Chapter 23:
Double Beach Bash
It was a warm and beautiful day. The sun was shining bright in the sky, moving towards the highest spot as noon came closer. Normally, the group would make a stop soon to have lunch, but today they wouldn't have to eat in the open.
"Bealbeach City, at last!" Ash excitedly said upon seeing the city into the distance.
Everybody was happy to finally reach the city after such a lengthy trek from Rochfale Town. The group watched in awe at what was the most magnificent city they had seen so far: it was a rather busy metropolis like Nowtoch City, but even larger. There were many tall skyscrapers made of clear steel and light blue glass that extended into the sky. While streets were paved with concrete, there were also many rows of palm trees that lined them.
The path to the city was flanked by a row of palm trees on each side. As they walked, they could see to their right a large beach of white sand bustling with beachgoers, as well as the same Pokemon they had seen in Tandor Sheets.
As usual, a sign greeted them:
Welcome to Bealbeach City
Dude, this is like, the place to be, man
"According to this, Bealbeach City is the largest city in all of Tandor, both west and east," Serena began to read from her tablet, having pulled up a website of information on Tandor and its places of interest. "While it's mostly a tourist hotspot thanks to its many beaches, it also houses the Ranger General HQ, the largest port of Tandor, and the largest department store."
Bonnie let out a whistle. "They like their big things in this city, don't they?"
"While most people here work in either the tourism or maritime industry, there also used to be many people who worked on the nuclear power..." Serena continued reading, as a realization dawned upon her. "...plant."
There was a moment of silence as all eyes fell on Clemont, who didn't say anything.
"Oh, right, I had forgotten. This is where we part ways with Clemont," Ash said, a little melancholic. He was used to saying goodbye to his traveling companions, but farewells often happened when the journey had come to an end, not when they weren't even halfway through it.
Clemont didn't appear to share the group's sadness. "Come on guys, don't make a big deal out of it. We knew this was going to happen. Plus, it's not that we can't see each other. We have the Pokegears, right?"
"I know. But it won't be the same without having you in person," Bonnie said, a little sad.
"While I don't know how much time I'm going to be working on the new plant, maybe it won't take too long and I can rejoin you guys. And if I'm not, I'll make sure to be there for your big moments, such as the Pokemon League or the Grand Festival," Clemont promised. "Come on, you guys being all sad is the last thing I want to see before I leave for the power plant."
There was a moment of silence, as one by one, the other three nodded.
"Alright. Let's make sure to make Clemont's last days with us memorable then," Ash said, even though his voice didn't carry most of his usual energy.
"Well said. Now let's go."
The group walked towards the city, the path flanked by a row of palm trees. Once they were in the city proper, they looked for directions towards the nearest Pokemon Center. After fifteen minutes of traversing the bustling city, the four teens and their Pokemon finally arrived at the Pokemon Center. It looked much bigger than the ones in other cities or towns, and upon crossing the automatic doors, they saw that the insides were also just as big. Something necessary, given that it also had far more people than usual.
"Hey look, it's Ash and Serena!" a voice said. A voice all of them had heard before.
The group looked in the direction of the voice, and they saw Natalie, Vitor and Theo sitting on a table, having some drinks. They quickly walked towards the Moki Town trio to greet them.
"I was wondering when you guys would show up," Natalie said. "I know we had a bit of a head start, but you guys took your sweet time."
"Oh, we weren't in a hurry," Serena replied.
"Have you been here for long?" Ash asked.
"A few days. Theo was even here when we arrived," Vitor pointed out.
"Yep! And in the meantime, I got myself a new badge!" Theo proudly said, puffing out his chest. "Had you guys arrived a few hours earlier, you would have seen me crushing Cali in an epic match!"
"Crushing? Epic match?" Natalie asked. "Dude, you barely beat her. Had your Orchynx not evolved mid battle, you wouldn't have beaten her last Pokemon."
"But I did!" Theo protested.
"Hey, some victories come from factors out of our control such as luck, but that doesn't make them any less genuine," Ash interceded. "Plus, Theo's Orchynx wouldn't have been able to evolve if Theo hadn't trained it, so it wasn't entirely luck."
"See? Even Ash agrees with me," Theo stated. Natalie merely rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.
"What about you, Nat? Did you beat the city's Gym Leader?" Ash asked.
"Not yet. I'm helping my brother prepare for the next contest. After that, I'll challenge her," Natalie said. "Then again, if Theo beat her, I'm not that worried about my chances."
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean!?" Theo angrily protested.
"Come on sis, don't needle Theo," Vitor said. "Ash is right, he won fair and square."
Natalie let out an overly dramatic gasp as she looked at Vitor with wide eyes. "Betrayed by my own flesh and blood...!"
Ignoring her sister, Vitor looked at Serena. "The Bealbeach City contest will be in a few days. I hope you're ready, Serena. The days where I lost to you are long past gone," he boasted.
"I'm glad to see you all fired up. But you shouldn't underestimate me just because you managed to beat me once," Serena fired back, though she kept a good natured tone.
Before the two rivals could trade more boasts, Nurse Joy's voice through the intercom announced that Theo's Pokemon had been fully healed.
"At last!" Theo said, getting up and walking towards the counter, where an Aromatisse was placing his pokeballs on a tray. "Alright, time to head to the next city!"
"Wait, you're leaving already?" Clemont asked. "Ash plans to challenge the Gym Leader today. Don't you want to see his match?"
"Pffft, why should I? I already beat that Gym Leader, so I have nothing to see," Theo said, as he walked towards the counter. "Anyway, see ya later!"
"Pika..." Pikachu said, glaring at Theo.
"I thought that guy would be more appreciative of Ash after he helped him train," Clemont commented.
As the redheaded boy left, Serena looked at the twins. "What about you two? Since you plan to stay here a little longer, are you going to watch Ash's Gym Battle?"
"Sure thing! I still remember Ash's battle against Maria, and I still get goosebumps when I recall it! I wouldn't miss another match of Ash for anything in the world," Natalie excitedly said.
"After how much my sister here hyped Ash, I can't say no," Vitor added. "Though, I hope you don't mind waiting a little. Natalie and I plan to go to the Ranger HQ in order to see our dad, who just arrived from a mission."
"Oh, right! You said your father was the Head Ranger of Tandor, right?" Clemont asked.
"That's a pretty big job," Bonnie said.
"Indeed it is. We don't get many chances to see him in person, so now that we're here we aren't going to waste such a chance," Natalie said.
"We don't mind in the slightest," Ash said. "In fact, I need to have my Pokemon checked first. I want to make sure they're in top form before I face the Gym Leader."
"In that case, we better get going so you don't have to wait for us too long," Natalie said, as she got up from her seat, her brother mimicking her. "Should we meet at the entrance of the Gym in say, an hour?"
"Sounds like a plan," Serena said.
With that, the twins left, and Ash and his friends went to the counter to ask Nurse Joy to get their Pokemon checked up. After that, they got some drinks from a vending machine and returned to the table the twins and Theo had been sitting at, and made some small talk while they waited for the checkup to finish. However, before that could happen, a new voice drew their attention.
"Clemont! You're here at last!"
"Bun, bun!"
Everybody turned to the direction of the voice, and saw no other than Lilia walking towards them, a huge smile on her lips, and her Buneary trailing behind her.
"Lilia!" Clemont said, clumsily getting up to greet her, his mouth forming a goofy but sincere smile. "It's so great to see you!"
"Same!" she replied, her joy mirroring Clemont's. "We may have talked through video calls, but finally seeing you again in person... I was so happy when you told me you arrived today!"
"Of course you would," Bonnie muttered, as she grumpily crossed her arms.
Both Clemont and Lilia ignored her comment, before the latter addressed the rest of the group.
"I'm also glad to see the three of you as well. So, how are you finding Tandor?" Lilia asked.
"It's great so far. It has a lot of great Pokemon, we met a lot of amazing people, and the Gym Leaders are so challenging!" Ash gushed. "I'm so glad that we decided to accompany Clemont here."
"Pi, pika!" Pikachu agreed.
"Given that you're doing the Gym Badge challenge, have you faced the Bealbeach City leader yet?" Lilia asked.
"I was planning to challenge her as soon as my Pokemon had their checkup done," Ash replied.
"Great. Do you mind if I tag along? Clemont speaks wonders of your skill as a trainer, and I want to see it firsthand," Lilia said.
"Sure, the more the merrier," Ash said.
"Wait, I thought you were going to take Clemont to that power plant now," Bonnie pointed out.
"It's the afternoon. Between getting to the port and having a ship deliver us to the island, it will be nightfall by the time we'll get there," Lilia explained. "Clemont and I will leave for the power plant tomorrow morning."
"Good to know that you'll get to see at least one last gym battle from me before we part ways," Ash told Clemont.
"Yeah. Pity I won't get to see Serena winning a contest again," Clemont said, looking at the honey blonde, before he amended: "Until the Grand Festival, that's it!"
While they waited for the checkup to finish, the group told Lilia how their adventure through Tandor has been going so far, and all the events they had taken part in, such as Gym Battles, contests, and other events such as their clash against Team Omega or Garlikid.
…
Bealbeach City Gym
An hour later, the group headed towards Bealbeach City Gym, headed in the northernmost part of the city, close to the beaches. The walk there was lengthy, and for Ash it felt neverending –he hadn't had a gym battle since Burole, and the idea of finally facing another Gym Leader filled him with so much excitement, he couldn't stay still–. When they arrived, the twins were already there, waiting in front of the entrance. They appeared to be there for quite some time, since they looked a bit bored.
"Hey there!" Ash greeted them.
"At last!" Natalie said, letting out a groan of exasperation. "We thought you weren't going to come!"
"Oh, did we make you wait too long?" Ash asked. "Sorry, we thought you'd want to spend more time with your dad."
"I imagine he was very happy to see you two," Serena said, smiling earnestly.
"Yeah... he was," Vitor said, rather unconvincingly.
"Shall we go inside?" Natalie suggested, sounding just as uncomfortable.
The group traded worried looks, but silently decided not to probe any further, and agreed to enter the Gym. As they entered, Clemont introduced Lilia and the twins to each other, and the three exchanged quick greetings. The lobby of the gym was similar to Nowtoch City's, being a simple room with a desk. Sitting on that desk, a bored looking man slowly typed on a computer.
"Hello there!" Ash greeted with his usual enthusiasm. "My name's Ash Ketchum, and I'm here to challenge the Gym Leader."
"A challenger?" the receptionist said in a bored tone that matched his expression. "Wait a minute. I'll go tell Cali."
As the man left his desk and disappeared behind a nearby door, Ash began to look around the place, and saw something that caught his interest: resting against a wall, there was a glass cabinet filled to the brim with all kinds of trophies.
"Whoa, look at those many trophies!" Ash said, as he rushed towards the cabinet in order to see them better. "This Gym Leader must be an asbolute-oh..."
Curious by Ash's sudden disappointment, Serena went to check the cabinet, and immediately understood: turns out most of those trophies weren't of Pokemon tournaments (though there were a couple of those as well), as Ash had probably imagined, but of surfing competitions instead.
"This Cali really likes surf, doesn't she?" Serena pointed out.
"Surf is a pretty popular sport around this part of the region for obvious reasons," Vitor pointed out.
"Indeed she does. Aside from being the city's Gym Leader, Miss Cali is also a surfing instructor and lifeguard trainer," the receptionist said, having just returned from the same door he had left through only a few seconds ago. "I already warned Miss Cali, and she's ready to take your challenge, so if you'd be so kind as to follow me, I'll take you to the battleground."
They all followed the receptionist into the Gym. As they walked, they could see opened doors to large rooms with swimming pools in them. In some, people trained with their Water-type Pokemon, while in others, they swam from one side of the pool to another as a coach yelled at them. And after a couple twists and turns, they finally arrived at the battleground.
"Whoaaaa..." almost everybody in the group chorused.
The battleground was a very large pool, similar to those used by Gym Leaders specialized in Water-type Pokemon. This one, however, wasn't a mere pool with a couple islets: the two shorter sides were covered in sand. The islets on the water were also covered in sand, and the largest one in the middle had a couple palm trees on it. All in all, it looked less like a pool and more like an artificial beach with two shorelines.
"Hello there!"
The group turned towards the direction of the voice, and saw a woman walking towards them. She was a young adult, probably no older than twenty. She had spiky blue hair tied in a large ponytail, eyes of the same color, and a very toned body that the newcomers could appreciate thanks to the fact that she was wearing nothing but a dark blue bikini, sandals of the same color, and a bracelet around her left wrist which had some small pearls attached to it.
"Welcome to my Gym! My name's Cali, and I'm the boss here!" the woman, Cali, introduced herself. "Now, which one of you is Ash Ketchum?"
Ash wordlessly raised his hand.
"Great! Get to one side of the battleground, the rest of your friends can watch from the bleachers!" Cali instructed. "Maria and Davern spoke very highly of you, so I hope you meet my expectations!"
"I'll try my best," Ash replied.
"You better. Gotta say, I wasn't expecting you to challenge me so soon. Bealbeach isn't exactly close to Burole. I thought you would have challenged the Amatree or Vinoville Gyms first," Cali observed.
"I know. But a friend of mine had to come here for a job, so I decided to follow the same route as him," Ash said. "By the way, I saw your trophy collection in the lobby. I'm not much into surfing, but it was quite impressive."
"Thanks! Not many people point that out, since most of my challengers care more about Pokemon tournaments," Cali smiled proudly. "Not that I can blame them. Though, I hope you noticed that I also have a few trophies from such tournaments."
"I did!" Ash replied, before looking at the battleground. "So, seeing this, plus your passion for surfing, I take you're a Water-type specialist?"
"Close, but no. My team includes any Pokemon that can be found on a beach, my favorite place in the world," Cali explained. "Most of them are Water-type, others aren't, and if you think you're going to solo our battle with that Pikachu alone, you might have another thing coming."
"I would never dream of that," Ash said. He was about to say he never did such a thing, when the battle with Wattson came to mind. No wonder the poor guy contemplated retirement after that. Not that Ash wanted for such an outcome, especially since it was an accident that led to such a result.
"Good. Now..." Cali nodded at the referee, who nodded back at her.
The referee raised both her flags. "This is an official Gym Battle between the Gym Leader Cali, and Ash Ketchum. The battle will be a doubles format with no time limit, and each trainer will use up to four Pokemon. The battle will be over when one side has no more Pokemon remaining. Only the challenger may make substitutions. Trainers, select your first two Pokemon."
"Aveden, Colarva, I choose you!" Ash said, tossing the two pokeball forward.
From a mass of light, his blue bird Pokemon and spiky ice bug emerge, Colarva landing on the sand, Aveden hovering over him, the two of them standing ready for the battle.
"Alright Colarva, I know that this is your first Gym battle, but I trust you'll do great!" Ash said. "Work alongside Aveden, and everything will be fine!"
"Co, colarva!" Colarva cried in agreement, before looking at Aveden. The two Pokemon nodded at each other, ready to give their all.
"Interesting first choice. Let's see what you think about mine," Cali unclipped two pokeballs from her bikini top. "Corsoreef, Tubareel, surfs up!"
…
Serena saw the two pokeballs opening up, releasing Cali's first two picks, both of them landing on the water with twin splashes: one of them looked like a Corsola, only larger, with a collar of rocks around its neck, and barnacle-shaped growths running across its back. The second looked like a Tubjaw, only bigger and much longer. Probably an evolution. If Aisha's Tubjaw proved to be such a strong opponent, Serena shivered upon wondering what its evolved form could do.
Several Pokedex were already up to scan Cali's Pokemon.
"Corsoreef, the Coral Pokemon, and Corsola's evolution. Water/Rock. Their bodies are a host to a wide variety of other species. In return for a home, they give them the ability to inflict status effects on its foes."
"Tubareel, the Jaws Pokemon, and Tubjaw's evolution. Water/Dark. A fierce, deep-sea hunter, this Pokémon is particularly vengeful towards humankind and will tear up fishing nets."
"I wasn't aware Corsola had an evolution," Lilia pointed out.
"Most don't, but those who live in Tandor do," Natalie replied.
"I better keep an eye on that Tubareel. Aisha's Tubjaw might be one by the next time I face her," Serena said mostly to herself.
"Now, before we begin," Cali said, holding a remote in her hand, before pressing a button on it. Serena wondered where she got it from, given that Cali didn't have it a few seconds ago and that bikini didn't have pockets.
With a loud, slow groan, the roof began to fold back, allowing the sunlight to pour unimpeded, illuminating the whole battlefield.
"You can't have a beach indoors, don't you think?" Cali said, taking a deep breath. "Ah, nothing like feeling the sea breeze filling my lungs to get me into a mood for a Pokemon Battle!"
The referee then raised both flags. "Let the battle begin!"
~Challenger Ash (Aveden & Colarva, ?, ?) VS Gym Leader Cali (Corsoreef & Tubareel, ?, ?)~
"We'll be taking the first move! Aveden, Mirror Shot on Corsoreef! Colarva, Signal Beam on Tubareel!" Ash commanded.
"Ave!"
"Co!"
"Tubareel, Corsoreef, dodge them by diving underwater!" Cali commanded.
Both Pokemon opened their mouths –or beak in Aveden's case– and fired beams of energy, the first one greenish gray, the second rainbow colored. However, both attacks sailed above the two Water-type Pokemon as they quickly took cover under the water surface.
"Now Corsoreef, Rock Slide!" Cali ordered.
"Coooor..." Corsoreef cried, as it summoned a multitude of boulders floating above its opponents. Letting gravity take hold of them, the large rocks pummeled down.
Aveden and Colarva began to frantically move around from one place to another in order to avoid the super effective move before they could be flattened. Just like Cali was expecting.
"Now Tubareel, Aqua Jet on Aveden!" Cali shouted.
"Aveden, try to dodge it!" Ash said.
Just as the Rock Slide reached its end, Tubareel burst out of the pool, as a cloak of water covered its long body, before it slammed against the Bliss Bird Pokemon, who was unable to move in time. Aveden let out a pained squak as he was pushed backwards.
"Great! Now follow up with Ice Beam, Corsoreef!" Cali followed up.
Everybody braced for the worst as Corsoreef opened its mouth, firing a stream of chilly white energy towards the reeling bird.
"Aveden-" Ash began.
"LARVA!" Colarva shouted as he jumped into the beam's trajectory. Everybody gasped as the Snow Mite Pokemon took the attack in full, but the damage he took was nothing compared to what it would have done to Aveden.
"Ave?" Aveden asked, almost surprised to see Colarva protecting him like that.
"Colarva, are you okay?" Ash asked, a little worried.
After shaking the frost off of his body, Colarva turned towards Ash, and raised one of its legs. "Co, co!"
"The little guy is brave, I won't deny you that," Cali said. "But bravery alone won't bring you victory! Corsoreef, Rock Slide again!"
"Oh no, not again! Aveden, counter that attack with Mirror Shot!" Ash commanded. "Colarva, String Shot on Corsoreef!"
As Corsoreef summoned again another salvo of rocks, Aveden fired from his beak another greenish gray beam of energy towards them, destroying the projectiles as they appeared. Meanwhile, Colarva shot a string of webs at Corsoreef, leaving the Coral Pokemon entangled in a sticky mess.
"Reef!" Corsoreef cried as it tried to break free.
"Now, Colarva, pull it out of the water!" Ash commanded. "And Aveden, Mirror Shot against it again!"
"Tubareel, cut that String Shot with Crunch!" Cali ordered.
As the Snow Mite Pokemon pulled with a mighty heave, he launched the wailing Corsoreef into the air, just as Aveden prepared to fire yet another Mirror Shot. However, that moment Tubareel jumped out of the water, its green teeth glowing purple, before its jaws closed around the string, easily snapping it and releasing Corsoreef. Unfortunately, that put it into the way of Aveden's attack.
"REEL!" Tubareel cried as the Mirror Shot hit against its body, blasting it into the air.
"Colarva, quick, use Signal Beam before it falls back into the water!" Ash commanded. His words barely left his lips as Colarva prepared the attack.
"Corsoreef, Bubble Beam on that bug!" Cali said.
Colarva fired yet another rainbow-colored beam towards the hapless Tubareel, while Corsoreef blew a stream of bubbles towards the Snow Mite Pokemon. The Signal Beam hit first, making the Jaws Pokemon cry in pain. However, before the Bubble Beam could hit Colarva, Aveden swooped in and caught the ice bug between his talons, lifting him into the air and out of harm's way.
"What!?" Cali asked, miffed.
"Man, Ash's Pokemon have such amazing teamwork! He doesn't even need to tell them to act in order to help each other!" Vitor gushed.
However, noble as it was, Cali realized she could take advantage of such a gesture.
"Tubareel, Aqua Jet against the two of them!" Cali ordered.
Badly bruised but still able to fight, Tubareel rocketed out of the pool surrounded by a roaring cloak of water. Once again, Aveden found himself unable to dodge while carrying the additional cargo, and took the attack in full. Both he and Colarva crashed down against the sandy ground.
"No!" Ash cried. "Quick, move out before-"
"Now we have them where we wanted to! Corsoreef, Rock Slide!" Cali said, throwing a punch forward. "We'll knock two birds out with one stone! Or a bird and a bug with lots and lots of stones."
Colarva was the first to get back on his many feet, but Aveden, being more dazed from taking that Aqua Jet, took longer. Shadows blocking the sunlight warned Colarva of the rocks forming above him and Aveden.
"Colarva, Aveden, get out of there!" Ash warned them.
While it was unlikely that Aveden could move out of there in time, Colarva could, but chose not to. Instead, he stood in front of his partner protectively, glaring at the floating rocks.
"Like I said, your little Colarva is very brave. But bravery without power is nothing but foolishness!" Cali brutally declared.
The rocks went down, ready to bury both of Ash's Pokemon alive. Everybody gasped in horror. Colarva cried, and closed his eyes. The rocks hit.
"WHAT!?"
But the Rock Slide never touched either of Ash's Pokemon, as just before they could, Colarva's body flashed for a second, and both he and Aveden were encased inside a green energy bubble, which disappeared after the attack was over.
"Look at that! Colarva learned Protect!" Bonnie cheered.
"Well, that was pretty lucky for Ash," Lilia said.
Clemont, however, shook his head. "I don't think it was just luck. Colarva's strong desire to protect Aveden must have allowed him to learn that move."
"Aveden, quickly, Gust into the water!" Ash commanded.
"Ave!" Aveden cawed, and having shook off the dizziness, he took flight and began to flap his wings furiously, forming a tornado that began to vacuum the water of the pool into a vortex of water, and Cali's Pokemon on it.
And while Corsoreef was able to swim against the current, Tubareel was too tired and beaten to do so, and was sucked in.
"Tubareel get out of there!" Cali cried.
"Now, Colarva, Signal Beam!" Ash ordered.
Once again, Colarva fired another rainbow colored beam at the defenseless Tubareel, blasting it out of the watery tornado. It landed painfully on the large central islet, its jaws opened wide and its eyes looking swirly.
The judge raised a flag in Ash's direction. "Tubareel can't fight anymore!"
This was followed by a chorus of cheers from the stands, as all celebrated that Ash was ahead.
"Yes! Great job guys!" Ash told Aveden and Colarva. "Now let's keep-"
However, Ash was interrupted by crackling noise, as Colarva's whole body glowed with a bluish white light, before it began to change shape, eliciting a gasp from the watching crowd.
"Look, Colarva is evolving!" Bonnie excitedly said.
As the evolution finished, a new Pokemon stood in Colarva's place: it looked like a cocoon made of either ice or crystal, with only a single insect orange head with curved blue antennae on its top.
Several people pulled their Pokedex out in order to scan this new Pokemon.
"Frosulo, the Ice Crystal Pokemon, and Colarva's evolution. Bug/Ice. It encases itself in a hard shell of unmelting ice and hangs upside-down from the ceilings of Lanthanite Cave, awaiting evolution," every Pokedex said.
"Lanthanite Cave? Is that Frosulo's natural habitat?" Clemont asked.
"I guess so. It's on the northernmost part of East Tandor," Natalie explained. "Very dangerous place to go."
Frosulo turned around, and happily hopped towards Ash, before knocking the Pallet Town trainer with an affectionate tackle, and started to rub his head against Ash, leaving frost all over his body.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm really happy that you evolved! But let's leave the celebrations for later, we have a badge to win!" Ash said, as he gently pushed Frosulo off him, and wiped the frost that the Ice Crystal Pokemon had smeared across his clothes.
"That's quite the Pokemon you got there, Ash, not only learning a new move in the heat of the battle, but evolving afterwards," Cali praised, as she returned her defeated Tubareel and unclipped another pokeball from her bikini bottom. "But don't think that just because you beat one of my Pokemon I'm going down! Cararalm, surf's up!"
The third of Cali's Pokemon was released from its pokeball, landing on the large central islet, one that reminded Serena of Cocaran. Its main body was a large, sandy colored pineapple with four leaves on the top, six green legs ending in little brown feet sprouting at the bottom, a sandy colored head with two black eyes on green eyestalks, and green and brown pincers, which clacked menacingly.
"Ra, ra!" it cried.
Once again, people who hadn't seen this Pokemon scanned it with their Pokedex.
"Cararalm, the Palm Tree Pokemon, and Cocaran's evolution. Grass/Ground. Unlike their preevolutions, Cararalm cannot swim, so they stay on land. The height of their palm tree indicates how close they are to evolving," the Pokedex explained.
"The battle continues!" the referee declared.
"Corsoreef, out of the water and meet with Cararalm! We'll fight this battle on dry land!" Cali ordered.
"Aveden, grab Frosulo and get to that island!" Ash commanded.
"Den!" Aveden cawed, and did what was asked, grabbing Frosulo with his talons, and ferrying him to the large sand-covered landmass in the middle of the pool, dropping him as soon as there was ground beneath them.
"Corsoreef, Ice Beam! And Cararalm, Rock Tomb!" Cali ordered.
"Aveden, stay next to Frosulo, and Frosulo, use Protect!" Ash replied.
As Corsoreef fired yet another icy beam from its mouth and Cararalm summoned a series of large boulders above Aveden and Frosulo, Frosulo's eyes flashed as yet another energy bubble encased him and his partner, protecting them from the onslaught of supereffective attacks.
"Well done! Now it's our turn to attack! Aveden, Air Cutter, and Frosulo, Powder Snow! Focus on Cararalm!" Ash commanded.
"Corsoreef, protect Cararalm!" Cali ordered. "And Cararalm, Shell Smash!"
Mimicking what Colarva had done for Aveden not long ago, Corsoreef planted itself in front of Cararalm, taking the blades of compressed air fired by Aveden and the chilly wind blown by Frosulo. Its type meant it would take less damage than its partner, but it still hurt. Meanwhile, Cararam's body flashed white for a second, followed by a cracking noise.
"Well done! Now Corsoreef, follow with Recover, and Cararalm, Thunder Punch on Aveden!" Cali said. Corsoreef's body flashed with a green aura, as its wounds and bruises slowly disappeared, while Cararalm dashed forward, one of its claws crackling with electricity.
"Aveden, Frosulo, Air Cutter and Powder Snow on Cararalm again! Corsoreef won't be able to protect it while it uses Recover!" Ash surmised.
However, thanks to Shell Smash, Cararalm's speed was much higher than before and allowed it to dodge the incoming attacks with ease. It then jumped towards Aveden and smashed its electrified pincer into him before the bird could fly away. Aveden cawed in pain before falling to the water with a large splash.
His body floated on the surface, but made no attempt to fly or even move. The referee raised a flag, this time in Cali's direction.
"Aveden can't fight anymore!" she declared.
Ash didn't say anything, only sighing before recalling his trusty bird and whispering words of encouragement. His hand grabbed another pokeball, and tossed it forwards.
"Orchynx, I choose you!"
The Grass and Steel-type feline materialized on the sandy ground. Orchynx was also another Pokemon that hadn't taken part in any Gym battle before now. It seemed that Ash was trying to stop relying so much on his veterans and give his beginners a chance to shine. Since it worked with Frosulo, Serena imagined that Ash was trusting Orchynx to yield a similar result.
"The battle continues!" the referee declared.
"Cararalm, Crush Claw on Frosulo! Corsoreef, Rock Slide!" Cali ordered.
"Frosulo, counter with Shadow Claw! And Orchynx, use Iron Tail on the rocks!"
Cararalm dashed towards Frosulo, leaving a trail of sand clouds behind it, one of its pincers glowing blood red as it prepared to crush the Ice Crystal Pokemon with it, while boulders began to appear above him and Orchynx. Serena realized that, while Colarva knew Shadow Claw, could Frosulo still use it now that he had no arms?
The answer came in the form of a shadow arm ending in a hand with claw-like fingers manifesting to one side of Frosulo's ice chrysalis, which he used to parry the incoming Crush Claw, pushing Cararalm tumbling backwards, while Orchynx protected the frozen bug by shattering the falling rocks with Iron Tail.
"Our turn to attack! Orchynx, Energy Ball on Cararalm, before it can recover!" Ash urged. "Frosulo, you use Signal Beam!"
"Cararalm, use Dig to dodge! And Corsoreef, Ice Beam on Orchynx!" Cali ordered.
Cararalm quickly burrowed underground, the two attacks sailing past him, while Corsoreef fired another white beam of chilling energy at the Kitten Pokemon. Orchynx, however, managed to nimbly move sideways, avoiding the enemy's move.
"Big mistake, Cali! Orchynx, use Iron Tail on the ground! Put as much force into it as you can!" Ash called.
"Chynx!" Orchynx meowed in agreement, as she jumped into the air, her tail turning stiff and glowing with a silvery sheen.
"What is Ash planning to do?" Lilia asked.
"His counter to Dig. Watch carefully," Clemont told the glasses-wearing girl. No doubt Clemont was recalling the time Ash used such a tactic against his Bunnelby.
Orchynx's tail smashed against the ground, resulting in an explosion of sand that launched sand everywhere, and, most importantly, Cararalm being launched into the air.
"What!?" Cali shouted.
"Whoa, that's so clever!" Vitor gushed. "I need to keep that in mind for the next time somebody uses Dig against me!"
"Frosulo, now's your chance! Powder Snow!" Ash ordered.
Frosulo took a deep breath, and exhaled a gust of cold wind with snow crystals towards the hapless Palm Tree Pokemon. The supereffective attack struck, covering Cararalm in snow as it landed painfully back on the ground with a loud thud.
"Yes! Now, Signal Beam and Energy Ball, quick!" Ash said, pressing the advantage.
"Corsoreef, protect Cararalm! Endure the attacks and use Recover!" Cali ordered.
Corsoreef nodded, and jumped in front of its partner, getting in the way of the attacks as it preemptively used Recover. The two attacks struck, but thanks to Recover the Coral Pokemon resisted. Then again, it was obvious that that Energy Ball had chipped away more health than Recover had restored.
"Now's our chance! Metal Claw on Corsoreef before it uses Recover again!" Ash said.
"Cararalm, parry that attack with Leaf Blade!" Cali ordered.
"Oh no, you won't! Frosulo, String Shot on Cararalm!" Ash added.
Orchynx dashed towards the pained and panting Corsoreef, her front claws extending and glowing with a gray metallic light, while Cararalm dashed to intercept her, one of its pincers glowing green. However, before Cararalm could reach her, it was covered by a sticky thread that slowed it down considerably, leaving Orchynx free way to her foe.
"Or-CHYNX!" the Kitten Pokemon meowed as she slashed Corsoreef across her body.
"Coooooo...!" Corsoreef cried in pain as it slumped and fell to the ground.
The judge raised a flag in Ash's direction. "Corsoreef can't fight anymore!"
"Thank you, partner. Take a good rest," Cali said, as she recalled her Corsoreef. She then unclipped the pokeball of her final Pokemon.
"Yes! With the damage it has already taken, Cararalm is almost down, leaving Cali with just one Pokemon!" Bonnie cheered.
"And Ash still has to use his final Pokemon," Natalie said. "I hope it's Greninja. Last time I didn't get to see that transformation thingie he can do."
"True, Ash has the advantage now, but he shouldn't underestimate Cali," Clemont observed. "If we go by what we saw with Maria and Davern, she saved her powerhouse for last."
"You are proving to be quite the tough cookie to crack, Ash. No wonder Maria and Davern praised you so much," Cali said, tossing the pokeball forward. "However, I left the best for last! Let's see how well you do against this one! Gyarados, surf's up!"
The Atrocious Pokemon materialized in the middle of the central island, letting out a terrifying roar upon appearing.
"WHOA!" Natalie gasped. "Cali didn't use that against Theo!"
"Of course she didn't. Gym Leaders don't go all out against beginners. Theo only had two badges when he fought her, right?" Clemont asked.
"Ash might only have two badges, but he's a veteran of multiple leagues," Serena continued. "The Gym Leaders know this, so they don't hold back."
"Hey Clemont," Lilia said, narrowing her eyes at Gyarados. Serena followed Lilia's gaze, and saw that there was something attached to Gyarados' frontal crest, which gleamed under the sunlight. "Is that...?"
"A Mega Stone," he finished. "Given what we saw from other Gym Leaders, this is hardly a surprise."
"You know, Mega Evolution is big in Tandor," Bonnie said.
"The battle continues!" the referee declared, resuming the battle.
Cali wasted no time and issued an order as soon as the battle officially resumed. "Cararalm, Dig! Gyarados, Flamethrower in a wide arc! Make sure you hit the two of them!"
Her two Pokemon obeyed, with Cararalm quickly burrowing underground, and Gyarados releasing a fiery torrent of orange flames from its mouth.
"Frosulo, Protect! Orchynx, keep close to Frosulo and wait for Cararalm's attack!" Ash ordered.
Once again, Frosulo encased himself and his partner inside a green energy bubble as the Flamethrower hit, setting on fire one of the palm trees it had grazed, and burning the sand around them into glass. However, the Protect held.
However, the moment Flamethrower and Protect finished, Cararalm burst from below, sending both of Ash's Pokemon tumbling into different directions.
"Grab Frosulo with Crush Claw!" Cali ordered.
"Ralm!" Cararalm cried, one of its pincers glowing blood red and growing in size, before it closed around Frosulo's frozen body. Though, no matter how hard Cararalm closed its pincer, Frosulo's ice body didn't crack.
Too bad that wasn't a factor in Cali's strategy.
"Now, throw him against Gyarados, and Gyarados, Aqua Tail!" Cali shouted, throwing an arm forward.
"Orchynx, stop them-"
"FROOOOOOO!" Frosulo wailed as he sailed through the air.
But Orchynx was too late to stop Cararalm from throwing the Ice Crystal Pokemon towards Gyarados, whose tail was already raised and covered in a watery cloak. And as soon as he was within striking distance, Gyarados smashed Frosulo with its tail, producing an explosion of water that sent the Bug-type Pokemon flying against one of the palm trees, hitting against it with such force, the poor tree was toppled down.
Needless to say, Frosulo was in no condition to keep fighting after such a brutal combo, something the referee was quick to note.
"Thank you Frosulo, you did your best," Ash gently said, recalling his downed Pokemon, before looking at Pikachu. "Alright buddy, it's up to you and Orchynx!"
"Pikapi!" Pikachu nodded, happy to be chosen, before he jumped towards the central island, joining Orchynx.
"Aw, you aren't going to use Greninja against me?" Cali whined, pouting a little. "After hearing such great things from Maria and Davern..."
"I don't need Greninja to win all my battles. The rest of my Pokemon are just as capable!" Ash boldly declared.
This got an approving smile out of Cali. "At the very least, you are not a one trick Ponyta who relies on one Pokemon. Oh well, guess that if I want to see that Greninja in action, I'll have to force you to bring him out during the rematch!"
"Rematch that won't happen!" Ash replied. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt on Gyarados! Orchynx, Energy Ball on Cararalm!"
"Cararalm, intercept that Thunderbolt, and deflect that Energy Ball with Crush Claw!" Cali ordered.
Cararalm quickly jumped in the way of the Thunderbolt, letting the electric attack harmlessly strike the Palm Tree Pokemon, as it shattered the coming Energy Ball with one of its red glowing pincers.
"Well done! Gyarados, Twister!" Cali shouted.
Gyarados waved its tail as if it was a fan, creating a tornado of blue and purple wind that moved towards Pikachu and Orchynx, raising clouds of sand as it moved.
"Pikachu, Orchynx, move in opposite directions!" Ash commanded.
The mouse and cat duo cried in agreement, and went around the opposite edges of the islet, letting the Twister pass between them. It seemed that was what Cali's Pokemon expected, as Gyarados moved to face Orchynx while Cararalm prepared to intercept Pikachu.
"Time to end this! Gyarados, fry that cat with Flamethrower! And Cararalm, Crush Claw on Pikachu!" Cali said.
That moment, Serena could see Ash's eyes sparkle with a glint of brilliance, as if an idea had dawned upon him. "Orchynx, quickly move around to dodge! Pikachu, parry that Crush Claw with Iron Tail!"
As Gyarados harassed the running Orchynx with streams of burning flames, Pikachu used his glowing tail to intercept the Crush Claw. Cararalm's pincers closed around Pikachu's metallic limb, but it didn't break.
"Great! Make sure you keep Pikachu in place while Gyarados finishes Orchynx off!" Cali said.
"Pikachu, spin Cararalm around!" Ash said.
This drew a chorus of gasps from everybody watching, Cali included, given that there was no way Pikachu could drag a larger Pokemon. But Ash's voice radiated such confidence, as if everything was going according to his plan.
"Piiiiiiii-KA!"
The Mouse Pokemon's tiny paws gripped the sandy ground, anchoring him to it, and even if it took Pikachu a great effort, he managed to use his tail to lift the surprised Cararalm off of the ground as he began to spin in place with Cararalm, as if preparing to launch it away.
"How... how can Pikachu lift that Cararalm!?" Natalie asked. "I know that Pikachu is stronger than he looks, but still...!"
"The Shell Smash," it was Lilia who talked. "Shell Smash makes a Pokemon much faster at the expense of making it more fragile. However, in order to become faster, the Pokemon becomes much lighter as well."
"So Ash is using Cararalm's move against it!" Natalie said, amazed.
"Whoa, that's so clever! I don't think I would have been able to come up with something so ingenious," Vitor said.
"Trust me, with time and experience, you will," Serena assured him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Back on the battlefield, Pikachu's spinning had picked up so much momentum, a small tornado of sand was forming around him.
"Now, launch Cararalm against Gyarados!" Ash ordered.
"PikaaaaaaaCHU!" Pikachu yelled, his spinning coming to a sudden stop so Cararalm was lined up with Gyarados, and letting the centrifugal force launch the Palm Tree Pokemon, who could no longer hold onto Pikachu's tail, against its Water-type partner.
"Raaaaaaaaaa!" Cararalm cried, sailing through the air, before it smashed against Gyarados's face, bouncing against it and falling back on the sandy ground.
And much to Cali's horror, Ash's tactic worked even better than he anticipated, since the sudden attack caused Gyarados to react in blind anger by turning towards Cararalm and scorch the poor Pokemon with a Flamethrower. Gyarados realized in horror that it was its partner and not an enemy it was attacking and canceled the move, but the harm was already done.
"Orchynx, X-Scissor on Cararalm!" Ash ordered.
"Or!" Orchynx leaped into the air, her claws glowing greenish yellow, and slashed an X into Cararalm at point blank, blasting the Grass and Ground-type Pokemon backwards.
"Cararalm!" Cali cried in concern. "Cararalm, are you okay?"
Cararalm tried to get back on its feet, but was unable to and collapsed, unable to hold onto consciousness.
The referee raised a flag in Ash's direction. "Cararalm can't fight any longer!"
"Yes! One more Pokemon, and Ash will win!" Serena cheered.
"And it's not only two versus one, but both Pikachu and Orchynx have type advantage over Gyarados!" Bonnie added, just as excited. "Ash has already won!"
"Don't be so sure. Remember that Cali still has one last ace in the hole," Clemont reminded his female companions.
And indeed, as Cali raised her left arm, they could see that one of the "pearls" attached to it wasn't a pearl, but a Keystone. "Congratulations, Ash. You didn't even use Greninja, yet you pushed me to use this. I don't know if feeling happy for being able to go all out, or mad that you made me use my last resort," Cali said, as she touched the Keystone. Both it and the Mega Stone attached to Gyarados' head began to glow. "Listen to my voice, Gyarados! Let our hearts become one, so the waves of your power gather and form a tsunami! Mega Evolve!"
Even those who had already seen a Pokemon Mega Evolve couldn't help but stare in awe as beams of energy shot from both the Keystone and Mega Stone, clashing against each other, linking trainer and Pokemon, causing the latter to transform. Gyarados' body glowed bright as it transformed into a bigger and more fish-like form, the metamorphosis finished by a helix symbol flashing for a second over Gyarados.
"You think you intimidate us? This is far from the first Mega Evolved Pokemon we have faced!" Ash said, his voice full of resolve.
"In that case, you should be more than familiar with their immense power," Cali said, sounding confident. "Gyarados, Flamethrower!"
The Mega Evolved Pokemon opened its large mouth, releasing yet another fiery torrent of flames. However, this one was wider in scope, and burned so hot it caused the air around it to ripple. Ash didn't need to tell his Pokemon to run away to avoid the incoming inferno.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt! Orchynx, Energy Ball!" Ash ordered.
"Or-CHYNX!"
"PikaaaaaaaCHUUUUUUU!"
Orchynx fired an orb of green energy as Pikachu released a yellow lightning bolt from his body, the two attacks flying towards Gyarados. Cali, however, looked far from worried.
"Counter it with Twister!" Cali replied.
Gyarados roared, and rather than waving its tail, it began to flap the wing-like fins on the sides of its body, raising a tornado of blue and purple wind in front of him, much larger than the one it had created before Mega Evolving. The three attacks clashed, resulting in an explosion of smoke and sand, but nothing suggested that the mouse and cat's respective moves had reached the Atrocious Pokemon.
"Gyarados, Waterfall!" Cali ordered.
Gyarados roared once again, and all the water surrounding the islet became rough as if it was being blown by a tempest, before rising and crashing against Pikachu and Orchynx. The water then formed a spiraling column, dragging the unfortunate mouse and cat, while Gyarados rushed forward, swimming up the column, before finally smashing against its two opponents, sending them flying into the air while it returned to the ground.
"Pikaaaaaaa!"
"Chyyyyynx!"
"Pikachu! Orchynx!" Ash cried. However, Ash had no time to be concerned, as his mind worked on a way to get out of such a sticky situation. "Pikachu, Iron Tail on Orchynx! Launch her towards Gyarados!"
Pikachu and Orchynx righted themselves mid air as best as they could, before the former used his glowing tail to push the latter against Gyarados.
"Gyarados, burn them with Flamethrower!" Cali ordered.
"Orchynx, X-scissor!" Ash shouted.
Gyarados looked at the Pokemon falling towards it, fire building up in its mouth. However, thanks to Pikachu's thrust, Orchynx was able to reach the Mega Evolved Pokemon before it could fire its attack, and slashed an X across its face. Gyarados roared in pain, closing its eyes shut as the fire inside its mouth dispelled, while Orchynx landed on the ground.
"Gyarados!"
"And Pikachu, Electro Ball!" Ash ordered.
Pikachu spun while mid air, a sphere of yellow lightning forming on the tip of his tail, before launching the electric orb with a mighty swing. The attack hit Gyarados, still reeling from Orchynx's sudden strike, resulting in a yellow flash with a small explosion.
"Now, Orchynx, Energy Ball, and Pikachu, Thunderbolt into it!" Ash ordered.
Orchynx fired yet another green glowing orb from her mouth, while Pikachu launched a yellow lightning bolt at it, the two attacks merging into a yellowish-green sphere of energy crackling with lightning.
"Gyarados, counter it with Flamethrower!" Cali ordered.
Having recovered from the previous two attacks, fire gathered on Gyarados' mouth, releasing it in the form of a cone of flames. The combination attack teared through the raging inferno, but it progressively lost power and momentum until it shrunk into nothingness, though thankfully the flames of Gyarados' attack dispelled into the air before they could push any further.
"Aqua Tail! Try to hit the two of them!" Cali ordered.
"Pikachu, dodge it with Quick Attack! Orchynx, jump over it!" Ash ordered.
Gyarados' tail was surrounded by swirling water and swung at the cat and mouse duo. Using Quick Attack, Pikachu blitzed past the water-covered limb and dashed towards Gyarados. Orchynx jumped as the tail came closer, but not high enough, taking the attack, which sent her flying backwards.
"Chyyyynx!" Orchynx meowed in pain, before she landed on the water, making a large splash.
As much as Ash wanted to ask Orchynx if she was okay, he still had another Pokemon to direct.
"Pikachu, get as close to Gyarados as possible and use Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered.
Thanks to Quick Attack, Pikachu was able to get close enough to fire a Thunderbolt at point blank, something the yellow rodent did without hesitation. The entire place shone with a yellow light as electricity coursed through Gyarados, who let out a screech of pain. After the attack ended, Gyarados visibly slumped, wisps of smoke coming from multiple parts of his body, but the Mega Evolved Pokemon refused to give up.
"Come on Gyarados, I know you can do it! Waterfall again!" Cali ordered.
Gyarados roared, and once again the water around the islet began to rise and crash around Pikachu, hoisting the Electric-type into the air.
"Or!"
Turns out, the water Gyarados had called had dragged Orchynx back to the islet, but the Kitten Pokemon, angry and wet, was able to avoid the spiraling column that was forming.
This was a chance that Ash couldn't afford to waste. And waste it he did not.
"Orchynx, quickly! X-Scissor!"
Orchynx dashed towards Gyarados, busy preparing the Waterfall, her little paws splashing against the running water, before leaping at Gyarados and slashing a second X against its face. The Atrocious Pokemon flinched and roared in pain, losing its focus, causing the forming Waterfall to crumble, saving Pikachu from a devastating attack.
"Time to finish this! Pikachu, another Thunderbolt! Orchynx, Energy Ball!" Ash called.
"Gyarados-"
Mustering the last of their strength, Pikachu fired a yellow lightning bolt at Gyarados while Orchynx fired a green energy orb from her mouth. This time, both attacks collided with the Mega Evolved Pokemon, resulting in a large explosion of yellow sparks and green bits. The combined power of the super effective attack, plus all the damage Gyarados had taken before, proved to be too much, and the Water and Dark-type Pokemon collapsed against the sandy ground, as it regressed back to its normal form.
There was a moment of silence as everybody looked at the downed Gyarados, thin plumes of smoke still coming from its body. Then, the referee raised a flag in Ash's direction.
"Gyarados can't fight anymore! And since Cali has no more Pokemon while Ash has still two, Ash is the winner of the match!" he declared.
Everybody in the stands erupted into cheers and squeals of joy, as Pikachu and Orchynx collapsed on the spot, loudly letting out sighs of relief, as the effort they had made in taking down the powerful Atrocious Pokemon finally took a toll on their bodies.
A few moments later, after collecting his Pokemon, Ash, surrounded by his friends, was in front of Cali, who smiled proudly at him.
"To defeat my Mega Gyarados with a Pikachu and an Orchynx," Cali said, sounding amused as she shook her head. "Maria and Davern weren't exaggerating when they talked about you."
"Good to see I met your expectations," Ash said.
"Pi, pika!" Pikachu added.
"You did more than merely meet them," Cali said, as she extended her hand towards Ash. "It's both my pride and duty to hand you the Tide Badge. Congratulations for your well earned victory."
Ash took the badge, which was a stylized wave crashing over a pink surfboard. Grinning widely, the Pallet Town trainer couldn't help but raise his new badge above his head, before declaring, "I won the Tide Badge!"
"Pi-Pikachu!"
"Orchynx, or!"
"So, where do you plan to go now, Ash?" Cali asked. "I need to warn whoever is your next target that you're going after them," she said, chuckling.
"Well, so far, I'm not really sure," Ash replied. "I came here to accompany my friend Clemont, who got a job at the new power plant they're building."
"I see. If you accept my advice, with your level of skill, I'd either go to the gyms of Vinoville Town or Amatree Town," Cali said. "That is, if you're looking for another challenge. Especially the latter, since Tiko, the Amatree Gym Leader, is the strongest leader in all of West Tandor."
"Thanks for your suggestion, Cali," Ash said. "I'll keep them in mind when the time to choose our next destination arrives."
…
The group had returned to the Pokemon Center. Ash had left his Pokemon with Nurse Joy in order to get them back to full health, and was now sitting on a table at the lobby with the rest of the group and Lilia. Natalie and Vitor got fired up after seeing Ash's intense match against Cali, and were now in a sparring match of their own.
"How are your Pokemon, Ash?" Serena asked, just as Ash took his seat next to her.
"Nurse Joy says they're going to need to spend the whole night here, but nothing to worry about," Ash replied.
"That's hardly surprising, with how hard they fought," Lilia said, before turning to Clemont. "Are all of Ash's battles like that?"
Clemont couldn't help but smile. "Most of them. You should have seen it when he had to fight me for his fifth Kalos badge."
"It's an amazing spectacle, I'm not going to deny that," Lilia said. "I almost feel bad from keeping you from seeing the rest of his matches."
"While it's a bit sad that this is the last Gym Battle I'm going to see from Ash, it was one worth remembering," he then turned to the aforementioned, and added: "though, remember what I said. No matter what I have to do, I'll be there for both the League and the Grand Festival in order to see you two on your big moments."
"So..." Serena began, taking a deep breath before asking: "When are you leaving?"
"A ship will come to pick us up tomorrow at noon," it was Lilia who answered. "Though, have you guys decided where you are going to go next? If it has a port, I could have you ferried to your next destination."
"Not yet. Though, we aren't going to leave Bealbeach anytime soon, given that Serena's next contest will be here in two days," Ash replied.
"Hey, if you aren't in a hurry, why don't you come with us? Even if it's only for a day. That way, you guys could see the power plant and the kind of work Clemont will be doing," Lilia suggested.
"We can? That sounds great!" Bonnie said, speaking for the first time. She then turned towards Ash and Serena. "Please say yes!"
Ash, however, looked at Serena, leaving the decision to her.
"Sure. I think I already trained enough to take a day off," Serena agreed.
"Great! In that case, let's meet again tomorrow at noon at the port, okay?" Lilia said. "I can't wait for you guys to see the new power plant. We're going to be part of such a big event in Tandor's history!"
Lilia had no idea how right those words would prove to be.
Author's Note: And Ash gets another Gym Badge! Three down, five more to go!
After the Davern battle some of you had some concerns about how Ash always relied on Greninja to defeat the Gym Leader's Ace Pokemon. See? I told you that Ash wasn't going to use Greninja all the time, he simply had to rely on him until his other mons had time to catch up. And as you can see, that time is already here. Sure, he still used Pikachu, his most veteran mon, but so far Ash has never used Pikachu (in this story I mean) to beat a Gym's Ace, plus Pikachu can't Mega Evolve or anything similar (to show that Ash still can win without relying on extrenal power-ups even if his opponents do use them).
Cali in the game battles you in single format rather than doubles, but I decided to have her fight Ash in a double battle to shake things up a little bit. I hope the battle flowed well and wasn't too hard to follow, since writing them is trickier than one on ones.
On other news, not only we do see the Moki twins again (and Theo, briefly), but we finally see Lilia making her debut in person! Though, that means that Clemont will have to say goodbye, but don't worry, that doesn't mean he will completely disappear from this story. After all, there's a reason as for why I'm having him catch new Pokemon ;)
Thanks a lot to cricketlaxwolvesbandy, Sam, Fox McCloude, MegaSalamence64, hirowriter and Viroro-kun for reviewing last chapter, and special thanks to Viroro-kun for his work as beta reader, and all his edits and suggestions which made this story all that better.
Next time, we finally visit Nuclear Plant Epsilon. If you played the game, you know what it means. If you don't, well, I'm sure you can imagine it XD In the meantime, don't forget to leave a review with your thoughts on this chapter.