The Gym Trainer was speaking all about perfumes that the Gym Leader and how each grass-type Pokemon influenced a particular perfume's scent. Ash didn't much care for that conversation. He was a boy, boys didn't really go for perfumes of any kind. At least that was the case to him anyway.

Ash had arrived at Celadon City just this morning, making a stop at the Pokemon Center to heal his Pokemon and make some strategic switches after finding out what type the Gym used, before he headed straight for the Gym.

The Celadon City Gym had two parts, the front being a nursery of plants and the back being the battlefield. The Gym trainer took Ash to the back room, where the Gym Leader seemed to be snoozing. The Trainer cleared her throat but got no reaction from the lady.

"Miss Erika" she called out gently. Still no response.

"Miss Erika" she called out a little louder, but still no response.

The girl was getting red in the face, from embarrassment Ash assumed. He was proven wrong when the girl exploded.

"MISS ERIKA!"

The Gym Leader jumped awake, looking around her in alarm.

"Tamia what—"

"You have a challenger," the girl named Tamia said, her tone polite and mild once more.

Erika blinked owlishly before her eyes fell on Ash and she quickly got to her feet.

"I apologize for my rather disgraceful state. Allow me a moment to prepare myself."

Erika was gone before Ash could say anything.

"I would like to apologise on behalf of Erika myself. She's been under stress from the nursery and the launch of a new perfume" Tamia said, slightly inclining her head to Ash.

"Oh don't worry about it" Ash said with a smile.

Erika returned not long after, looking refreshed and smiling.

"Thank you and I apologize for making you wait" Erika curtsied, Tamia taking the opportunity to leave. "So you have come to challenge me for the badge, yes? It will be your fourth, yes?"

"Fifth actually. I have the Boulder, Cascade, Thunder and Marsh badges already" Ash corrected and explained.

Erika looked mildly impressed.

"Oh, excellent! It'll be a three-on-three battle then. I hope you're ready."

With a grin, Ash took his place on the Challenger's side while Erika took her place at the Leader's End. They both sent out a Pokemon in unison, Ash sending Zubat and Erika sending a weird vien Pokemon.

"Tangela, the Vine Pokemon. Tangela's vines snap off easily if they are grabbed. This happens without pain, allowing it to make a quick getaway. The lost vines are replaced by newly grown vines the very next day."

The horn to sound the start of the battle was sounded and Ash called for Zubat to get in close with Wing Attack. Zubat zipped in, faster than Ash remembered it being. He had asked Professor Oak to let his Pokemon at the Laboratory know that Ash expects them to train on their own since Ash could call on them at any point. Maybe this was the result of that training.

The Wing Attack hit true, making Tangela roll back from the hit. Erika called for Constrict, and Tangela shot vines at Zubat, successfully capturing it in its grip.

"Now follow it up with Mega Drain!" Erika commanded.

Tangela's vines glowed a faint green and Zubat began to struggle even more in Tangela's grip as its energy began to be sucked away. But then it stopped and began to glow bright white. Its form grew, pushing Tangela's to the point where it snapped off of the Pokemon. When the light faded, Zubat's new and evolved form was ready to fight back.

"Gobat, the Bat Pokemon, Evolved form of Zubat. Golbat bites down on prey with its four fangs and drinks the victim's blood. It becomes active on inky dark moonless nights, flying around to attack people and Pokémon."

Golbat flew in with almost blinding speed, hitting Tangela with a Wing Attack before its fangs glowed a faint green and it sunk them into Tengla's remaining vines.

"Oh, your Golbat can use Mega Drain too."

"It didn't know to use that as a Zubat" Ash blinked in surprise.

"Perhaps the evolution helped it, but it is rare to see a Pokemon learn a new move that fast by just seeing their opponent use it once. I must say, your Pokemon is quite the prodigy."

Golbat let go and flew back to Ash's side, looking quite proud of itself.

"But that won't be enough. Tangela use Stun Spore!"

Tangela began to shake violently, yellow powder coming off of it in the process.

Golbat opened its mouth wider before unleashing a pale yellow beam towards Tangela. It did nothing. Or Ash thought it didn't. Tangela stopped shaking and began swaying on the spot before it began to attack everything around it by tackling it.

"Golbat, finish it off now! Wing Attack!" Ash called and Golbat flew towards Tangela at great speed. The Wing Attack hit Tangela hard and knocked it out immediately.

"I'm impressed… Oh, how rude of me to not even ask your name" Erika gasped as she called her Tangela back.

"It's Ash, Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town" Ash grinned, calling his Golbat back. Golbat had come in contact with the Stun Spore and it caused paralysis. Ash preferred to switch him out.

"Well. Ash, I am quite impressed with you and your Pokemon. But I will not be so easily beaten" Erika declared before calling out her next Pokemon, a Weepinbell.

"I'm not so easily dealt with either" Ash smiled, calling his Pidgeotto out.

Erika called for Sleep Powder the moment the match was signalled to start. Ash had Pidgeotto use Gust to send the attack back to Weepinbell, who fell asleep.

Erika blushed bright red at that.

Ash had Pidgeotto use Wing Attack continuously on the sleeping Weepinbell, combining Quick Attack to make it faster so Pidgeotto could land more hits. Weepinbell never woke up in the battle. The second round went to Ash as well.

"That was smart of you to use my attack against me" Erika conceded, still red in the face from the last round. She brings out her last Pokemon and Ash brings Pidgeotto in and calls his Charmander out. He had no real reason to swap Pidgeotto out. He just wanted to give Charmander some battle experience.

"Gloom, the Weed Pokemon, evolved form of Oddish. Gloom releases a foul fragrance from the pistil of its flower. When faced with danger, the stench worsens. If this Pokémon is feeling calm and secure, it does not release its usual stinky aroma."

"Gloom Acid!"

"Charmander Fire Spin!"

The attacks collided no sooner had the horn sounded, cancelling each other out.

"Gloom, Poison Powder!"

"Charmander, Fire Spin!"

The flames from the fire spin cut right through the poisonous pollen and trapped Gloom in a spiralling vortex made of fire. Erika gasped, and Gloom let out a strangled cry. Ash immediately called for Charmander to cancel the attack.

When the flames faded, Gloom was shaking where she stood, a horror show of a smell coming from it.

"I'm so sorry" Ash apologized immediately, but Erika sighed and waved it off with a smile.

"It's alright. Gloom, like any grass-type Pokemon, does not like fire."

She walked up to the Pokemon and picked it up in her arms.

"I concede the battle, Gloom is in no state to battle this."

Ash nodded, calling his Charmander back.

Even with Erika's words, Ash coulnd't help but feel guilty about putting Gloom in that state.