Chapter 5: Decisive Battle on the Ice! Froakie vs Vivillon!
Ash's heart pounded as he waited before the Pokemon Center desk. Every so often, Pikachu and Charizard tried to assure him with a nuzzle, but it only did so much to alieve him.
"Froakie and Fletchling will be ok, won't they, brother?" Bonnie's voice quivered as she spoke, but Clemont patted her shoulder.
"Of course, they just got knocked out, is all."
Ash knew Clemont was right. He had lost battles before and had seen his pokemon knocked out countless times. Not to mention Froakie and Fletchling were still new captures. However, something about this recent defeat ate away at him. Perhaps it was the unique sensation he experienced with Froakie and the speed of their growth that convinced him they were ready. If so, overconfidence once again led to another humbling experience. It would not have been the first time.
"Here you are, young man." Nurse Joy returned with a Wifflytuff with Froakie and Fletchling. Both pokemon looked as good as new, and Fletchling let out a spirited chirp before he flew onto Ash's free shoulder and saluted him. Froakie, however, kept his head down and remained still.
"Froakie, it's not your fault. It's mine. I got distracted." Ash tried to assure Froakie, but the premonition returned, and for a brief moment, it was as if he had read Froakie's mind. The water frog was convinced it was he who hesitated and cost them the battle, not Ash.
"Oh, Froakie."
"Would you like your egg back as well?" Nurse Joy asked, and Wigglytuff held it up. Ash had left it with them before his gym battle and hesitated.
"Not yet. We'll be here a bit longer."
"Very well, but just so you know. While you were away, it started glowing blue, and we detected signs of life. For a moment, I thought he might hatch."
"Huh?"
"Pika?"
Wigglytuff took the egg away, but Ash and his Pokemon stared at it. After a few moments, Alexa broke them from their trance and said.
"Ash, don't be ashamed. My sister can neglect her duties, but she is a fine trainer. If you give it another shot, I'm sure you'll have a chance."
"Right." Ash hardened his expression and turned to the door. However, his eyes widened when he saw not Alexa in front of him but the blonde young woman whose cry had distracted him. She shook a little and struggled to meet Ash's eyes before a Fennekin nudged her.
"I'm sorry." She muttered, almost stumbling on her words. "I'm sorry I distracted you." Her eyes finally locked with Ash's, and something about them left him entranced. Pikachu noticed this and looked between them with intrigue.
"Pika."
"Ahh, it's alright. I'm the one who lost focus. All you did was call my name." Ash gave a sheepish look while holding the back of his head and sweat dropping. "I don't think I got your name."
"Serena, I'm Serena. I, I-" She looked far more nervous than Ash and struggled to find her words.
"Serena, nice to meet you. Like I said, it's not your fault. All we need to do is some more training, and we'll win."
"Pika!" Pikachu and Ash's other Pokemon followed him outside.
"Ash, wait!" Serena cried. However, as she tried to follow, Bonnie appeared before her with a bright grin.
"Bonjour! We never met properly, I'm Bonnie, and this is my brother, Clemont. He-"
"Bonnie!" Clemont yelped, terrified of what she might say next. However, to his surprise, Bonnie just took out her Dedenne and held him up.
"This is Dedenne."
"De."
"Ahh, bonjour. Are you all friends of Ash?"
"Oui." Clemont chimed in after a deep exhale.
"If you already know him, then you must be an old friend of his." Bonnie narrowed her eyes as she grinned. Serena's face turned pink, and she evaded the little girl's eyes.
"I, uh, well, just wanted to talk with him." Serena bustled out after Ash, but Bonnie's smirk remained.
"Huh? I thought for sure you'd ask her to marry me."
"Under normal circumstances, I might have, brother. But Serena has eyes for someone else. He, he." Bonnie giggled.
"Eh?"
"Brother, you're dense." She sighed.
An hour passed, and Serena watched Ash and his team train on a battlefield behind the Pokemon Center. He shouted out directions and threw his hands out at Froakie and Fletchling as they faced Charizard and Pikachu. Froakie struggled to stay on his feet against a torrent of wind kicked up by Charizard's wings while Pikachu unleashed electro balls that burst in front of Fletchling. Serena clasped both hands together, lost in thought.
"It is him." The burning passion that lit up inside Serena when she saw him on tv days earlier lingered. She had wanted to find him, and it was why she began her journey. Yet here he stood, right in front of Serena, and somehow she lacked the strength to rise and speak to him again. Despite Fennekin's pleading, her nerves seized up every time Serena tried.
"Serena, thirsty?" Bonnie appeared before her holding two fruit drinks.
"Ahh, merci." Serena took one, and Bonnie sat down beside her with Clemont close behind.
"Brother, what kind of training is Ash doing?"
"Hmm, if I had to guess, he's trying to develop strategies to counter Viola's team. Having Froakie try to move in a heavy wind would be similar to moving on Surskit's ice field." Clemont adjusted his glasses and then pointed toward Fletchling. "As for Fletchling, Pikachu looks like he's trying to create an effect similar to sleep powder by launching electro balls and then bursting them."
"Hmm, Ash knows his way around battling. Serena, are you a trainer too?"
"Uhh, well, I'm not sure." Serena muttered with a sheepish expression.
"Hmm, but you have a pokemon." Bonnie pointed to Fennekin, and Serena sweat dropped.
"Oui, the thing is, I, I." Serena and the others went silent when they saw Froakie and Fletchling thrown backward toward each other.
"No!" Ash dove forward and caught his pokemon before their collision. His actions saved them, but cost Ash a great deal of pain, for he crashed into the ground.
"Ash!" Serena cried with the others. Pikachu and Charizard both yelped while Froakie and Fletchling met Ash's eyes.
"Are you guys ok?" Ash grunted. A great ache carried itself across his entire body and dirt scratched against his face. However, none of this compared to the anxiety inside him. Despite how much Froakie and Fletchling grew in the last few days, he had neglected proper strategy and it showed. Ash hoped this new training would change that, but nothing worked. He clenched his eyes shut and teeth together.
"Ash." Serena's soft voice eased his eyes open, and Ash saw her over him. The young still looked a bit nervous, but a bright smile expanded across her face and warmed Ash. However, Ash's eyes soon fell upon Serena's hand, or rather a blue handkerchief it held.
"Ahh, thanks." Ash took the cloth and cleaned his face before realizing that something about it seemed familiar. Ash could not put his finger on it, but this handkerchief stood out to him.
"Ash, do, do you remember me?" Serena's voice stuttered again, and she met his eyes, though he almost saw the nerves twinge inside her body.
"Remember you?"
"Oui, ten years ago, Professor Oak's Summer camp?" Serena spoke faster and Ash saw Fennekin wag her tail.
"Professor Oak's camp, yes I did attend that." Sweet memories flooded Ash's mind and washed away his angst and fears.
"Oui! Never give up until then end, you used to say that!" Serena's eyes lit up and she stared back at him, shaking in anticipation. "You said that to me, remember!?"
"Huh? You were at the camp?" Ash regretted his words and carefree tone the moment he spoke. Serena deflated and almost collapsed face-first onto the ground, pale and crestfallen.
"You don't remember me." All the life and joy vanished from her voice and Ash saw Bonnie facepalm from the corner of his eye while Clemont looked confused.
"Ash, you fool." He just heard from the little girl.
"Pika." Pikachu and Ash's other pokemon likewise sweat dropped but none more so than Ash himself who sprung up and offered Serena the cloth back.
"Ahh, I'm sorry. It's just I've been through so much since then, I don't recall everyone I've ever met." He gave a sheepish grin but wanted to smack himself for not being able to remember Serena. However, to his immense relief, Serena got back up and with a deep breath smiled again.
"It's ok, so long as you remember what you said."
"Hai! You're right, I can't give up now. We'll keep training until we get it right!"
"Pika!"
"Grau!"
"Fletch!"
"Gre!"
Fiery enthusiasm rekindled inside Ash, and he noticed Serena's face likewise brighten. However, he did not notice the color it turned. The next few hours disappeared as Ash and his team kept at their training. He swapped Froakie and Fletchling between Charizard and Pikachu every so often to change up their strategies. Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont shouted encouragements from the sides too.
"Froakie, use your frupples! Fletchling, ride the wind!"
"Froak!" Froakie hit the ground with his sticky frupples, then used them to keep himself steady from Charizard's wind. Fletchling likewise angled his wings in a manner that let him ride the gust and soar around it without expending much effort.
"Pikachu, Electroball, Irontail!"
"Pika chu!" Pikachu hurled and then slashed two electroballs until they burst into smaller sparks the size of sleep powder.
"Water Pulse, Ember!"
Froakie blasted the sparks away with his water while Fletchling burned them. Both landed unharmed but winded after hours of practicing. Despite this, Froakie and Fletchling looked ready to go all night.
"Great work, that's enough for now. I'm so proud of you." Ash came over and hugged his younger pokemon while Pikachu and Charizard likewise offered praise. Ash wiped some sweat off his forehead and just realized how active his part in the training was.
"Ash." Serena offered him the handkerchief again with a bright smile.
"Thanks." Ash wiped his face clean, but sweat soaked his entire body.
"You looked like you weren't just training your pokemon." Serena giggled, though Ash did not see her cheeks turn a little pink.
"Huh?" Ash blinked.
"Serena's right, every time you train, you look like you're going into a sparring session." Clemont added, and Ash looked down at his pokemon, who nodded. Before long, Ash realized how sore his arms, legs, and upper body felt.
"Ahh, well, it keeps my team motivated."
"I thought it was wonderful." Serena giggled again.
"True, but Ash, you still did not find a counter for Surskit's sticky web." Clemont pointed out and adjusted his glasses with a cocky smile. "Fear not. I have the solution. Behold!" Clemont threw the sheet off a device that appeared out of thin air on the battlefield. There rested a metal cannon with a lever and talk of silk on the side. "Clemont's Sticky Web Sticky Wicked Whacker Wonk!"
Ash, Serena, Bonnie, and their pokemon all sweatdropped. Ash held his hands up with a false smile.
"I appreciate it, Clemont, but Surskit's sticky web was not really a problem for us-"
"Fire!" Clemont pulled the lever, and the cannon shot out a perfect replica of a sticky web.
"Dodge it!" Froakie and Fletchling jumped or flew about. Both evaded the fabricated attacks again and again despite their fatigue.
"Clemont, I think Ash's pokemon have had enough-" Serena started but Clemont pulled the lever faster.
"Max power!" However, as he brought it down again, the lever snapped. "Huh?" Clemont looked closer until his invention exploded and left him covered in soot.
"Ouch." Clemont coughed and then fell over.
"Another failure brother."
"Well, at least we know we're good aagainst sticky web." Ash said while Alexa approached him.
"You've grown so far in just a few hours, Ash. I must say, Viola will have quite the challenge tomorrow, won't you, sis?" Alexa turned a sharp grin upon a few shrubs across the battlefield. After a yelp, Ash and the others saw Viola tumble out.
"I wasn't spying! I was just taking more pictures! I'll see you tomorrow!" Viola ran off, leaving a cloud of dust in her wake. As Viola ran, a few pictures fell to the ground. Bonnie picked one up and flashed a toothy grin.
"Oh sis." Alexa sighed before a thunderous growl escaped Ash and his pokemons' stomachs.
"Ahh, well we need to be properly nourished before tomorrow. Let's get some dinner!" Ash led the others back inside the pokemon center, but Bonnie tugged on Serena's hand.
"Huh, is everything ok, Bonnie?"
"Oui, I just thought you might like this." Bonnie put the photo in Serena's hand and then ran after Ash.
"Hmm?" Serena looked closer before she turned bright and trembled. The picture was of her handing Ash the handkerchief.
After a fine dinner and a soothing night's sleep, Ash returned to the gym with his companions. Viola faced him down from one side of the battlefield and adjusted some settings on her camera.
"Alexa says you have everything you need to beat me this time Ash."
"As you should know, with all that spying you did yesterday."
"I wasn't spying!" Viola screamed at Alexa. Her face turned bright red.
"Either way, we're ready for you this time, Viola."
"Pika!"
"Ash, do your best!" Bonnie cried.
"Show them the fruits of your training!" Clemont added. Serema's heart raced, but when she pulled out the picture from yesterday, fiery determination filled her.
"Ash, I believe in you!"
"The battle between leader Viola and challenger Ash will now begin. Each trainer is allowed two pokemon, and only the challenger may substitute. Trainers, choose your pokemon." Another of Viola's students acted as a ref that day and held both flags at the ready.
"Time to see if all that extra training paid off for you, Ash. Surskit, it's time to battle!" Viola hurled her first pokeball, and Surskit spun herself out just like before, then scuttled across the battlefield.
"Sur."
"We'll show you just what we're capable of now, Viola. I choose you, Froakie!"
"Froak!" Froakie took a fighting pose the moment he landed.
"Sticky web!" At Viola's command, Surskit shot out spider webs one after the other at Froakie.
"Dodge and use Cut!" Ash threw his hand out in a strike which Froakie mirrored. He sliced through one web and evaded the others with agile leaps and flips. Ash noticed the ease with which Froakie did so, far more than the day before. Viola noticed and took a picture.
"That's a jumping Froakie."
"Hmm, my invention clearly helped him." Clemont boasted with a shine from his glasses.
"I think not, brother."
"Cut!" Froakie kicked himself toward Surskui. However, the water bug rolled herself away and aimed her antenna at him.
"Ice Beam!"
"Water Pulse!" While still in midair, Froakie intercepted the ice beam with his sphere of water. However, the burst threw him back onto his feet the moment Surskit shot another one at the ceiling.
"Intercept it!" Ash cried, but they were both too late. Viola grinned, and Surskit likewise beamed when her attack bounced off the ceiling, then came back down and covered the entire battlefield in ice. Just like before, Surskit slid across the ice like a figure skater, making circles around Froakie.
"Ash." Serena muttered. She tried to assure herself that Ash had a plan, but her heart raced from the smirk on Viola's face.
"Go ahead, Ash, try those frupples."
"So you were spying." Alexa said. Viola yelped before her sister and nervously poked her fingers together.
"No, I just, well."
"Froakie use your frupples." Ash and Pikachu smiled as Froakie leaped up and threw some down onto the ice.
"Ice Beam!" Surskit hit and froze the frupples. Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie all yelped but soon realized Ash's expression hadn't changed.
"Cut!"
"Froak!" Froakie ran across the ice as if it were not even there. Everyone except Alexa gaped in disbelief, including Viola.
"Eh? But how-"She stopped, and Serena looked closer. Only then did she realize that Froakie had frupples on his hands and feet.
"Thought I'd adjust my strategy a bit."
"Ahh, my sister was right about you. Signal Beam!"
"Water Pulse!" Froakie hurled a sphere of water into the incoming Signal beam, which burst before he leaped over the smoke and came down on Surskit, who tried to skate away.
"Stick her!" With a mighty thrust, Froakie pinned Surskit's legs in place with some frupples. "Pound!"
"Freak!" Froakie mirrored Ash, and for a brief moment, Serena thought she saw the pokemon's eyes flash blue. Froakie struck Surskit twice and sent her up into the air.
"Now, cut!"
"Freak!" Froakie leaped up and sliced Surskit in a vertical slash that sent her onto her back with swirled eyes.
"Surskit is unable to battle!"
"Yes! We got her Froakie!"
"Pika!"
"Freak!" Froakie leaped up and threw his fist into the air.
"Ash!" Serena tried to contain herself, but the excitement threatened to burst out of her.
"He he! I knew Froakie could do it." Bonnie smirked while Clemont nodded.
"Such a quick turnaround from yesterday too."
"Surskit return, rest up Surskit. Well, Ash, you are a quick adaptor. We'll have to pull out all the stops for this one. Vivillon, center frame!"
"Viv!" Vivillon flew out and over Viola.
"Froakie, that's enough for now." Ash returned him to his pokeball and took out the next. "This is it. I choose you, Fletching!"
"Fletch!" Fletchling likewise flew out and circled Ash with a look of fiery determination.
"Fletchling again, hmm. Well, let's see if that new training will work for him too. Vivillon, use Sleep Powder!"
"Viv!" Vivillon flapped her wings and sent a thick sheet of green powder straight for Fletchling. However, Ash was prepared.
"Ember!"
"Fletch!" Fletchling burned a path through each cloud of sleep powder sent his way.
"Gust." Vivillon blasted a torrent of wind straight for Fletchling. However, Ash's companions took heat when they saw the firebird right the wind, just as he had during training.
"Ahh, that's it Fletchling!" Bonnie cried, and Serena clasped her hands together with a twinkle in her eyes. Fletchling closed the distance and came in to strike.
"He's gonna get her, he-"
"Sleep Powder." At Viola's command, Vivillon filled the wind with green powder that zoomed at Fletchling.
"Ember!" Ash cried a little sweat on his and Pikachu's cheeks. However, Fletchling's fire got blown away, but the gust moments before sleep powder filled his senses.
"Fletch." Fletchling dropped from the air before Vivillon caught him in her psychic attack.
"Psychic." With two successive blows, Fletchling dropped into Ash's arms with swirled eyes.
"Fletchling is unable to battle."
"Nice shot Vivillon."
"Ahh, that's not fair!" Bonnie's cheeks puffed up, and she crossed her arms.
"Bonnie, it was perfectly fair what she did. An excellent counter too." Clemont hardened his expression at Ash. However, Serena did her best not to tremble.
"Don't let this get to you, Ash. Go for broke!" Serena cried with far more enthusiasm than she intended. Ash felt this passion and a sense of motivation reinvigorated him.
"We will! Fletchling return, you did great. It's all up to you now. Let's finish this, Froakie!"
"Freak!" Froakie leaped back out and stared at Vivillon.
"These two never matched up yesterday. We're in uncharted territory now. Vivillon put him to sleep!"
"Viv!" Vivillon used a combination of gust and sleep powder, which surrounded Froakie.
"Water Pulse!" Ash threw his fist to the ground, and Froakie did the same. The move caught everyone else off-guard, but soon they watched Water Pulse shoot out in every direction. The water washed away sleep powder while Froakie used his frupples to pull himself through the wind.
"Water Pulse, aim for her wings!"
"Dodge it! Vivillon dodged not one but two water pulses. However, in doing so, she revealed her flight pattern.
"Now!"
"Freak!" Froakie hurled his frupples into Vivillon's wings which weighed her down and made flapping an immense difficulty.
"Ahh, psychic!" Vivillon tried to grab Froakie, but he hopped around too fast, and staying airborne took up much of her concentration.
"Water Pulse!"
"Freak!" Froakie blasted another water pulse which hit Vivillon dead center.
"Ahh! Vivillon!" Viola watched her pokemon fly irrationally with swirled eyes in a confused state.
"Cut! Froakie leaped up and, as one with Ash, slashed Vivillon twice. He landed before she did, and Vivillon hit the ground with a thud.
"Vivillon is unable to battle. The winner is trainer Ash!"
"He, he won." Serena trembled and watched Froakie leap into Ash's arms.
"Froakie, we did it! We did it!"
"Pika!"
"Freak!" All three embraced each other, and Serena almost teared up.
"Ha! That's our Ash!" Bonnie beamed while Clemont and Alexa applauded.
"Vivillon return, we were outmatched this time." Despite her loss, Viola took out her camera and snapped a picture of Ash with his team.
"That's a keeper."
"Viola, aren't you forgetting something." Alexa gave her another sharp look, and Viola yelped.
"Ahh, right! Ash, you've earned this." Viola raced over and offered Ash a Kalos League Badge shaped like a bug. "The Santalune City Bug Badge. Well earned."
"Our first Kalos badge." Ash showed it to his entire team, who gazed at it in awe.
"However, Ash, I should warn you when it comes to the Kalos Gym leaders. I, well." Viola sweat dropped, and she nervously tapped her fingers together with a sheepish expression.
"My baby sister is the least experienced." Alexa finished, and Viola's cheeks puffed up a little.
"Hmp, my boyfriend says I'm improving." Viola pouted before Alexa pinched her cheek.
"I'm sure he does."
"That's alright. We've still got lots of training to do. This is just the beginning." Ash turned to show his friends the badge and saw Serena ahead of the others. He had just enough time to register that she looked a little nervous when the gym doors flew open.
"Wait, little one!" Nurse Joy cried. Ash turned with his team and saw him. A small Riolu sprinted inside the gym and locked eyes with him. The moment this happened, Ash experienced the same premonition as with Froakie. Yet something about it felt familiar in some way.
"Grou!" Before Ash knew what happened, the Riolu leaped into his arms and knocked Froakie out.
"Eh? A Riolu?" Ash and his team stared down at him, baffled. Serena ran his data on her pokedex while Nurse Joy and her Wigglytuff panted.
"I'm so sorry, but that's your Riolu."
"My Riolu? Wait, you don't mean?"
"Yes, a few minutes ago, his egg glowed again, and he hatched. However, before we could do anything, the little fellow ran out and toward the gym."
"Grou!" Riolu leaped down and threw a punch toward Viola with an eager grin.
"Aww, he wants to battle too." Alexa giggled while Bonnie's eyes lit up.
"So cute!" She ran over and tried to hug him, but Clemont held her back.
"No, Bonnie, young fighting pokemon can be rough."
"Grou!" Riolu howled in a challenge and Ash sweatdropped.
"I'm sorry, Riolu, but the battle is over."
"Grou!" Riolu kept his paws up until Froakie came over and brought them down.
"Froak-"
"Grou." Riolu growled at Froakie and tried to strike him, only for Froakie to dodge and Riolu to trip over himself. The baby pokemon landed face first and grunted.
"Aww, you poor thing." Serena knelt down with Ash and Pikachu to check on him.
"Pika, Pikachu." Pikachu scolded Riolu, who tried to get back up and fight Froakie again. Ash likewise sensed his fiery spirit and sweatdropped.
"At least he's determined. We'll get you there one day with proper training, Riolu." Ash took out a pokeball and tapped it to Riolu's forehead. Rather than looking showed, somehow, the young pokemon seemed to register what was happening and smiled before he vanished inside. A few moments later, the pokeball sparkled.
"I got my first badge and caught a Riolu. Riolu." Ash just then remembered it was the strange figure who gave him the egg and told him it would hatch when the time was right. Riolu hatched during his battle.
"Ash." Serena's soft voice snapped him back to reality.
"Ahh, sorry about that." Ash sweatdropped. After resting his pokemon up at the center and saying his farewell to the sisters, Ash stood on the edge of Santalune City."
"Congratulations again, Ash." Serena muttered, her voice almost stuttering from nerves.
"Thanks for your encouragement. It wasn't easy. Say, Serena, what are you going to do now?" Ash's question caught Serena off guard, and she shook a little. The young woman had no idea what to do next. She had found Ash but did not know what her next goal was. Serena knew one thing she longed for, but did she have the courage to ask?
"Serena, why don't you travel with us." Ash's offer made Serena gasp and turned her cheeks pink.
"Eh?"
"Yeah! Come with us!" Bonnie cried.
"I'm also just starting out." Clemont added.
"Even if you aren't sure of what you're after now, we can help you. What do you say?" Ash extended his hand toward Serena, who held her heart.
"Yes! Merci!"
"Awesome! Let's go!" Ash raced off with Serena close behind, followed by Bonnie and then a gasping Clemont.
"Come on, guys!"