, the Chipmunk Pokemon, and Chynimunk's evolution. Normal/Electric. They dig intricate tunnels that can stretch for miles underground. They use small electrical pulses to relax their muscles, allowing them to run faster."

Serena saw Clemont wince upon hearing the typing. Not only it was going to be an uphill battle for Birbie, but that Kinetmunk could pose a threat to Greninja as well. Ash didn't share their friend's worry, having proven in past matches that type advantage wasn't everything.

…

"Birbie versus Kinetmunk, begin!" the referee said.

"Kinetmunk, fry that bird with Discharge!" Maria ordered.

"Birbie, counter it with Air Cutter!" Ash replied.

"Munk!"

"Birb!"

Kinetmunk's body crackled with yellow electricity, before sending multiple bolts of electricity at Birbie, while Birbie flapped his wings, sending several blades of wind to meet the electric attack. The two moves met in the middle, resulting in an explosion.

"Kinetmunk, get close with Quick Attack!" Maria ordered.

"Use Quick Attack too, Birbie!" Ash ordered as well.

The Eden Bird Pokemon and the Chipmunk Pokemon dashed towards each other, moving so fast they left a trail of brief afterimages in their wake. The two Normal-type Pokemon slammed against each other, the clash resulting in a gust of wind that blew in every direction, and for a fraction of a second, it appeared as if their strength was equal, before Birbie lost the struggle and was send flying backwards.

"Birbie, no!" Ash called. "Quickly, regain your balance!"

"Time to press our advantage Kinetmunk! Use Super Fang!"

"Kineeee...!" Kinetmink yelled while it charged towards Birbie, as its buckteeth started to glow with a white light, tripling in length.

"Birbie, keep Kinetmunk away from you with Gust!"

"Birbirbirbir...!" Birbie chirped as he flapped his wings as fast as he could, producing a strong gust of wind.

While the Gust did little to damage the electric squirrel, it at least managed to slow it on its tracks.

"Good job Birbie! Now blind it with Flash!" Ash ordered.

"Not a second time! Kinetmunk, close your eyes, quickly!" Maria ordered.

"Bir-BIE!" Birbie chirped, as the crest on his chest glowed brigthly, covering the battleground in white light, forcing everybody to shield their eyes a second time.

Unfortunately for Birbie, Kinetmunk heeded Maria's advice, and was able to close its eyes shut before Birbie's attack could blind it like it did to Felunge.

"Now Kinetmunk, use Quick Attack again to get closer!" Maria said. Even if she couldn't see, she knew that Birbie was in front of Kinetmunk and wouldn't have time to move, given that the Flying-type Pokemon was channeling two attacks at once.

Kinetmunk's teeth returned to normal as Super Fang was canelled, and dashed forward, the attack allowing it to move faster than it normally would overpowering the effect of the Gust, before slamming its body against the smaller Pokemon.

"B-BIRB!" Birbie cried upon being smacked backwards.

"Now, hit him with Aqua Tail!" Maria ordered.

Kinetmunk's blue tail was coated in water as it swung its limb at Birbie, still reeling from the quick attack. The water around Kinetmunk's tail exploded the moment it impacted against Birbie, sending the Eden Bird Pokemon crashing down against the ground.

"Bibie, no!" Ash said in desperation.

"Finish it with Spark!" Maria said.

"Kinet-MUNK!" Kinetmunk's body was surrounded by a yellow electric aura, and launched itself towards Birbie. Just like with the previous attack, there was an electric explosion once the move hit its mark, releasing lightning bolts everywhere.

The super effective move was too much for the poor Birbie, who fell on his back to the ground, body covered in burn marks and his eyes swirly.

The referee raised a flag in Maria's direction. "Birbie can't fight anymore, the winner is Kinetmunk!"

Ash let out a sigh as he returned his Tandorian Pokemon. "Good job, Birbie. You did your best."

…

"Now Ash is only down to Greninja," Natalie lamented. "And he has to beat an Electric-type Pokemon."

"It's okay, Greninja is super strong! He'll beat that squirrel, you'll see!" Bonnie reassured the brown haired girl.

"Nene!" Dedenne said, sharing the blonde's enthusiasm.

"Even if Greninja beats Kinetmunk, there's also Maria's last Pokemon," Clemont added. "Which no doubt will be her strongest one."

"Ash can do it," Serena reassured. "He has overcome odds far worse than this one."

…

"Greninja, I choose you!" Ash said, tossing his last pokeball.

The pokeball opened, releasing Ash's strongest Kalosian Pokemon, as well as the strongest Water-type he ever caught.

"Ninja!"

Maria's mouth curved into a smirk, while Ash could see a glint of expectation in her eyes. "And there it is. Your famous Greninja. I'd never imagine that I'd have the chance to battle it."

"I'm sure Greninja will surpass all your expectations," Ash replied.

"In that case... Kinetmunk, use Discharge!" Maria ordered.

"Munk!" Kinetmunk happily replied, as it coated its body in electricity before firing multiple lightning bolts at the Ninja Pokemon.

"Dodge it with Double Team!" Ash ordered.

A multitude of Greninja copies flashed into existence, filling the battleground with blue. Kinetmunk's electric bolts managed to destroy some, but most of them remained.

"Dispel them with Quick Attack!" Maria ordered.

Once again, the Chipmunk Pokemon dashed like crazy through the battleground, clashing against every Greninja copy in its way easily reducing their numbers.

"Greninja, stop it with Aerial Ace!" Ash ordered.

The original Greninja moved towards the still running Kinetmunk, his arms and feet glowing with a white light as he prepared the attack, and delivered a powerful blow to the gut of the Normal and Electric Type Pokemon, stopping it on its tracks.

"Very good, Greninja! Follow with Night Slash!" Ash said.

Greninja's limbs stoped glowing white, before he unsheathed a sword made of pure darkness out of a seemingly nonexistent sheath, and delivered a pair of brutal slashes to Kinetmunk, sending the electric rodent crashing back against the ground.

"Kinetmunk!" Maria cried. "Are you okay?"

In response, the Chipmunk Pokemon jumped back on its four feet, and shook its head to snap out of the dizzyness result of such assault. "Kin!"

"Good," Maria's eyes rested on Ash's Pokemon. "Perhaps going on the offensive like that was a mistake..."

"Greninja, Water Shuriken!"Ash called.

Greninja jumped into the air, watery stars forming on each hand, and tossed them at Kinetmunk. Maria, however, had already planned a counterattack.

"Kinetmunk, dodge them with Quick Attack!" Maria ordered. "Use it to get closer!"

"Munk!" Kinetmunk said, as it began to move as faster than normal speed, almost becoming a yellow and blue blur.

Kinetmunk quickly sidestepped just before a Water Shuriken could hit it, and once the Chimpunk Pokemon was close enough to Greninja, it leaped at him.

"Greninja, use Aerial Ace!" Ash ordered.

"Now, Discharge!" Maria shouted.

Once again, Kinetmunk's body started to crackle with electricity, before sending a barrage of lightning bolts at Greninja. At such close distance, it was impossible for the Ninja Pokemon to dodge. Greninja croaked in pain as electricity coursed through his body.

"GREEEEEE...!"

"Greninja!" Ash cried.

"Keep pressing on, Kinetmunk! Super Fang!" Maria ordered.

Kinetmunk charged once again towards Greninja, its front teeth glowing and enlogating until they xtended beyond its face, and leaped towards the Kalosian Pokemon, ready to sink its teeth on its flesh.

"Parry it with Night Slash!" Ash ordered.

Greninja once again summoned a sword of pure darkness, and raised it just in time to block Kinetmunk's attack. The two Pokemon struggled there for a second, before Greninja's superior strength managed to push it back, bouncing against the ground multiple times, but landing on its feet.

"Finish with Aerial Ace!" Ash said.

"Spark!" was Maria's order.

Greninja's sword of darkness disappeared, as his foreams glowed with a white light, dashing towards the electric rodent. Kinetmunk, meanwhile, coated its entire body in electricity, and rushed towards the Ninja Pokemon.

The two Pokemon clashed. There was a flash of electricity followed by two cries of pain, culminating in an explosion that once again, lunged Kinetmunk backwards. The Chipmunk Pokemon landed on its back, eyes closed shut and teeth gritted, its entire body twitching in pain. That last hit marked the end of the fight for the Normal and Electric-type.

"Kinetmunk can't fight anymore! The winner is Greninja!" the referee announced.

Maria returned her fallen Kinetmunk, not looking bothered by the loss in the slightest. "You did great, Kinetmunk. Take a rest."

"We did it Greninja!" Ash cheered. "One more fight and-"

"G-Gre!" Greninja flinched, as several electric sparks jumped from his body.

…

"Oh no. This is bad. This is really bad," Clemont said, looking worried.

"What's wrong with Greninja?" Bonnie asked, sharing the same mood as her brother.

"Paralyzed?" Serena repeated.

"Unfortunately, so it seems. That last Spark... Maria knew that Kinetmunk was on the verge of defeat, that's why she ordered it to use Spark. Spark has a good chance to inflict paralysis on the opponent," Clemont explained. "Maria will be saving her strongest Pokemon for last. And for Greninja to beat it with such a handicap..."

"Alright, here goes my last Pokemon!" they heard Maria said, as she pulled out another pokeball. "Kiricorn, go!"

The pokeball opened, releasing Maria's last Pokemon... and Serena almost forgot to breathe when her eyes laid upon it.

Kiricorn was a horse-like Pokemon, with white skin, a soft pink mane, and a long, fluffy tail of the same color. It had two horns curving outwards at the sides of its head, as well as blue, antler-like horn in the middle of its forehead. Kiricorn reared upon being released, and let out a loud neigh.

In Serena's opinion, it was the most beautiful Pokemon she had ever seen.

"OH MY GOODNESS! IT'S SO CUUUUUUTE!" Bonnie squealed. The younger girl apparently shared Serena's opinion.

…

"Kiricorn, the Unicorn Pokemon, and one of Minicorn's possible evolutions. Normal/Fairy. The hair in its mane is made of gossamer-thin threads and is impossibly soft. It will only allow those it trusts to touch it." The Pokedex said upon being scanned.

While the Pokedex's initial description didn't mention its fighting prowess, Ash knew that Kiricorn would be a very challenging opponent. And that was without getting Greninja's paralisys into account.

The referee raised both flags. "Greninja versus Kiricorn, begin!"

"That Greninja can barely stand. Let's give him a quick and merciful defeat! Kiricorn, use Mega Horn!" Maria ordered.

Kiricorn neighed, and galloped forward while lowering its head, a large green aura in the form of a spike glowing around its middle horn.

"Greninja, jump above Kiricorn and use Water Shuriken!" Ash commanded.

Greninja did as he was told, and evaded the Bug-type attack with a well timed jump. A pair of water shuriken appeared on each of his hands while he was mid air. However, before he could throw them, the paralisys acted up, causing the Ninja Pokemon to wince, and for the attack to be cancelled. Still, he was able to fight the paralisys in order to at least land on his feet.

"Kiricon, Moonblast!" Maria shouted.

Kiricorn turned around, and formed a pink and white sphere of energy in front of its head, before firing it at Greninja.

"Greninja, counter it with Night Slash!" Ash ordered.

A sword of darkness formed around Greninja's right hand, and with a mighty slash, the Moonblast was shattered into a rain of white and pink sparkles, even if it the sword was destroyed as well.

"If we were in a contest, that maneuver would have costed me quite a few points," Maria observed. "But unfortunately for you, we aren't in a contest. Kiricorn, Moonblast again!"

"Greninja, use Double Team!" Ash shouted.

Just as Kiricorn fired the second Moonblast, dozen of Greninja copies filled the battleground. The Fairy-type projectile merely hit one of the duplicates, which vanished instantly.

Maria, however, wasn't fazed in the slightest. "That's not going to work against us! Kiricorn, Earthquake!"

Letting out a loud neigh, Kiricorn reared before bringing its front legs down, the battleground violently shaking the moment its hooves slammed the ground, sending seismic shockwaves through. The effect was immediate, and most of the Greninja copies quickly vanished, while the real one suffered the effects of the Ground-type attack, and was blasted backwards by a seismic shock.

"Greninja!" Ash cried. "This is bad! We haven't even landed a single hit, and Maria's Kiricorn continues to wear us down!"

"Moonblast again!" Maria ordered.

"Parry it again with Night Slash!" Ash ordered.

Kiricorn fired yet another orb of pink and white light, and once again, it was shattered by Greninja's Night Slash.

"I'll give you something you won't be able to parry! Kiricorn, use Flamethrower!" Maria said.

"We won't be able to parry it, but can still counter it! Greninja, Water Shuriken!" Ash replied.

Orange flames billowed from Kiricorn's mouth, before the Unicorn Pokemon openedits mouth, releasing a torrent of flames towards Greninja, just as a pair of blue liquid shuriken formed on each of his hands. Thankfully, the paralisys didn't kick in, and Greninja succesfully threw them. The two opposing elements clashed, and nullified each other in a cloud of steam.

"Greninja, quickly! Use Aerial Ace!" Ash ordered.

Greninja crossed the battleground at such speed, he split the cloud of steam in two. His forearms started to glow with a white light, and once he was in close combat distance, and delivered several swipes at Kiricorn.

"Counter with Mega Horn!" said Maria.

"Use Water Shuriken as a shield!" Ash replied.

Kiricorn's antler-like horn was surrounded by a greenish-yellow aura in the form of a spike, while Greninja created a rather large shuriken out of water. When Kiricorn tried to gore the Ninja Pokemon with its piercing attack, Greninja blocked it with his liquid shuriken. Unfortunately, it was unable to absorb all the force of the impact, and the shuriken exploded into thousands of droplets while Greninja was blasted backwards. After bouncing on his back a couple times, the Kalosian Pokemon landed on his feet.

Keeping his spirits high, Ash decided to play the last card in his hand, trusting it would be able to turn the tide of the battle.

"Alright Greninja, time to go all out! The two of us, together!" Ash said.

As the bond between Ash and Greninja became stronger, a torrent of water exploded around Greninja, before taking the form of a spiraling column of water. Though their shared bond, Ash could sense how Greninja's power grew, and as a response to that growth, his body changed to adapt to it.

"Gre!" Greninja cried within the vortex, and Ash could feel him flinch.

There was something wrong. The transformation was taking too long. Was it because of the paralysis? Whatever the reason, this didn't go unnoticed to the Gym Leader.

"Kiricorn, quickly, use Mega Horn! Don't let him complete the transformation!" Maria shouted.

Kiricorn neighed, and galloped towards the stil transforming Greninja as a his middle horn glowed with a greenish-yellow aura. Unlike the previous attempts, the move contected, and Greninja was send flying backwards out of the spiraling water tower by the super effective attack, landing painfully on his side.

"Greninja, quickly, you need to get up!" Ash urged, waving his arms at him.

Letting a croack of pain, Greninja ignored at best as he could how much his body hurt, and tried to get back on his feet and continue the fight. Unfortunately for the amphibian, Maria wasn't going to let him.

"Moonblast," was all what Maria said.

Kiricorn fired the powerful Fairy-type move, and the pink and white orb of light blasted Greninja, resulting in a blast of light of the same color, followed by a cloud of magenta smoke.

"Greninja...!"

And once the smoke dispelled, it revealed Greninja, lying on the ground, his body twitching, but otherwise motionless.

The referee raised a flag in Maria's direction. "Greninja can't fight anymore! Since Ash has lost three Pokemon, the winner of the match is Maria!"

As the crowd of children sitting in the bleachers cheered, Ash stood there, motionless, unblinking, as if his brain was still trying to process the loss. Then, his head dropped and his shoulders slumped before recalling the fainted Greninja.

"Good job buddy. Sorry I wasn't up to par," Ash whispered.

"For all that's it worth," Maria said, as she started to walk towards him. She had already recalled her Kiricorn. "I think it was a pretty good fight. Guess I was lucky that I managed to paralyze your Greninja with Kinetmunk's last Spark."

"Still, you fought better than me, no point in denying that," Ash replied, before adding. "I... I want a rematch!"

"Sure," Maria replied. "But first, take a day or two to train a little. Maybe catch more Pokemon so you have more options in battle."

"Ash!"

Ash turned around, and saw his friends as well as Natalie walking towards him. Ash could also see Maria's children, talking among themselves no doubt happy that their teacher defeated the challenger, being escorted out of the battleground by the referee.

"Hey Ash, sorry about your loss," Clemont said.

"Are you okay?" Serena asked, looking at him with concern in her eyes.

"It will be alright," Ash said. He tried to put on a brave face. "I mean, you remember Kalos, right? This isn't the first time I lose to a Gym Leader. Plus, you heard Maria, she gave me a rematch."

"Whenever you decide to return, I'll be waiting for you," Maria gently said, before her eyes rested on Natalie. "So, if I remember correctly, you wanted to challenge me to, right?"

Natalie, however took a step back and shook her head, reacting as if she was asked to do a potentially suicidal dare. "After what I just saw? Hell no!"

"I'm not going to use those Pokemon against a beginner trainer. Gym Leaders have weaker teams to fight against trainers with few or no badges such as yourself," Maria explained.

"Even then, Ash here taught me that even barely trained Pokemon can be a force to be reckoned with if they are coached by a competent trainer," Natalie rebutted. "Aside from my starter, I only have another Pokemon I literally caught yesterday. So I think I'm going to take a few days to train, and maybe catch more Pokemon."

Maria nodded. "As you wish. Challenging a Gym unprepared is nothing but foolish, so I applaud your decision to make sure you're ready. Like I told Ash, whenever you want to come, you'll find the gates of my Gym open."

"Come on guys, let's go," Ash said.

And thus, the group left Maria's Gym. Though, unlike what Ash was hoping, he didn't leave it with his first Tandor badge in his possession.

Author's Note: Yeah, Ash lost. I mean, I did say that Tandor Gym Leaders were pretty tough, didn't I?

Also, fun facts about Maria:

-Maria being a teacher is something I came up with, since in the game her gym trainers are all schoolchildren, so I said, why not?
-In the game, Kiricorn can't learn Flamethrower (it can learn Fire Blast, though), but Maria's Kiricorn knows Flamethrower for some reason.
-Also in the game, when you first get to the Gym is closed since Maria often oversleeps. A stalker then gives you a copy of her house's keys so you can enter and wake up her up. Needless to say, she's rather pissed with both you and the stalker, which already had a restraining order. This was supposed to mock the RPG convention of the main character freely entering other people's houses, but you can imagine why I removed it.

About the rematch, don't worry, I promise you won't have to wait much about it. In the meantime, don't forget to leave a review!