With Courage I Will Face
Arc III: The Nugget Bridge
Chapter Twelve: Ash vs. Misty
"Do you want to enter the tournament with me, Misty?" Ash asked as they walked back to the Cerulean Gym. "It should be great training."
"I think I'll sit this one out. I've competed in the tournaments here since way before I was technically allowed to be a trainer." Misty replied. "My dad used to let me battle with his Pokemon, it used to be really fun."
"They hold tournaments here that often?" Brock asked.
"Sorta. They used to be held pretty sporadically, but ever since we had the bridge to Route 24 built, we usually hold at least one a year dedicated to that. That's what this one'll be, probably. It's around this time of year the Nugget Bridge was built five years ago." Misty told him. "I've only competed in that one once, I stopped for a while when things got harder for my parents. I got Staryu a few months too late to compete in last years before I left home."
"They didn't get to do a lot in Pewter, hard to find anybody but me who would sponsor them." Brock lamented. Misty nodded, understanding the struggle.
"That's terrible, I would've loved to compete in one back there too!" Ash said. Misty rolled her eyes.
"We get it, you're ready for a battle."
"Not just any battle! I'm ready for every battle leading up to this tournament, every battle in the tournament, and then my gym battle!" Ash declared enthusiastically. "Me and Pikachu are here to sweep the competition! Right, Pikachu?"
"Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu replied happily.
"But more importantly, we're ready to battle against you!" Ash said, pointing over at Misty. "You've been a great training partner, and I can't wait to see what your Tentacool can do!"
"Of course you are." Misty deadpanned but couldn't deny the rush of excitement at the thought as they re-entered the gym.
They made their way towards the back again, finding the Sensational Sisters sitting around a desk and reading off the computer. They all glanced up at them, but Daisy gave them a smile.
"Hey guys, welcome back." She greeted them. "Mist, we ordered breakfast for you guys. It's in the living room upstairs, you guys are more than welcome to help yourselves." She told them, gesturing to the stairs.
"You didn't have to," Misty started, but Violet cut her off.
"Like, please. We were ordering anyway, and we can't have our little sis surviving off of just PokeCenter food while we're right next door living the dream." She winked. "I hope we remembered your favorite. You guys will have to settle for the basics."
"That's fine by me!" Brock agreed.
"Whatever you got, I'm sure it'll be great!" Ash seconded. "Thank you!" He and Brock thanked them in unison, while Misty smiled.
"Thanks, guys. We'll be right back down. I'll make sure Ash and Pikachu don't start battling your microwave." She said, and the boys followed her up the stairs.
They did indeed remember Misty's favorite breakfast; two blueberry butter-milk pancakes and an egg-stuffed blueberry muffin with a few strips of bacon and a glass of orange juice that was shaped like the Cascade Badge.
Ash and Brock had to rough it in comparison, but they were certainly not complaining about their breakfast omelets and bacon. After a hearty breakfast, Ash could stand it no more and Misty finally obliged.
"Do you mind if we use the field for our battle?" Misty asked the sisters.
"Nah, go for it. We probably have a while before we get another challenger, we just had one a few days ago." Violet replied without looking.
"I don't know why you're bothering with a battle, he's probably just gonna sweep you with that Pikachu of his." Lily said.
Misty was too caught off guard by the remark to reply, and all Ash had to offer was an irritated "What?"
"Sure, an electric-type will make quick work of any water-type. Especially one that looks like it's your partner, just rely on it and you'll fly through Cerulean in no time." Lily continued.
"C'mon Ash, let's go battle." Misty practically ignored her and walked off. Brock followed quickly, and Ash followed last, gritting his teeth.
Ash stared back down the hallway where Misty's sisters were as Misty stepped on a stool and peered over the top of the tank Tentacool was in, reaching in to scoop it up. It excitedly let her hug it and wrapped its tentacles around her too.
"I know, I missed you too. You ready to help me show Ash what water Pokemon can do?" Misty prompted, and Tentacool gave an eager cry.
Just moments later, Ash and Misty were on opposite ends of the pool. There were circular platforms in there now, three large floating ones to give land-based Pokemon a fighting change. Brock stood in the referee box; not that one was really needed in a friendly sparring match, but it never hurt. Besides, it was the best seat in the house.
"Staryu, time for a swim!" Misty selected her first Pokemon, her signature Staryu.
Staryu landed on one of the white plastic platforms in the pool and stretched its limbs. Ash smiled, and Pikachu's cheeks sparked in anticipation. Imagine the rodent's surprise when Ash plucked a Pokeball off his belt instead, calling forward his Butterfly Pokemon.
"Butterfree, I choose you!" He cried, and Butterfree emerged quickly.
Misty, Brock, Daisy, Lily and Violet were all as surprised as Pikachu with Ash's choice, and it showed on all of their faces. Ash just ignored them.
"Ready, Misty? Here we come. Butterfree, Tackle!" He commanded.
Butterfree shot down towards Staryu, who dodged immediately without command from Misty. Butterfree swooped back into the air as Misty cried out her own command.
"Water Gun!" Staryu aimed the tip of its limb up at Butterfree and unleashed a stream of water.
"Block it with Gust!" Ash countered. Butterfree turned around and flapped his wings furiously, blowing back the shot of water and keeping it from gushing into him. The Gust didn't stop there and slammed into Staryu, who was quickly thrown into the water.
Ash wasn't celebrating though; Staryu was at home in the water.
"Rapid Spin!" Misty called.
Staryu burst from the water and shot out spinning like a disc towards Butterfree.
"Confusion!"
Butterfree's eyes glowed their tell-tale red and Staryu was caught in a light-blue energy, stopping it in its spinning tracks. Staryu didn't even have time to struggle before Butterfree slammed it down onto the platform, but Misty was as quick as Ash with the next command.
"Confuse Ray!" Misty shouted.
Staryu launched a small yellow orb upwards and towards Butterfree, who immediately entered a dive at Ash's command, but Misty was waiting and called for a Water Gun.
"Spread your wings and glide!" Ash's counter came just as swiftly. Butterfree's wings opened further, catching more wind and keeping him just out of range of the Water Gun that would've sniped him in the air.
Daisy had to admit she was impressed with the display of both trainers so far. Misty was excellently keeping pressure on Ash's more mobile flying-type, but Ash was handling it like a pro and had yet to be truly stuck in any of her traps. If she didn't know better, she would never have guessed Ash had only collected one badge.
"Rapid Spin, go!"
"Block it with Gust!"
Staryu jumped into the air, spinning again straight towards Butterfree, who flapped up a Gust as quick as he could. As close to the water as he was, it splashed around as the spiraling wind intercepted the spiraling star.
"String Shot!" Ash continued his orders. Misty's sisters were just as surprised as Misty and Brock were originally when Ash found himself using such a move.
Butterfree spit out a line of silk and hit Staryu while it was disoriented from the Gust attack.
"Rapid Spin again, pull it towards you!" Misty cried.
Staryu spun again but seemed to remain mostly stationary even in the air. It wrapped Butterfree's String Shot around itself and reeled the dual-type in, much to the surprise of its trainer.
"Use the momentum, go for a Tackle!" Ash decided. Butterfree straightened out a little, keeping hold of the string and flinging himself at Staryu with even more force.
They collided in midair and went crashing towards one of the platforms on the waters surface. Staryu got the worst of it and took a minute longer to move, but Butterfree was already swooping upwards. Ash noticed his wings sparkling just a little more than usual and smiled. By the looks of things, Butterfree just learned some new moves.
"Okay Butterfree, hit 'em with a Stun Spore!" Ash called suddenly, and even Misty and Brock were surprised.
A fine powder misted off Butterfree's wings, shining bits of yellow down onto Staryu as it righted itself on the platform. The spores took effect seamlessly and Staryu's limbs seemed to move slower as it searched for Butterfree in the air.
"Use Water Gun, Staryu!" Misty shook off her shock as quickly as she could in favor of a command. Staryu reacted in kind but was noticeably slower in trying to chase Butterfree with its torrent of water.
"Finish it with Confusion!" Ash cried.
Butterfree caught Staryu in its gaze once again and lifted it into the air. It struggled against the force but it was no use and Butterfree slammed the Star Shape Pokemon into the platform twice and the ceiling once.
"Aim for the water, Staryu!" Misty instructed.
Staryu course-corrected itself as best it could and just barely managed to avoid another slam onto the platform, instead falling straight into the pool below.
"Send a Gust down there, Butterfree! Don't let 'em get away!" Ash gave chase quickly.
Butterfree sent a Gust towards the pool, quickly making waves and kicking around the water but Staryu refused to make itself known.
"Just focus, Butterfree! You can find it; I know you can!" Ash encouraged. Butterfree stopped using Gust in favor of scanning the pools surface.
Everyone seemed equally surprised when Butterfree seemed to zero in on a location and his eyes glowed red again. Staryu was forced from the water under Butterfree's psychic control.
"How could Butterfree find Staryu so easily?" Lily asked in shock from the sidelines.
"I don't know, usually it takes much longer than that to be found in the pool." Daisy said in awe.
"Fine, you want to play the hard way, Ketchum? We'll play the hard way. Staryu, use Swift!" Misty cried out.
"Stop it with Confusion!" Ash cried out his counter frantically.
Staryu shot out a barrage of yellow stars from the red core in its center straight at Butterfree, who attempted to catch them with his Confusion, switching his focus from Staryu to the stars. But there quickly proved to be more stars than Butterfree could focus on, and the attack quickly slammed into the Butterfly Pokemon. Ash grimaced. There was a multitude of more stars than anything Butterfree had tried to throw back before, like Rock Throw's or Sludge Bombs.
Butterfree lost flight and fell straight into the water below while Staryu landed back on the platform, albeit roughly. Misty looked on, satisfied, while the audience was shocked at the turn of events. Butterfree breached the surface of the water quickly, trying to take off but couldn't, due to the water on his wings.
"Finish it with Water Gun, Staryu!" Misty cried out.
Ash closed his eyes and grit his teeth. He had to think of something fast, Butterfree was a sitting Psyduck with wet wings.
"String Shot on the ceiling!" Ash called suddenly.
Butterfree aimed up as best it could, but the ceiling was a big target even for the waterlogged bug. The string attacked and Butterfree quickly understood what Ash wanted and pulled himself out of the water with the string just in time to avoid Staryu's Water Gun.
"Running away won't save you forever! Water Gun again!" Misty teased. Staryu shot another jet of water that Butterfree avoided again by pulling closer to the ceiling.
"Swing, Butterfree! Use String Shot on Staryu!" Ash called.
"Pi, Pikachu!" Pikachu called too, encouraging his teammate.
Butterfree swung over a little to get more directly above Staryu before firing another String Shot, hoping to connect with the starfish's back but the silk was quickly washed away by another Water Gun.
"Try a Confusion!" Ash ordered.
Butterfree entered a bit of a freefall trying to use the attack and couldn't focus on Staryu before he started plummeting towards the water again. He tried his wings again, but it was no use. Ash grimaced again at Butterfree's predicament. His wings were too soft to fly, and he was about to fall straight back into the pool if Ash didn't think of something quick.
'Wait… too soft. That's it! Maybe…' Ash thought suddenly, thrusting out his arm.
"Butterfree, use Harden! Then try to fly!" He called.
Butterfree recalled the technique from when he was a Metapod, casting a familiar gleam over his form and tensing his muscles, raising his defenses. As he tried to flap his wings, he felt them become… heavier. It wasn't perfect, but it was enough to use them to maneuver himself to land onto the platform rather than a water landing. Ash let out a sigh of relief as Butterfree grounded himself.
"That was… incredible." Daisy muttered. Her sisters agreed.
"How did you do that?" Misty asked incredulously, before shaking her head. "Tell me later, for now I have a battle to finish. Staryu, hit 'em with Swift again!"
Staryu jumped into the air and launched another stream of stars. Ash was surprised by the speed of the attack considering Staryu had been stunned by Stun Spore. But when Ash looked closer, the spores didn't even seem to still be there. Misty must've noticed his expression because she let out a laugh.
"Looks like we both have questions to ask after the battle." She teased as Butterfree used Harden again to take the brunt of Staryu's Swift attack. "Now Water Gun!"
"Gust again, Butterfree!"
The attacks collided again and sprayed water everywhere. Ash was nervous as Gust relied on the strength of Butterfree's wings. Even with their trick, he was not in top condition, but it appeared to have been enough to fend off Staryu.
'For now… gotta think of something else. Something that'll let Butterfree close the gap AND hit Staryu at once. But without flying…' He watched the Pokemon breathing deeply. Surely just one more Confusion could do it… He smiled.
"Okay Butterfree, listen up! Throw yourself at Staryu with Confusion!"
A passerby could be mistaken for thinking that someone inside the Cerulean Gym had just dropped dead from the sounds that the audience made.
Butterfree coated himself in psychic energy and launched at Staryu on its own platform with such speed Misty nor Staryu could've anticipated even hearing the command. Staryu was tired and was outpacing Butterfree due to the bug-type's lack of winged mobility. With that not a factor, Butterfree crashed straight into Staryu's core and send it flopping into the air.
"Staryu!" Misty called in concern.
"Finish it, one more Confusion!" Ash encouraged.
Butterfree's eyes glowed again and focused on Staryu, slamming the Star Shape Pokemon down into the water one last time. Butterfree's psychic attack let up quickly this time, as he was exhausted, but Staryu quickly floated back above water, its core light flashing. Staryu had been defeated.
"Staryu is unable to battle! Butterfree is the winner!" Brock announced, for the formality. Misty quickly recalled Staryu, praising it while Ash did the same with Butterfree.
"I guess you still want to save it for later, huh?" Ash said. Misty smirked at him, just pulling another Pokeball from her side.
"Okay Tentacool, let's show 'em how it's done!" She released her newest team member into the pool.
"We're ready too!" Ash clenched his fist.
"Pi!" Pikachu crouched, ready to leap when the sound of a Pokeball opening interrupted him.
"Let's finish this, Pidgeotto!" Ash said.
"Pika?" Pikachu turned around, nearly livid and Ash held his hands up in quick defense. He gestured to Misty to hold on and crouched down to talk to Pikachu.
"I'm sorry Pikachu, I know you wanted to battle, but Misty's sisters were kind of right. There's nothing from Misty you couldn't handle right now." Ash said, glancing around.
"Pika! Pikaa Chu!" Pikachu replied. Ash stared at him blankly. Pikachu sighed.
"I'm sorry, I didn't understand what you said. I'm not holding back if that's what you asked, both me and Misty know you're kinda stronger than the rest of our Pokemon already. I didn't want to turn this battle with her into a sweep, especially in front of her sisters." Ash said. "Butterfree and Pidgeotto need a lot more practical training to keep up with you, you've got dozens more battles under your belt than they do."
"Pi! Pikachu." Pikachu pointed back at Misty and sparked his cheeks.
"See, using you and not using electric-attacks is holding back way more than just trying to train the others." Ash pet him on the head. Pikachu couldn't help but stand up a bit to lean into the touch. "We've got months to give you a battle against Misty, she's sticking with us for a while. And you're first choice against Daisy, for sure. I wouldn't be surprised if you could sweep her."
"Pikachu! Pi!" Pikachu nodded and gave a deep sigh before flopping back down. "Chuu Pika!" He called out to Pidgeotto, wishing her luck.
"We're ready now, sorry about that." Ash turned back to Misty, ignoring the still surprised expressions of Daisy, Lilly and Violet from the sidelines.
"It's okay, we have all day to kick your butt." Misty retorted playfully. "Since you want to take your time, I'm sure you won't mind if I take the first move? Tentacool, use Water Gun!"
Tentacool fired a jet of water from its beak-like mouth between its eyes and Pidgeotto quickly dodged.
"Go in for a Quick Attack!" Ash ordered.
Pidgeotto acted quickly, swooping down into a dive with a trailing white streak as she collided with Tentacool.
"Poison Sting!" Misty countered. Tentacool shot a single sharp purple needle-like shape at Pidgeotto, who effortlessly dodged. Misty pointed upwards. "Keep it up until you get it!" Tentacool obeyed, sending out needle after needle while Pidgeotto evaded.
"Loop back around and hit with Quick Attack again!" Ash said. Pidgeotto entered a climb, narrowly avoiding the needles as they carried on and hit the ceiling, to swoop back down and attempt to dive-bomb Tentacool, but Misty gave her command just in time.
"Acid!" From just beneath the surface of blue water, a spray of purple came out and hit Pidgeotto before she could collide properly with Tentacool.
It gave Tentacool just enough time to maneuver out of the way and Pidgeotto to collide with just the water. But she was more water-proof than her insect teammate and swooped straight back up.
"Send Tentacool a Gust!" Pidgeotto flapped her wings vigorously, kicking up another funnel of air. This one was noticeably bigger than Butterfree's and traveled faster, slamming into Tentacool at an impressive speed.
"Don't let it stop you, use Water Gun again!" Tentacool shot more water as soon as it stopped being buffeted by wind, and Pidgeotto dodged again. Misty let out a growl.
"Hit 'em with Wing Attack!" Ash ordered. Pidgeotto swooped down again, wings glowing primed to strike when Misty ordered Tentacool under the water. Pidgeotto halted, gazing into the pool as the redhead gave her next command.
"Supersonic!"
The ripples appeared too late to indicate the direction, and Pidgeotto quickly got caught in the rings that came from the water. Quickly, the bird became obviously disoriented as Misty continued to issue commands.
"Come out and use Acid!" Tentacool obeyed and launched out of the water, spraying more purple acid at Pidgeotto who was too hopelessly confused to dodge.
The bird Pokemon was flying lopsided as Ash called out to her, but Misty continued her onslaught.
"And another Acid! Then Poison Sting!" She added for good measure. Tentacool's commands were carried out and were enough to knock Pidgeotto onto the platform, taking her from the sky for the first time. Misty couldn't help but smirk.
"Pidgeotto, you've got to snap out of it! You've got to fly away now!" Ash pleaded as Tentacool fired another Acid towards his Pokemon.
'Should've just used Pikachu!' Ash could hear Misty's sisters telling him now. Even Misty and Brock would probably agree. But they didn't get it… Type matchups weren't everything, Pikachu would've won because he was strong. The type-advantage was just salt in the wound for a training exercise. Butterfree and Pidgeotto were the ones who needed to be pushed right now, and you don't push your limits with easy victories.
"We won't go down that easy, show 'em your vitality, Pidgeotto! I need you to snap out of it and use Wing Attack!" Ash continued to plead.
Another Acid sprayed at Pidgeotto. Violet and Lily seemed excited, thinking this was it. Daisy and Brock appeared anxious, anticipating the outcome of the battle. Misty was… not as confident as they all were. For good reason because suddenly Pidgeotto's wings glowed and she spun around in a circle, still confused but attempting to execute Ash's command. It was enough of an attempt to block the incoming Acid before she fell into the water, where Misty seized her chance again.
"Water Gun!" Misty cried again.
"Climb up, Pidgeotto!" Ash commanded. Imagine everyone's surprise when Pidgeotto shot out of the water, steady as ever, before the water jet could collide with her. Ash cheered as she went back into a dive, keen on executing the Wing Attack order from earlier still.
"Grab on with Wrap!" Misty yelled urgently.
Pidgeotto swooped down, aiming to smack Tentacool with her wing but Tentacool was moved just barely out of reach at the last moment. This gave it enough room to wrap its tentacles around the closest wing and clench, being yanked from the pool as Pidgeotto entered another climb. Tentacool maneuvered around on top of the bird, resting on her back, and constricting her torso with its tentacles.
"Now use Acid again!"
Pidgeotto flew circles around the field trying to shake Tentacool, but the Jellyfish Pokemon wouldn't budge and kept spraying more and more of its acidic attack. Everywhere Pidgeotto went, a trail of purple followed.
"Try a barrel roll!" Pidgeotto flipped upside down and spun as best it could, but Tentacool held tight. "Fine, try and keep up. Zoom around with Quick Attack!"
Pidgeotto entered its fastest attack with Tentacool hanging on for all its worth. Misty gasped at the speed, Tentacool wasn't used to going that fast ever, but it held on impressively, constricting tighter when it could.
"Try another Supersonic!"
"Oh no you don't! Pidgeotto, dive straight into the pool!" Ash shouted suddenly.
Pidgeotto was diving the moment the word 'dive' was said and crashed through the water before Tentacool's confusion-inducing attack had even come out. She looked around and saw the platforms above them, and suddenly had a pretty good idea about what her trainer was planning.
Ash and Misty were both surprised when Pidgeotto took the next step on her own and collided with the underside of the platform, slamming Tentacool into it. It hardly moved on the surface, they were built to be incredibly sturdy, but underneath Tentacool was already feeling the effects as Pidgeotto surfaced and took off. She flapped her wings and shook her head.
"Pidgeotto's feathers are pretty thick, but they're just sleek enough that water runs off them pretty easy. It'll be harder to keep her down than Butterfree, Misty." Ash told her. Misty smiled.
"I can see that. That's okay, we'll manage. Tentacool, use Poison Sting!" Misty replied.
"Use Gust!" Ash countered quickly. Pidgeotto's Gust was more than strong enough to knock the handful of needle-like objects that Tentacool launched, but Ash wasn't happy. Getting in close had proved dangerous before, but Gust was Pidgeotto's only ranged attack; he supposed this was part of why he wanted Pidgeotto to learn Whirlwind as well. It may have functioned similar to Gust, but it would've been another trick to exploit.
"Water Gun!"
"Dodge, climb up!"
"Can't run away forever, Ash!" Misty replied quickly as Pidgeotto dodged Tentacool's attack again.
"We know, we're getting into position! Pidgeotto, Quick Attack plus Wing Attack!" Ash cried,
Pidgeotto was happy to oblige. She had been completely unable to use Wing Attack without using Quick Attack first when she first started learning the move and Ash had figured out it gave the move a little extra power behind it, carried from the momentum. It was more important to learn how to use Wing Attack isolated, obviously, for control but Ash had been waiting to use this trick since Pidgeotto's training begun.
In just the blink of an eye, Pidgeotto slammed into Tentacool wing first and the water Pokemon was roughly flung underwater, nearly going halfway to the bottom of the pool.
"Now collect the water, use Gust!"
Pidgeotto flapped her wings, sending another spiral of air directly into the pool this time. It created a huge splash, and the air carried the water in circles, creating a small whirlpool that quickly dragged the exhausted Tentacool into it.
"Use Acid again, Tentacool!"
"Finish it with another Wing Attack!"
Pidgeotto had better maneuverability, swooping downward and slamming her wing into Tentacool before it could even locate her in the air while being spun by the current. Pidgeotto's wing-strength was proven again when it sent Tentacool straight through the small water vortex and into one of the plastic platforms. It quickly became apparent that Tentacool was in no condition to continue as it floated weakly beside the platform.
"Tentacool is unable to battle! Pidgeotto is the winner!" Brock announced formally.
Ash and Misty both recalled their Pokemon, excitedly praising their work.
"We'll get 'em next time, Tentacool. We've got a long time to work out our revenge on them. I'm glad to have you back." She kissed the Pokeball quickly before she left her box.
"Pidgeotto, you were awesome! I knew you could do it, I'm so proud of you!" Ash bent down to Pikachu's level. "Pikachu was cheering you on too, even if he was jealous."
"Pi, Pika." Pikachu tapped the Pokeball with his paw lightly in congratulations. Ash smiled, taking Pikachu into his arms as he put Pidgeotto's Pokeball back on his belt.
His hopes for a clean exit to the Pokemon Center where he wouldn't have to explain himself were dashed as soon as he exited his own box, as he was ambushed with questions from all sides.
"Like, why didn't you use Pikachu? That would've been a way smoother match if you had." He heard Lily say first.
"I didn't want a smoother match, I just wanted to battle. It was just a practice battle, and I'm trying to make sure all my Pokemon get a chance to practice, not just Pikachu." Ash replied as best he could.
"But you had the total type advantage!" Violet insisted. Luckily for Ash, Misty stepped in.
"Pikachu's an electric-type, but he couldn't beat every Pokemon in this gym just with that even though they're all water-types. You can't always rely on a type match-up." Misty said. "And it's rude that you think I would've lost so simply to one, as if I wouldn't have had a plan to battle against Pikachu. Which," She rounded on Ash. "Will absolutely happen eventually, do you hear me?"
"Loud and clear." Ash replied, giving her a mock salute. "Misty, can you tell me how you got rid of Stun Spore now?"
"Only if you tell me how Butterfree flew with soaked wings." She replied.
"Deal!"
"I had Staryu use the water to rinse the spores off. It's kind of a super specific counter, because you have to do it before they really dig under the skin and into the muscle, so you've only got a couple seconds to do it." She explained. She noticed that even Brock and her sisters were intrigued and continued but started to blush under their attention. "My Staryu has Natural Cure too, so it has a little bit more time before it takes effect since its ability makes its skin so much more naturally regenerative."
"That's so cool, Misty! Staryu's amazing!" Ash was the first one to praise her. "What a great idea!"
"Now many paralyzes did it take you to figure that out?" Violet asked. Misty sent her sister a look but answered.
"Too many. Probably still way less than it would've taken you." She shot back. Violet tried to say something, but Daisy interrupted first.
"Ash, your turn! Tell us how you had Butterfree fly with wet wings!" She encouraged loudly.
"I have to say, I'm curious myself. I've never seen that before." Brock added. Ash scratched his cheek.
"Well, the reason Butterfree's wings don't work when they're wet is they get too soft. They're not rigid enough to flap, and they're too thin to not fold in on themselves when they get wet. So, I hoped by having Butterfree use Harden, it would still affect those muscles and put a little more structure on the wings." Ash took his turn explaining. "It was kind of a gamble, the problem could've been the weight of the water and harden wouldn't have helped that I don't think, but I'm glad it worked out even a little."
"That's… absolutely crazy thinking." Misty commented but beamed at him after a moment. "I can't believe it worked, that was great!"
Ash and Misty shared a laugh.
"Hey Ash, one more question. When did Butterfree learn Stun Spore?" Brock asked. He was sure the move was fairly new but hadn't seen Ash do his training yet.
"Right there, as soon as he used it." Ash admitted, scratching his cheek again.
"How did you know?" Daisy asked. "It looked so planned."
"I knew we were close to learning it, I saw the spores on his wings yesterday. He just needed a little motivation for them to shake loose, and I noticed them falling a lot more than yesterday in the battle, so I just figured he was ready to use it." Ash waived off. "I think he learned Sleep Powder and Poison Powder too, the scales on his wings were way too messy to just be Stun Spore."
Daisy was once again impressed and would never have guessed that Ash had only one badge. They were all interrupted by the sound of a stomach growling, and Ash smiled sheepishly.
"Ash! We just had breakfast, how are you that hungry again?" Misty demanded.
"Battling always makes me hungry! I burn so much energy!" Came Ash's only defense.
Brock laughed, while Misty continued to feign annoyance.
"You fed him first breakfast; we'll take second breakfast." Brock joked to Daisy, putting a hand on Ash's shoulder. "Come on, a breakfast sandwich is on me." He promised as he ushered Ash out the door.
"That was a super impressive battle, Mist." Daisy said just as Misty was turning to follow Ash and Brock.
"Thanks, but I guess it wasn't enough. I still have a lot more work to do, and I guess it's been a while since I battled with Tentacool." Misty waived off.
"But still, it was pretty cool how hard you battled. I thought you had him a couple times." Violet acknowledged.
"I'll get him next time; he won't catch me slacking twice." Misty promised. She gestured at the door. "I'm gonna go find them, but I'll stop back for dinner. We'll bring, since you got breakfast."
"Sounds great." Daisy agreed, and Misty turned to chase after her companions.
Misty managed to catch up with Ash and Brock quickly, spying them down the street easily. They seemed to be taking their time and intentionally waiting for her to catch up.
"That was an incredible battle for both of you. You're both very talented trainers." Brock complimented them.
"Thanks Brock." Misty said appreciatively, glancing at Ash. "Don't think this means we're through, we'll be back for a rematch soon."
"I'm counting on it. We had a lot of fun. Next time Pikachu wants a shot at you too. Right, Pikachu?" Ash replied. Pikachu agreed from his shoulder.
They made their way to the Pokemon Center's cafeteria for Ash to get another snack as they talked amongst themselves, but a flash of teal caught Ash's attention.
He quickly turned back to one of the tables where a girl was eating alone. Her white had was blocking her face, but Ash knew it was her anyway.
"Leaf?"
Scene! I bet when I said Ash and Misty would battle before they left Cerulean nobody expected it to be one of the first things we did in Cerulean, huh? I hope I did it justice, I've wanted to write their battle for a while now but obviously didn't want to rip it from canon. Plus the reason Ash isn't using Pikachu had to change, I hope that doesn't effect anyone's experience too much. But I hope they both got a chance to show their skills are both developing, but also clearly amateur. Misty's Tentacool, while strong, is clearly a little rusty and hadn't worked with Misty in a while, that's why it seemed like it went down easier than Staryu. Also Pidgeotto is, at this point, stronger than Butterfree so it wouldn't have struggled against Staryu as much as Butterfree did either.
What would you guys name a fictional breakfast place in the Pokemon World? It wasn't a big deal so I ultimately left it unnamed here, but I think about it in my spare time and I'm curious if I'm missing any obvious good ones. Either as a clear reference to an existing one or just a clever in-universe example works, just curious for more thoughts.
Surprise Leaf cameo! I wonder who else is just around the corner... and if they have anything to do with the many parts of Cerulean City... Hmmm...
RagingSceptile: I thought about changing some stuff like that around, but I didn't think I needed to in the end. There is a change some of you guys will be surprised with in terms of combining/changing the order of some episodes soon, but nothing to do with the starters. They're debuts will still be after Cerulean.
I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far! I've always felt strongly about Brock getting a fossil so I wanted to do something unique with it. And as for Jessie and James, they will definitely grow more than they do in canon in many, many ways.
Zelkins593: Ash will have a different team than in the canon, yes. There will be canon Pokemon he doesn't get and non-canon ones that he does. I will say that Kanto will probably NOT be the most unfamiliar looking team.
DouglasJack: Ash will not catch every Pokemon he caught in canon, I've taken some liberties with that. I'm glad you enjoy so far! I'm also not fan of edgy-Ash fics, I think most of the time it doesn't feel enough like Ash to me; I'm doing my best to keep him mostly the same guy we DO love just... a little more going on upstairs. Thanks so much for your reviews! I enjoyed reading your thought process as you read through the fic! Hope you like the update!
Dragonkeeper10: Thank you! They were all huge things I always felt strongly about in canon, I think they're a classic example of like "things that a real anime would've done" that makes me wish Pokemon explored them more. Giovanni will definitely a pretty menacing figure for a while here, glad that came through with such a short scene!
RKF22: Thank you! Ash is a big softie when it comes to his Pokemon!
Speed Reader: It was tough to figure out a balance for Misty and her sisters between animosity and love that's a bit worse than most siblings. It's mostly Daisy that Misty gets along with, while Violet and Lily can be kind of iffy. Glad you enjoyed everything here! Hope you enjoy the update!
Ash's Team: Pikachu, Butterfree, Pidgeotto
Pikachu: Electric - Male - Static - Rash | ThunderShock, Tail Whip, Growl, Nuzzle, Charm, Thunder Wave, Brick Break
Butterfree: Bug/Flying - Male - Compound Eyes - Hardy | Tackle, String Shot, Harden, Gust, Supersonic, Confusion, Stun Spore, Poison Powder, Sleep Powder
Pidgeotto: Normal/Flying - Female - Keen Eye - Hasty | Tackle, Sand Attack, Gust, Quick Attack, Wing Attack
Misty's Team: Staryu, Goldeen, Tentacool
Staryu: Water - N/A - Natural Cure - Modest | Tackle, Rapid Spin, Harden, Water Gun, Confuse Ray, Swift
Goldeen: Water - Female - Swift Swim - Careful | Peck, Tail Whip, Supersonic
Tentacool: Water/Poison - Male - Liquid Ooze - Hardy | Water Gun, Poison Sting, Acid, Supersonic, Wrap
Brock's Team: Onix, Geodude, Zubat
Onix: Rock/Ground - Male - Rock Head - Calm | Tackle, Bind, Screech, Harden, Rock Throw
Geodude: Rock/Ground - Male - Sturdy - Relaxed | Tackle, Defense Curl, Rock Throw
Zubat: Poison/Flying - Male - Inner Focus - Hasty | Absorb, Supersonic, Astonish
Jessie's Team: Ekans, Spearow
Ekans: Poison - Male - Shed Skin - Serious | Poison Sting, Bite, Wrap, Leer
Spearow: Normal/Flying - Male - Keen Eye - Hasty | Peck, Growl, Leer
James' Team: Koffing, Spearow, Weedle
Koffing: Poison - Male - Levitate - Bashful | Poison Gas, Tackle, Smog, Smokescreen
Spearow: Normal/Flying - Female - Keen Eye - Lax | Peck, Growl Leer
Weedle: Bug/Poison - Female - Swarm - Jolly | Poison Sting, String Shot
Meowth: Normal - Male - Pickup - Sassy | Fury Swipes, Scratch, Growl, Fake Out