"Dawn, it's great to see you!" Zoey said, waving outside the Pokémon Centre as the friends entered Snowpoint. "So, what brings you here?"

"Ash has a Badge to get," Dawn replied. "What brings you here?"

Zoey blinked.

"...huh," she said. "Now I think about it, I don't think I ever did mention it, but I live here! I'm back here to visit my family and make sure all my Pokémon are in top shape for the next Contest."

She looked thoughtful. "Actually… uh, no, that doesn't make any sense…"

"What doesn't?" Ash asked, curious.

"I was going to say – Candice is my friend, so I could introduce you," Zoey explained. "But then I realized that literally Cynthia has to know Candice as well."

"I don't think there's anything wrong with you introducing Ash and Dawn," Cynthia suggested. "Just because I'm along doesn't mean that you shouldn't introduce them."

"I guess so," Zoey admitted.

"So how do you know each other?" Dawn asked. "I guess you grew up in the same city, but cities are big places."

Ash looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded.

"Yeah, that's true," he agreed. "Actually, uh…"

He glanced at Cynthia. "Is it you or Latias who's from the biggest town out of any of us? Dawn's from Twinleaf and I'm from Pallet, and those are both a lot smaller than most of the places we've visited."

Cynthia looked thoughtful.

"I'm actually not sure," she said. "What do you think, Latias?"

"Altomare isn't very big, but…" Latias replied, thoughtfully. "Well, it feels like a town, but Celestic Town feels more like a city. It's certainly got more big shiny modern buildings… then again, I never actually met many humans in Altomare, so I couldn't tell."

Ash translated that, and Cynthia nodded.

"That's a good point," she said. "I mean that seriously, Latias – being able to recognize when you don't have enough information to be sure is as important as actually knowing things in the first place. There's nothing so problematic in academia as someone who's confidently wrong, but someone who admits what they don't know is much more pleasant."

Latias smiled, touched, and while she did Zoey looked thoughtful.

"I wonder," she said. "If I remember Candice's schedule right…"

Candice, as it turned out, wasn't just a Gym Leader – she was also a teacher, who taught adult classes at the Trainer School in Snowpoint City.

Since she had a well-defined schedule, and Zoey knew it, that meant that Ash and his companions didn't just go up to the Gym and find out that it was unoccupied. Instead, they went straight to the Trainer School, and Ash looked around him as they entered the building.

"Are all schools for older pupils like this?" he asked. "It seems… really big."

He frowned. "And, uh… I don't know how to put it, really? It's like…"

"Like what?" Pikachu asked. "Ash, I don't think I have nearly as much experience of school as you, so I don't know what you're trying to say."

"I was thinking about what it would have been like if I didn't end up as a Pokémon trainer," Ash replied. "And thinking about, uh… so the way it normally works is that someone goes out to be a Pokémon trainer, and everyone wants to go to the Pokémon League, but not everyone does. Most people just… find a few good friends, and then they go back to the rest of their education. And if I hadn't ended up doing as well as I did – as a trainer, I mean – then I'd probably have ended up going to a school again. Maybe like this, and maybe not. But I might not ever have found out who I am."

"That is strange to think about," Miraidon said. "I would not have existed at all…"

They made an electronic noise, moving slightly closer to Ash as they walked through the corridors. "I prefer existing, but that is a strange thing to say."

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "I'm grateful about what happened, I really am – because of, of everything about it, really. I've turned out to be… good at something that I dreamed of being good at, but having friends and, and you and Koraidon and Mew, it's really important too."

He paused, shrugging, then kept going. "I was just thinking about… how it could have been. But I'm glad it was this way."

"I am too," Latias declared, and Pikachu nodded his agreement.

Up ahead, Zoey opened a door, and they heard someone who was probably Candice talking.

"Now, who can give me an example of a high level trainer, so we can talk about team composition?" she asked.

"Cynthia!" someone in the class said, pointing.

"Cynthia is a good example," Candice replied. "And her most visible Pokémon is – how the hell are you here?"

"I do not think I have heard of that Pokémon," Miraidon noted. "Have any of you?"

Once Candice had calmed down, and finished her lesson, she was quite eager to head over to her gym – at least, once it was confirmed for her that it was Ash she would be battling, rather than Cynthia.

"I am a little bit in awe," Monferno contributed. "Contests are much more fun for me than the competitive-battling kind of… well… competitive battling. But it's kind of amazing to realize just how much impact Cynthia has had on the Gym Leaders of Sinnoh."

"I know," Riolu agreed. "It's a great kind of reputation."

"And here we go!" Candice said, up ahead, opening the door to the gym. "Now, then! I was thinking about the kind of battle to have, on the way here, but I think I'm going to go with the old standard… that means three Pokémon on a side!"

Then she looked thoughtful. "But, because I know you've got a team here and it's not your first team, I think… I want to see both your old and your new Pokémon. That means at least one Pokémon you got here, and at least one Pokémon you didn't get here."

Ash considered that for a second, then nodded. "That's good!" he said. "The Pokémon I was already planning to use fit that anyway!"

Candice chuckled. "That's, good…" she admitted. "Because I really should have thought of the rule before now, because if you hadn't been ready for it it could have meant you'd need to go back to the Pokémon Centre."

She shrugged. "Well, anyway! If you've got your Pokémon ready, so have I! We can start now, or I can give you a minute or two to get ready."

Ash thought about that, getting a good look at the arena.

It was a wide patch of smooth-looking ice, with the occasional larger frozen spike like an iceberg, and he shook his head.

"I haven't battled an Ice gym in a while, but I think we're ready!" he declared.

"In that case – send out your first Pokémon," Candice instructed, readying a Pokéball.

Ash nodded. "Miraidon – you go!"

Zorua jumped off Miraidon's head, floating in a ghostly sort of way through the air to land on Latias's wing, and Miraidon stepped forwards onto the ice. Their metallic paws slipped slightly, until there was a faint grating noise as their claws began to dig in slightly.

"This is slippery," they stated, eyes displaying a question-mark symbol for a moment, then Candice sent out her own Pokémon.

An Abomasnow.

Snow immediately began drifting down, and Ash struck the floor with a hoof. "Okay, Miraidon – switch modes and use Dragon Pulse!"

Miraidon transformed into their battle mode, floating into the air with a hum as electricity flowed across the arena floor, and Candice ordered a Blizzard attack at the same time as Miraidon used Dragon Pulse. The two attacks crashed into one another with a whoosh, sending tiny fragments of snow and ice everywhere and obscuring the terrain – then Ash realized what that could mean.

"Dodge right!" he said, and Miraidon skidded sideways across the arena floor as Abomasnow used an Ice Shard attack. Most of the high-speed rain of ice crystals missed Miraidon, but not all of them, and the Dragon-type winced.

"This is a tricky match up," Pikachu said. "Right?"

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "Miraidon – forwards, then use Discharge! Blow away the snow!"

"Ice Punch!" Candice replied.

Miraidon's antenna buzzed for a moment before they released a blast of electrical power that made the icy battlefield crack and splinter under the recoil of the blast. It reached Abomasnow, as well, checking her advance, but she got close enough to use Ice Punch a moment later and Ash winced.

"Miraidon, try and keep your distance!" he said, as the snow and hail began to close back in again. "Remember, you don't have to just move in directions you're facing – Dragon Pulse!"

"Understood," Miraidon agreed, firing another Dragon Pulse and skidding sideways.

Latias began using Mystical Fire, weaving a little curl around herself to keep them warmer, and Ash frowned as he thought – most of his attention on Miraidon and keeping them moving, dodging away from Abomasnow's attacks, but some of his focus going to thinking about the battle.

Miraidon was more agile, and more mobile, but Abomasnow was both tough and also able to use effective Ice moves that were only made more potent by the snowy weather she brought on. Every Blizzard she used meant that Miraidon had to move quickly to avoid being hit, and they weren't always successful, while Miraidon's Dragon Pulse attacks were powerful but they didn't have the punch they needed.

Ash had sort of been expecting an Ice-type that was more easily hit by Electric attacks…

"Ice type…" he said under his breath, thinking, then raised his voice. "Miraidon – the other side of the arena and try an Electro Drift!"

Miraidon duly did as instructed, speeding over to get some distance from Abomasnow, and Ash watched as they hit a near-solid wall of Blizzard which robbed the attack of a lot of power.

"What does Ice type mean?" he asked himself.

Some of it was – Ice was a type that had a lot of weaknesses, wasn't it? But it was a powerful offensive one… and Ice itself was about slipping and sliding and moving fast…

"Miraidon!" Ash decided. "Come on back for now!"

"Interesting choice," Cynthia said.

"You mean a bad one?" Ash asked, then shook his head. "No, I – interesting, that means what it says. Sorry."

He glanced at Miraidon, as the Dragon-type exited the arena and shook themselves off. "Do you want to go into your Pokéball? It's still snowing and I don't think we can heat you up during the battle."

"Yes please," Miraidon replied, returning themselves without saying anything else, and Latias giggled slightly.

"Well, that's that," she said.

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "Okay, so instead I'm using Swampert!"

Candice blinked, as the Water-and-Ground-type came out of his Pokéball.

"You're using… a Swampert?" she asked. "Uh… are you sure?"

"Yeah!" Ash agreed, glancing to the side so he could look into one of his saddlebags at the same time as watching the arena.

"I have to admit, I'm interested to see where this is going," Swampert agreed, rolling his neck.

"Well… all right, then," Candice decided. "Abomasnow – Wood Hammer!"

"Dig!" Ash countered, and Swampert sprang into the air before going crunch into the ice – digging into it like it was ground, and avoiding Abomasnow's powerful Grass-type attack.

"Interesting," Candice conceded. "What are you planning, though? Swampert can't stay down there forever."

"I know," Ash agreed, putting his amulet onto his ring, and concentrated. "Okay, Swampert – left a bit, forward a bit – and – Hammer Arm, upwards!"

"Abomasnow, look out!" Candice said, then Mega Swampert used Hammer Arm.

It was extremely effective.

Despite appearances, Mega Swampert didn't actually finish the battle with just one blow, but between Ash calling on the Water-type to use his high powered Scald attacks to melt the ice under Abomasnow and two more strong Hammer Arm attacks there wasn't all that much difference in the outcome.

"Now that was an interesting trick," Candice admitted. "I didn't even spot the Mega Stone."

Swampert reverted, and Ash took a steadying breath before shaking himself out.

"Swampert doesn't have one," he explained. "My amulet does basically the same thing, but that's all I need for it."

"...so jealous," Zoey murmured. "The only Pokémon I even have who could exploit that is a Kirlia at this point… are you all right?"

"It's tiring," Ash explained. "But, it's complicated… anyway, uh, should we move on? I'm calling Swampert back because I want to use another Pokémon, and because I've kind of used the big trick anyway… I might have Swampert finish things off, but I'm keeping him here for now."

He winced. "And, uh, I don't want to find out that one of your Pokémon has Freeze-Dry, because that would hit him really hard."

"Yeah, that would sting," Swampert admitted, moving over to sit next to Ash. "Hey, little guy."

Zorua jumped down off Latias's back, and landed in front of Swampert.

"Big," the Ghost-type declared, then turned to watch whatever the battle was going to be next.

"Yeah, we should move on," Candice agreed, frowning at the ice field. "Hmm… that's not very thick at this point, after all the damage and hot water Swampert hit it with… but enough of it is in place to make it work."

"You mean you could end up delaying until it is?" Dawn asked.

"It's an option, but I don't like to use it," Candice replied, shrugging. "I'm an Ice gym, not a Water gym – but overcoming the challenge strategically is as good as doing it tactically."

Ash considered the ice, then nodded.

"Okay, I know who I'm using next," he said.

Candice held up her second Pokéball, Ash held up his final one, and then they both sent them out at the same time.

"Oh, this is interesting!" Monferno said, leaning forwards a little as he watched Candice's Sneasel appear on the field.

After working with Dawn's Sneasel for a while, he could recognize the differences between the two variants, and it became even easier a moment later as Dawn sent out her own Sneasel to watch as well.

Ash, meanwhile, had sent out a lightweight Ice-type of his own – Sandshrew – and she glanced at Ash for advice.

"Make sure you move quickly over the clearer ice, it's still not very thick," Ash said.

"Begin," Candice instructed. "Fury Swipes!"

"Ice Ball!" Ash replied, and Sandshrew whirled up to speed on the thicker ice she'd emerged upon – then went sliding across the thinner ice, leaving a faint trail where her Ice-type attack had made the ice thicker and which was punctuated by little cracks where it had splintered behind her.

Candice's Sneasel was moving about as fast as Sandshrew was, skating over the ice on her sharp claws and using them for both grip and turning, and Dawn's Sneasel watched with interest.

"That's a bit different to how I'd do it," she said. "But not very different. I'd be relying more on Shadow Claw for traction, which might not work as well… actually, I think the way I'd move is a bit more like Sandshrew is now than how Sneasel is now."

"Huh?" Riolu asked, frowning, then his expression cleared. "Oh, I think I get it… you mean the way that Sandshrew is moving in straight lines mixed with periods where she's turning?"

"Exactly," Sneasel confirmed. "I have Quick Attack which is a boost of speed, but I couldn't skate like Sneasel is doing."

The three Fighting-types considered that.

"This would be a confusing conversation if we were humans having it," Riolu decided. "Because of how Sneasel and Sneasel would sound like they meant the same thing."

The other two giggled.

"Keep it up, Sandshrew!" Ash said, floating into the air a little to get a better view of the battle from above. "Dodge right!"

The problem right now was that Sandshrew had some good, powerful attacks, but they were attacks where Sneasel could see them coming if he called for them, and she was more able to dodge. Sandshrew could turn a little tighter, because she was using Rapid Spin to do it and get better traction on the firmer sections of the ice, but Sneasel could skate equally well anywhere and her Fury Swipes attacks were slowly wearing Sandshrew down.

Then Ash realized something… Sneasel's way of moving fast was skating.

Which relied on the ice being smooth and flat.

"Sandshrew, aim for the ice island to your right!" he said. "Spring into the air!"

Sandshrew altered course, and Candice pointed.

"Alongside and use Night Slash!" she said.

Sneasel caught up for long enough to use a powerful attack, one which made Sandshrew yelp in response, then Ash's Ice-type reached the island and ramped off it into the air.

"Powder Snow!" Ash ordered, and Sandshrew unballed. "Aim wide so you don't miss her!"

"That's an Ice attack, that won't-" Candice began, then saw the danger a moment later. "Sneasel, look out!"

The warning came too late, though, as Sandshrew's Powder Snow attack peppered the whole area around Sneasel. It coated the ice with lumps and drifts of snow, completely fouling up Sneasel's skating area, and the Dark-type tripped over and rolled to a halt.

"Icy Wind, quick!" Candice instructed. "Blow the snow away!"

"Rapid Spin!" Ash replied. "Build up speed – then Iron Head!"

The powerful Powder Snow attack hadn't just ruined Sneasel's skating. It had also made the terrain much better for Sandshrew to build up speed. That let her get the jump on Sneasel, reaching her just as Candice's Pokémon blew away the snow around her, and the Iron Head connected with a whang.

Sneasel rolled across half the ice field, then used her claws to brake, but the time taken to get herself under control gave Sandshrew time to work up to speed again.

"Rollout!" Ash ordered.

The second high-speed hit in quick succession was a bit more than Sneasel could cope with.

"Well, I'm impressed," Candice said, nodding. "It looks like you've got a good feel for the strengths and weaknesses of the Ice-type."

She recalled her Sneasel, then beamed as Sandshrew panted. "And I have to say that that Sandshrew is great! I've never seen an Alolan one up close before… I really want one or an Alolan Vulpix one of these days, but I've never yet managed to make time to get one…"

Then Candice shook her head. "Sorry. Anyway… I've still got one Pokémon left – are you going to leave Sandshrew out, or switch to Swampert or, er, Miraidon?"

She held up a Pokéball. "I already know who I'm using before you answer."

"I can stay out if you want," Sandshrew volunteered, turning to her trainer. "Just so you know what you're dealing with."

"Thanks," Ash said, touched. "But… I think I'm okay without that."

"...I have to admit, I'm a bit glad you said that," Sandshrew admitted, then returned herself.

Ash sent Miraidon right back out again, then did a double-take as he saw Candice's third Pokémon – a Medicham, who landed on the ice and balanced in a combat pose on one foot.

"That's not even an Ice-type," he said. "...right? Or, uh… I can't think of a regional variant for Medicham?"

Pikachu got out the Pokédex, just to be sure, then shook his head.

"Fighting and Psychic," he confirmed.

Ash glanced over at Cynthia. "I don't actually know whether that's allowed," he admitted. "I guess it helps overall, and I've battled other gym leaders who have Pokémon that aren't strictly their Type, but it seems… weird?"

"It's not required for a Gym Leader's Pokémon to stick solely to their Type," Cynthia told him, as out on the arena Miraidon slowly rotated in place – hovering thanks to both their jets and their electrostatic repulsion. "There's usually an expectation that a Gym Leader will keep to the theme of their Type, but that's a looser thing… for example, here, the icy battlefield isn't quite enough by itself but it does a lot of the work."

"Right, I get it," Ash decided. "So it's about… not just beating Pokémon that are Ice-type, but beating a trainer who focuses on the Ice-type. And that way, uh, a Flying-type trainer could use a flying Pokémon that isn't actually Flying-type…"

He frowned. "I guess that does explain how Brock can still use his Steelix in gym battles… but I don't think I'd ever really stick that much to a single Pokémon type. Or, philosophy, really…"

After a moment more thinking about that, Ash shook his head.

"Sorry, I got distracted," he admitted. "Ready?"

"Ready," Candice confirmed. "Begin! Medicham, Ice Punch!"

"Extremespeed forward!" Ash replied, and Miraidon flashed straight ahead in a burst of speed and lightning. Medicham's attack missed entirely, and Miraidon leaned over a little to brake from their carried-over momentum.

"Like that, yeah!" Ash agreed. "She can't hit you if she can't catch you – Extremespeed!"

"Oh, I get it," Latias said. "That's like how Sandshrew was moving, right?"

"Yeah!" Ash agreed. "Keep it up, Miraidon – turn left, Extremespeed!"

Another sudden boost, and Medicham's third attempt to hit Miraidon went no better than the first two.

"And Discharge!" Ash added, prompting Miraidon to release a burst of electricity. It fizzled and crackled along the ground, amplified by their Electric Terrain and their Ability, and Candice called for Medicham to defend herself with a Thunderpunch of her own.

"Dragon Pulse!" Ash told Miraidon. "Now – Extremespeed!"

Medicham was tough, but being repeatedly hit by powerful attacks was wearing her down.

The problem was, Miraidon had already been hit a few times earlier in the battle, and repeatedly using Extremespeed was wearing them down as well, and Ash frowned as he tried to think about what to do.

Then he looked up – at the roof.

Back down at the arena, comparing different parts of it – and paying special attention to where Medicham was landing, between her springing leaps around the ice as she tried to hit Miraidon with an Ice Punch.

"Yeah, that might work," he decided. "Miraidon – over to the side of that ice island nearest Cynthia – then Extremespeed along it and up into the air! Glide Mode at the top!"

Cynthia nodded to herself, slightly, then Miraidon went through a wide swinging turn. Their tail glowed as they powered up, then used Extremespeed, and the particularly sharp tip of the slope on that side of the island sent them almost straight up.

"Ice Punch," Candice ordered, then immediately overrode herself. "No – not now, when they come down."

Medicham readied her stance, both fists glowing light blue, and Ash frowned.

He was pretty sure about this…

"Thunderbolt, straight down!" he said. "Then roll over and magnetize yourself to the roof!"

Miraidon fired down a bolt of lightning, which hit near Medicham but not close enough to do her any damage, and a moment later their wheels went clang as they reached the ceiling and stuck there.

"What are they up to?" Candice said, confused.

"Miraidon!" Ash said. "Extremespeed – straight down!"

Miraidon transformed back to their combat form and used the ceiling as a push-off point, electrical recoil crackling in all directions as jets and repulsion and gravity all combined to give them a huge burst of speed. They went crash straight into the ground – and through the ice, into the water that was still present under the icy surface.

The surface that Medicham hadn't been standing on, because it wasn't thick enough.

Maybe Medicham hadn't even been thinking about it. She was so used to training and battling in an Ice-type Gym – but Ash had remembered all the Scald water that Swampert had used earlier, and it was still down there. Now Miraidon's attack doused both Pokémon – and some of the spectators – in freezing water, and Ash struck the ground sharply with a hoof.

"Discharge!" he called, and Miraidon obliged.

Medicham couldn't block that with a Thunderpunch.

"Well," Candice said, once she and the other humans were wrapped in warm fluffy towels.

So was Miraidon, for that matter.

"That was quite a battle, Ash!" the Gym Leader went on, and held out a blue Gym Badge. "This is the Icicle Badge, and you've definitely earned it!"

Ash reached out for it, and as he did Zoey looked confused.

"Why is everyone so expectant?" she asked.

Then Ash's gems turned pure white, and his ring a pale, silvery blue, and he nodded along with what he was hearing.

"Two beings of time and space set free from the Original One," he said. "I guess that must be about Dialga and Palkia?"

Pikachu tapped away at the Pokédex, and Cynthia nodded.

"That seems likely," she said. "I think… well, I don't think it's directly linked to the Ice-type per se, unlike how the Rising Badge one talks about the Creation Trio who are obviously Dragon-type."

"But the Mind Badge one doesn't talk about the Lake Trio," Dawn pointed out.

Zoey looked perplexed.

"This isn't something I should understand, right?" she checked.

"Probably not," Dawn admitted.

AN:

I try to make the gym battles involve tactics and thought. Hope that comes across.

If you're wondering, my current main project is Golden-Eyed Heir to Myth over on AO3.