While Ash had volunteered to retrieve the medicine for Jasmine and her Ampharos, Janina insisted that she come along to help. She was on the Gym Leader's bad side and wanted to make things right.
The ship ride to Cianwood City was uneventful and collecting the medicine was easy enough. Janina insisted that since Jasmine would not be ready for a battle for a while, Ash should challenge the Gym here first. And Ash agreed. Janina would take the medicine herself, accompanied by Brock. She was a child, Brock was not about to let her return alone.
So for a while Ash and Brock decided to part ways. Ash would meet up with him again once Ash comes to challenge the Olivine City Gym.
Bidding the two farewell, Ash heads to the Pokemon Center to let his Pokemon rest up and collect information on the Gym Leader. Chuck was his name, and Fighting was his game. Ash stared at Nurse Joy weirdly when she said it like that.
The Cianwood City Gym was built like a dojo, already bringing up unwanted flashbacks for Ash. He could hear a man shouting from within when he stepped through the entrance. A woman greeted him with a smile.
"A challenger?" she asked and Ash nodded.
The woman took Ash inside, telling him about how Chuck was her husband and lamented about how the man spent more time training than with her. Ash could only nervously laugh and nod to her words.
When Ash was led to the battlefield out back, he was surprised to see an artificial waterfall and a chubby muscled man meditating under it. The woman went to the waterfall and pulled some lever that turned the thing off. Chuck woke with a start and smiled at his wife.
"A challenger" the woman smiled back.
Chuck stared at Ash and grinned.
"Come! We shall battle!" the man declared.
The battlefield was right in front of the waterfall, so Ash wasn't taken far.
"It'll be a three-on-three tournament-styled battle. No witching, the last Pokemon standing wins" Chuck explained and Ash nodded. Chuck sent his Pokemon out first.
"Tyrogue, the Scuffle Pokemon. Pre-evolved form of Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan and Hitmontop. Tyrogue becomes stressed out if he does not get to train every day. When raising this Pokémon, the Trainer must establish and uphold various training methods."
One Pokemon evolving into three different types?! Ash needed to learn more about this. But for now, Ash sent out Murkrow.
Ash called for Wing Attack. The thieving Pokemon stared at Ash for a moment before looking away. But a Mach Punch from Tyrogue set him straight immediately and he was ready to battle and listen. Chuck called for Rock Smash and Murkrow dodged it easily as he took to the skies. With Double Team to help it advance, Murkrow went with Peck, attacking Tyrogue with Peck. But Tyrogue found him quickly and stopped the assault with a well-placed Rock Smash to the wing. Murkrow fell, and Tyrogue finished him off with a High Jump Kick.
"You haven't trained that Pokemon well" Chuck looked disappointed while Ash just sighed. Professor Oak had warned him that Murkrow wasn't listening well and did not take part in any training. His trust in the Pokemon may have been misplaced.
Ash called back his Murkrow before sending out Pidgeot.
Tyrogue came forward with Mach Punch but Pidgeot pushed it back with Whirlwind. Pidgeot dived forward with Quick Attack, switching quickly to Double Edge just before coming in contact. Tyrogue rolled and Pidgeot followed up with Wing Attack to send it rolling into the boundary wall.
Chuck called Tyrogue back, looking mildly impressed. He sent out Hitmontop and called for an immediate Triple Kick. Ash had seen the Pokemon before, so he was not falling for the move that hit thrice. He called Pidgeot to fly far from the Pokemon and use Whirlwind. The move made Hitmontop spin faster and faster until it was a blur spinning on the spot. Hitmontop stopped then, wobbling on its feet as dizziness hit it. Pidgeot quickly attacked with a Double Edge and Wing Attack in quick succession to knock the Pokemon out.
Chuck now looked very impressed. He called Hitmontop back and sent out his last Pokemon, Heracross.
Ash called for Wing Attack and Chuck did nothing. Heracross stood its ground as Pidgeot got closer and closer. At the last moment, Heracross used Counter, turning the damage on Pidgeot and followed it up with a Mega Horn. Dazed from the hit, Pidgeot took to the skies and away from Heracross. Now aware of Heracross' Counter tactic, Pidgeot used Quick Attacks to get in close and chip away. Pidgeot was faster than Heracross and used his speed well. That was until Heracross dodged the last hit and used Reversal. Pidgeot went down.
Not familiar with the move, Ash checked on it quickly while he called Pidgeot back. Heracross was weak and every hit from Reversal would cause massive damage. So Ash sent in a Pokemon that could take Fighting-type moves well.
He sent in Crobat.
Ash called for a Confuse Ray but Heracross avoided it easily before charging with a Megahorn. Ash commanded a Wing Attack and the two attacks met mid-way and cancelled the other out. Chuck called for a Reversal and Ash quickly called for Detect. Crobat dodged the move multiple times with Detect, draining Heracross' stamina away until it fell on its knees exhausted. Crobat finished Heracross off with a Wing Attack.
Ash had called Jasmine after the Gym battle to check in on things on her end. Jasmine informed Ash that Brock and Janina had yet to arrive and that even after the medicine was there, it would take a while for her to be ready to accept any Gyn battles.
Dejected Ash dropped the call and thought about what he could do in the meantime. He could train here until Sparkle was better. There were still months till the Silver conference, he'd make it in time.
That was when Chuck approached Ash. The boy had left his cap at the Gym. Ash thanked the man and asked if it'd be alright if he could train with him since Jasmine was nowhere near ready to accept challenges. Chuck was happy to have him but suggested that perhaps a Kantonian like him would like to visit the Whirl Islands and possibly take part in the Whirl Island Cup, it would be a good test for Ash in his opinion.
Ash was interested immediately.