Pokémon Gray

by Carlos Shiny

Pokémon Gray. What if Ash had never traveled to Unova before now? Ash, now eighteen and strongest trainer in the world, wants to take an important step in his journey to become a Pokémon Master. It's not about participating in another Pokémon League Tournament or defeating other champions, but doing something new and completely different.

9. A Hard-Earned Badge

And after the chapter written by my collaborator, for which I merely ensured the quality by guiding him step by step, I take the reins of the story again for this ninth chapter.

Anita, by a fortunate coincidence, had the opportunity to meet her grandparents, to interact with them and learn their story, drawing inspiration for herself and her Pokémon.

A Hard-Earned Badge

The next day, the four of them got up early. They headed towards the breakfast room. As usual, they opted for a sweet breakfast. They were still in their pajamas and looked as if their heads were still on their pillows. «Good morning!» they greeted each other. «I hope you had a good night.» added Ash shortly after.

The other three just nodded. «When do you plan to challenge the gym?» Carlos pressed Anita, who was drinking her cappuccino. The drink almost went down the wrong way. After finishing her drink, the girl answered her friend's question. «I'm not sure. Yesterday I was out all day and we didn't train. I'd like to practice a bit more before facing the gym.» Ash smiled at her. «No problem. I'm at your complete disposal. If I remember correctly, the Gym Leader specializes in Normal-type Pokémon. Normal-type Pokémon are very strong because they're unpredictable. They can use many different types of moves. Think about your Herdier, who knows Ground, Fire, and Dark-type moves. And many Normal-type Pokémon also have another type, like Flying.»

The girl couldn't even process her friend's words before he changed the subject. «You know me, I'm not a fan of theory. As soon as we're ready, we'll start our training.» There was a certain enthusiasm in Ash's words. «I wonder which Pokémon you'll use this time. Servine and Sandile must be tired!» Carlos responded. Ash glared at him. «I already have some ideas. They deserve a bit of rest. They worked hard yesterday.» Anita, on the other hand, seemed quite curious. Knowing the Gym specialized in Normal-types, the boy would probably have her face Pokémon of that type. She just wondered which ones.

After forty-five minutes, all four were ready. Serena didn't have any Varieties scheduled. Following the Team Plasma attack, the government had passed an emergency measure with immediate effect. All tournaments and Varieties were suspended until further notice. For gym battles, however, the number of people who could watch live was simply limited.

Ash had finally picked up the Pokémon he would use for that training session. They were Pokémon that hadn't battled in a while, so the training would benefit them too.

After retrieving the Pokémon, Ash rejoined his friends, who were sitting on one of the benches next to the battle field. «Sorry for the delay, but Professor Oak had his phone on silent.» the boy apologized to his friends. «But now we can begin.» Anita got up from the bench and moved to one end of the battle field, Ash positioned himself at the opposite end. «Remember, the most important thing is to learn how to face such unpredictable Pokémon.» The girl simply nodded. «When you challenge a Gym Leader and have one badge, they will challenge you in a single battle with three Pokémon.» Carlos explained. «This applies to the third badge too. Once you have three badges, the number of Pokémon to use or the type of battle is at the Gym Leader's discretion.» he added shortly after. «Now let's focus on this training.» Ash interrupted his friend's explanation.

He took a Poké Ball from his pouch and sent out the Pokémon with which he would start the training. One of his thirty Tauros. It was a quadruped Pokémon, resembling a bull. Its short fur was beige, except for the thick mane, which was a dark gray-brown, mainly around the neck. The hooves and tufts of fur at the ends of its three tails were the same color as the mane. On its head, it had two curved, sharp horns: between them and between the eyes were three semicircular, silver-gray protrusions.

«A Kanto Tauros?» Carlos asked rhetorically. «Until now, I had only seen Tauros from Paldea when we visited our grandparents in Paldea.» Anita, on the other hand, had never seen a Tauros in her life, whether from Kanto or Paldea, so she decided to scan the Pokémon with her Smart Rotom's Pokédex function. «Tauros, Wild Bull Pokémon. Kanto Form. Normal Type. Tauros is exclusively male. They fight each other by locking horns. The herd leader is proud of the battle scars on its horns. Known moves: Zen Headbutt, Horn Attack, High Horsepower, Smart Horn.»

The girl took one of her Poké Balls from her bag. «It looks like a pretty threatening Pokémon.» she commented softly. «In that case… Herdier! Are you ready to train?» The girl sent out her Loyalty Pokémon. The latter seemed quite intimidated by the Wild Bull Pokémon, who elicited a similar reaction from its opponent. «They both have the Intimidate ability. Their attacks weaken each other.» Carlos commented. «If you're ready, we can start.» Ash called out. «Feel free to make the first move.» he invited shortly after. «Herdier, are you ready?» The Pokémon responded with a brief growl. «Then we can begin! Herdier, use Tackle!» The Pokémon immediately started running at high speed towards the opponent. Tauros remained still, waiting for instructions. The Loyalty Pokémon was closing in on the bull at great speed. «Quick, dodge!» Ash ordered. The bull quickly dashed aside, preventing the opponent from hitting him. «Now Zen Headbutt!» The Wild Bull Pokémon lowered its head and charged at the Loyalty Pokémon, hitting her with his head and sending her flying.

«Herdier!» The girl seemed extremely worried, but the Pokémon immediately got back on her feet. «Tauros, use Smart Horn!» The Wild Bull Pokémon started running towards its opponent, while its horns extended and glowed. They almost seemed to be made of metal. «Herdier! Try to avoid it!» Anita ordered. The Pokémon understood her trainer's intentions and quickly began digging a hole in the ground. A perfect way to avoid such an attack.

«Be ready, it could emerge from anywhere.» Ash warned his Pokémon. Additionally, it wasn't easy for Tauros to sense the vibrations in the ground with his hooves. The Loyalty Pokémon, on the other hand, could perfectly sense the position of her opponent. She just had to wait for the right moment. Suddenly, the Pokémon popped out of the ground, right in front of Tauros. «High Horsepower!» The body of the Wild Bull Pokémon glowed orange as he rose on his hind legs, striking the opponent violently with his front legs and sending her flying to the other side of the field.

«I'd say that's enough training for Herdier. She's improved a lot. And I think it's time for Tauros to rest a bit too.» Ash and his friend called back their Pokémon into their Poké Balls almost simultaneously.

«Next up!» Ash urged his friend, caught up in the rhythm of the battle.

Anita was taken aback by her friend's demeanor. Was Ash finally starting to take things seriously? «Snorlax, come on out!» Ash sent out a large Pokémon, blue in color, whose body was almost entirely composed of his cream-colored belly. His head was quite large and topped with two triangular ears, while two sharp teeth protruded from his wide mouth. His feet were rather large and had three claws. His arms, however, were quite short.

As soon as he emerged from the Poké Ball, the large Pokémon looked around with a bewildered expression. The place seemed familiar, yet different.

«Don't worry, after the battle, you can eat whatever you want.» Ash reassured him.

Anita, on the other hand, sent out her Oshawott, who did not seem intimidated by the size of his opponent, contrary to his Trainer. «Don't worry! He's big and heavy, but he's a softie!» Ash reassured her. The girl pretended not to be worried while scanning the large Pokémon with her Smart Rotom. «Snorlax, the Sleeping Pokémon. Normal type. Male. A typical day for Snorlax involves nothing more than eating and sleeping. It is such a docile Pokémon that children use its huge belly as a playground. Known moves: Body Slam, Ice Punch, Heavy Slam, Earthquake.» The girl put her device back in her bag.

«You can start!» Ash invited her. The girl did not need to be told twice. «Oshawott, are you ready? Use Aqua Jet!» The Sea Otter Pokémon covered his body with a thin layer of water before leaping and heading towards the bulky opponent. Ash remained silent. It was his usual wait-and-see technique. Wait until the last moment before ordering an attack and take advantage of the element of surprise.

This time, however, things went differently. Ash remained silent. And the Sea Otter Pokémon hit Snorlax right in the belly. The enormous layer of fat compressed like a spring. A fraction of a second later, the Sea Otter Pokémon was sent flying back to the other side of the field without causing any damage to his opponent. Carlos, seeing the scene, couldn't hold back his laughter.

«Let's try again, Oshawott, Aqua Jet!» The Sea Otter Pokémon covered his body with a thin layer of water before leaping and heading towards the bulky opponent, only to achieve the same result as before.

"Maybe hitting him with direct attacks doesn't work," Anita thought. «Let's try Water Gun!» she ordered. The Sea Otter Pokémon generated a powerful jet of water from his mouth, finally hitting the opponent. As soon as the Sea Otter finished his attack, Snorlax simply shook the water off his fur.

«Now it's our turn! Snorlax, use Heavy Slam!» Ash ordered. The Sleeping Pokémon began to walk. With each step, the ground trembled due to the heavy Pokémon's steps.

With his non-excellent rhythm, the large Pokémon was about to reach his opponent. Anita began to panic.

What should she do? Meanwhile, Snorlax had dangerously approached the Sea Otter Pokémon.

«Try to dodge!» the girl ordered. The Sea Otter Pokémon now seemed truly afraid of his opponent, who was about to launch himself headfirst at him.

Everything happened in an instant. The large Pokémon leaped high, diving belly-first at his opponent. BAM! A loud noise was heard, accompanied by a violent ground shake, almost like an earthquake.

«Oshawott! NO!» The girl seemed desperate. «Oshahahaha!» The Sea Otter Pokémon began to laugh. Anita turned quickly. The Pokémon was behind her. «Hey! But... then Snorlax?» The bulky Pokémon stood up. The impact with the ground had created a large hole. Under the enormous Pokémon, there was only a small puddle of water. «Huh?» Ash also seemed surprised, at least initially. Moments later, the boy had a realization. «Of course! Oshawott must have learned Substitute.»

«Substitute?» Anita asked, quite curious. «It's a move that allows a Pokémon to get out of a tough situation, although it tires them out a bit. Rowlet learned it… though in his own way.» Ash explained. Anita seemed even more interested in the expert Trainer's words. «So you learned Substitute to avoid being attacked by Snorlax?» The girl addressed her Pokémon. «Sha! Sha!» replied the Pokémon proudly.

«I think that's enough for these two. Snorlax is probably already demanding his food, and Oshawott must be tired from the battle.» added Ash shortly after. He barely finished speaking when the Sleeping Pokémon immediately began to demand his food. Fortunately, now that he was the World Champion, he had a significant income, and paying for the abundant meals his Pokémon required was not a problem.

Ash contacted a nearby restaurant. He ordered a gargantuan amount of food and asked for it to be delivered to the Pokémon Center. After solving the food issue, the training could resume.

«If I'm not mistaken, you still have one more Pokémon. Are you ready?» Anita was a bit caught off guard. At that moment, she was thinking about how to use the new move her Pokémon had learned.

«Yes... I'm ready.» the girl replied, back to reality. «Come out, Vivillon!» The girl sent out her Pokémon. Ash, on the other hand, sent out his Noctowl, a Pokémon resembling an owl. Its plumage was light green, decorated with a dark brown triangular pattern on its chest. The entire back of its body was a color between orange and brown. Its eyes were red with black rings around them, adorned with a second cream-colored ring around the first. Above its eyes were feather "horns" of the same cream color, resembling large eyebrows. Its beak was quite small, and its claws were pinkish. Its feet had three toes. Two were facing forward, and one backward.

Anita scanned it with the Pokédex function on her Smart Rotom. «Noctowl, the Owl Pokémon. Normal and Flying type. Male. This Noctowl is a shiny specimen. Noctowl never misses capturing prey in the dark. Its accuracy comes from its sharp eyesight, which allows it to see even in the faintest light, and its soft, silent wings. Known moves: Air Slash, Extrasensory, Heat Wave, Shadow Ball.» The girl put the device back in her bag.

«If you're ready, we can start. You can make the first move.» Ash invited. The two Pokémon were flying in front of each other, waiting for orders. "Stay calm, you've faced a battle like this before!" the girl thought.

«Vivillon, are you ready? Use Air Slash!» Thin blades of air generated from the Scale Pokémon's wings, moving rapidly and creating a sort of whistling sound. «Noctowl! Use Air Slash too!» Ash ordered. The two blades of air collided in the center of the field, generating an explosion. Neither Pokémon seemed to be affected.

«Let's try this! Use Swift!» Anita ordered. The Scale Pokémon generated beams of energy resembling golden stars. «Defend with Extrasensory!» Ash ordered. The Owl Pokémon generated a beam of golden energy from his forehead that first hit the stars, making them explode, and then hit the Scale Pokémon, causing her to lose some altitude.

«Vivillon! Try to react! Use Energy Ball!» The Pokémon generated a dark green energy ball, resembling an eye. «Shadow Ball!» Ash ordered. The Owl Pokémon created a wave of purplish energy that quickly reached the opponent, enveloping her in a vortex of darkness. The Owl had to move slightly to avoid the opponent's attack.

«I think that's enough. You did a great job. I believe you're ready for the Gym battle.» Ash complimented. «As for us... I think it's almost lunchtime...» he added shortly after, touching his stomach. Carlos immediately got to work. As in the previous days, he had access to the entire Pokémon Center kitchen. The boy had made a small deal with Nurse Joy. He could use the kitchen as long as he cooked for the other guests as well.

If last time the boy had prepared hamburgers, this time he would try something more special. For the first course, he would prepare rice with artichokes, and for the second, some slices of meat. The kitchen was quite large, although compared to the kitchen of the Levantopoli gym, it seemed like a closet. The floor was made of white tiles. The walls were also covered with white tiles. A metal door led to the refrigerator and freezer area, which the boy didn't care about. He already had everything he needed. The room also contained several shelves, ovens, stoves, pots, and pans of various types. Some containers held aromatic herbs and spices.

Carlos looked around. Now that he knew where all the ingredients were, he just needed to get to work. And, since he already knew Ash, he knew he would have to hurry. The boy started washing a bunch of artichokes, being careful not to prick himself, then began cutting and cleaning them, quickly throwing them into a salad bowl with water and lemon to prevent them from turning black. Meanwhile, he started preparing the sauté. Shortly after, he began cooking the artichokes, drizzling them with vegetable broth. After several minutes, he started preparing the rice itself. When the rice was about halfway cooked, he combined the two preparations, not before flavoring the rice with saffron.

As soon as the rice was ready, the boy began cooking the slices of meat, a rather quick operation. His main concern was keeping them warm after cooking. Once the meat was ready, the boy left the kitchen. He had a rather satisfied expression. Evidently, he was pleased with his work. Now all that was left was to serve.

«This time you really outdid yourself!» commented Ash after asking (and getting) seconds of both dishes. Even the Pokémon were incredibly satisfied with the meal.

In Ash's mind, after lunch and after overcoming the post-meal drowsiness, there would be room for another training session, if not with Anita, whose Pokémon needed to rest for the Gym battle against Lenora, then at least with Carlos. After all, he wanted to become stronger, didn't he? However, Ash's plans clashed with harsh reality.

At the entrance of the Pokémon Center, two people appeared, a man and a woman. Both in their thirties. The man, about five feet nine inches tall, had dark brown hair, shoulder-length, and slightly wavy. His beard was not too long but not shaved either. The beard's cut made his face look more squared than it actually was. His eyes were dark brown. He wore a hoodie from a famous sportswear brand and ripped jeans. On his feet were rather elegant leather shoes that clashed with the rest of his clothes. He was carrying a large camera with an integrated microphone.

The woman was less than five feet three inches tall, with long red hair and green eyes. She wore light, elegant makeup. Like her colleague, she also dressed quite sporty. Upon entering the Pokémon Center, they greeted the Nurse, who was busy arranging some Poké Balls. «Hello.» they greeted her. «Good afternoon to you.» she replied. «Would you like me to take care of your Pokémon?» she asked. «Our Pokémon are fine. Maybe a check-up wouldn't hurt, but... we didn't come here for that.» the man replied. «Exactly.» the woman added. «We are journalists. We discovered that four of the six Trainers who made it to the podium in the Double Battle Tournament are guests at this Pokémon Center.» The colleague completed the sentence: «Since Team Plasma attacked before we could interview them, and the entire building was evacuated, we couldn't interview them... and the public demands it.» The Nurse was quite taken aback by those words. She had followed the tournament as much as her work allowed. She had seen with her own eyes the Grunts of Team Plasma attack and threaten the audience. «Normally, I wouldn't disclose the names of the guests residing in this Pokémon Center, but in this case, I'll make an exception. I believe they are in the dining room right now.» she replied.

She almost didn't have time to finish the sentence before Ash and his friends came out of the room. «I'd say after a meal like that, a battle is just what we need. What do you think?» Ash turned to Pikachu. The Mouse Pokémon seemed extremely enthusiastic about the proposal.

«Oh! There you are! We've been waiting for you.» the journalist greeted them as soon as she noticed their presence. The four seemed to ignore her presence. Feeling ignored, the woman got up from the sofa where she had been sitting and approached the four, almost cutting them off: «You are four of the six Trainers who made it to the podium at the tournament the other day. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?» The four were taken by surprise. They exchanged quick, puzzled looks. Anita didn't seem very convinced. She was already thinking about how many of the questions she would receive would be Ash-centric. However, the girl soon realized she was in the minority. Ash, Carlos, and Serena seemed quite happy with the opportunity. «Yes. We accept your proposal.» Ash replied, breaking the silence.

The journalist led the four to the sofa where she had been sitting earlier. The four sat on the sofa opposite. The journalist nudged her colleague to let him know it was time to do his job. The man sighed slightly before turning on his camera.

«Hello, everyone. My name is Tamya, and I'm a journalist for the Unova 1 news program. As I mentioned earlier, I'd like to ask you some questions about the Tournament and maybe a few other things for the fans.» The woman introduced the interview. «We have with us four of the six Trainers who made it to the podium of the Double Battle Tournament in Nimbasa City.» The woman took a note from her pocket with some notes written on it. «World Champion Ash Ketchum, Trainer Anita White, Performer Serena Gabena, and Trainer Carlos Martin. Anita and Ash took first place, Carlos and his partner, who is not with us at the moment, took second place, while Serena and her partner, also not here, took third place.» The four simply nodded.

«Let's start with you, Ash. You are the World Champion. What drove you to participate in a tournament like this?» The boy, as always, repeated the same spiel. «My dream is to become a Pokémon Master. I realized that to do that, I need to help someone else achieve their goal.» the boy replied. «And so you came here to Unova for this? If I'm not mistaken, you come from the Kanto region. It's quite far from here. What made you take such a long journey?» Ash took a deep breath. «To reach your goals, you shouldn't think about these things. Anyway, if I'm here, it's thanks to Professor Oak. He put me in touch with a colleague of his, Professor Juniper, who in turn introduced me to Anita. The rest is history.» The woman seemed interested in those words. «I see. But this doesn't explain why you decided to participate in the tournament as well, especially with unevolved Pokémon...» Ash shook his head: «I decided to participate precisely to allow Snivy and Sandile to show what they are capable of. Snivy even evolved. If I had participated with other Pokémon, it wouldn't have been fun.» «Fun?» The journalist seemed surprised. «Battles are also about fun. If you don't have fun while battling, you shouldn't be a Trainer.» The journalist still didn't understand: «How does this explain why you decided to fight with Pokémon you just caught?» Ash took a deep breath. «A Trainer's job is to allow their Pokémon to give their best. I know what my Pokémon are capable of. I wanted to give them the chance to show what they can do, and I am very satisfied with their work.» The journalist asked the boy another question: «Many people thought you fought with newly caught Pokémon for what in racing is called Performance Balancing. In other words... the stronger one is handicapped or weakened to be on par with rivals. What do you think of these rumors?» Ash couldn't believe those words.

«As I said before, I only did what a Trainer should do: allow their Pokémon to show what they are capable of. No one forced me to have Sandile or Snivy battle.» At this point, the journalist turned to Anita: «In the tournament, the pairs of Trainers were randomly matched. You had Ash as a partner. Do you think this affected the outcome of the tournament, or did Ash battling with Pokémon with little experience have less impact?» The girl's fears were realized. The first question was already about Ash. She tried to stay calm. Her friends were beside her. Nothing bad could happen to her: «Ash is the World Champion. He has a lot of experience and he showed it. Battling alongside such a strong Trainer is an honor.» «So, it's better to have him as an ally than as an opponent.» commented the journalist. «By the way, it seems you are a novice Trainer. It looks like you've only won one badge so far. Do you think this tournament could help in your future Gym battles?» «I believe so. We faced several opponents, and everyone wanted to win. Each battled differently and...» The journalist interrupted her. «Got it. Let's move on to the second-place finishers, or rather, the second-place finisher. Your partner isn't here with you, but no matter. Unlike other pairs of Trainers, you two seemed quite out of sync. It looked like Ivan wanted to do everything by himself.» «Exactly. It's quite frustrating to battle with someone like that. In a way, I'm glad we didn't win. I hope he learned a lesson from it.» Carlos responded, leaving the journalist rather perplexed. «Learned a lesson?» «Exactly. Someone so arrogant didn't deserve to win. He wanted to do everything himself, and he told me several times not to get in his way.» The journalist didn't seem very interested in those issues. She then turned to Serena. «And now it's your turn, Serena. Like Carlos, we can't count on the Trainer who fought by your side. But no matter. You are a Performer and a coordinator. What made you participate in a battle tournament?» she asked. «I am a Performer, but I recognize that battles have their own appeal. So I wanted to give it a try.» The journalist immediately moved on to the next question. «We saw that your Lilligant was scared when it entered the field, and this caused your defeat. Can you tell us what happened?» «Lilligant was a victim of poachers. They hurt her. That's why she has trouble trusting people.» Explained the Kalos native.

«Moving on... The awards ceremony was interrupted by Team Plasma. I imagine you've heard of them. They fight to free Pokémon from their Trainers. They attacked during the awards ceremony. They probably aimed to take you as hostages...» «Fortunately, we managed to escape. But they did manage to capture the girl who was handing out the prizes.» replied Ash. The boy pretended not to know that the girl was an undercover Agent. «She told us to run, and they took her. I just hope she's okay.» he added shortly after. «From what I know, they haven't asked for ransoms or anything like that yet.» An eerie silence fell over the room. «Last question. For everyone. I imagine you know. After the Team Plasma attack, the Government immediately acted, suspending tournaments and Showcases until further notice and limiting the number of attendees for Gym battles. Do you think this is the right choice, or are these exaggerated measures?» Ash was the first to respond: «No. They did not exaggerate. The other day could have gone much worse. Team Plasma is very dangerous. And my friends and I will always be the first to oppose them, to end this story as soon as possible.» Shortly after, Serena added, «As much as I love performing in Showcases, the audience's safety comes first. I don't think I could give my best, with the anxiety that what happened at the tournament could happen again.» Anita and Carlos agreed. The audience's safety came before anything else.

The next day had finally arrived for Anita's second Gym battle, where the girl would face Gym Leader Lenora. The match was scheduled for half past nine in the morning. The four got up relatively early so they could reach the Gym without having to rush. Compared to the first time, the girl appeared calmer, the good result at the double battle tournament had given her a decent dose of confidence. After having their usual sweet breakfast, the four set off towards the city's Gym. As soon as they crossed the threshold of the Pokémon Center, Serena opened the maps application on her Smart Rotom. «Here it is, luckily it's not very far.» The girl showed her friends the path from the Pokémon Center to the Gym.

The Gym was an imposing building made of bricks. Several columns supported a large patio. A wide door provided access to the interior of the building. Nothing suggested that the building was a Gym. It looked more like a museum or something similar. Before the four could cross the building's threshold, a tall and thin boy with long light green hair, wearing a black cap, a white shirt, light brown pants, and green shoes, approached them. Around his neck hung a pendant that resembled a planet. He also wore bracelets, and attached to his pants was a sort of Rubik's cube. Close to him, a Pidove was flying, while a second Pokémon had just hidden behind his legs.

«N?» Anita and Carlos gasped. «Do you know him?» Ash seemed quite surprised. «Oh! Yes, I remember you two. I battled you.» N pointed at Anita. «Even though you didn't tell me your name.» He then pointed at the boy. «I believe your name is Carlos. We chatted a while ago.» Carlos nodded with a slight smile. He remembered their conversation, but especially that N had refused his invitation to have lunch with them. Ash finally had the chance to introduce himself: «I'm Ash, and this is my friend Pikachu.» The boy pointed at the Mouse Pokémon perched on his shoulder. The boy extended his hand to N, who shook it. «Nice to meet you. I had already heard about you. You are one of the strongest Trainers in the world. I never thought I would meet you in person. I'd like to chat with you, but unfortunately, I don't have much time.» A few moments later, Serena also introduced herself. «Nice to meet you. I'm Serena, and I'm a Pokémon Performer and Coordinator.» «Fascinating.» replied the boy. «As for you...» N addressed Anita. «As for you… I still don't know your name, but… it's not important. We'll have the chance to discover it later. What interests me is something else. I really want to see what escapes others' eyes. The truth about Pokémon in Poké Balls, the ideals of a Trainer... and a future where Pokémon can be truly free... You want that too, don't you?» The four were rather puzzled by the boy's words. «It doesn't matter. Whatever you think, my friends and I want to test the strength of your desires!» The four took a few steps back, moving away from the building's entrance, stopping in the square in front. The boy had Pidove battle first. «If you want, I can act as a referee for this battle.» Carlos offered. «There's no need.» N replied. «I can perfectly understand when a Pokémon is about to reach its limit.» Carlos simply nodded. Meanwhile, Anita had sent out her Oshawott. «I'd say we can start. You take the first move.»

«Oshawott! Use Aqua Jet!» ordered Anita. The Sea Otter Pokémon covered its body with a thin layer of water before jumping and heading towards the opponent. The two Pokémon clashed in mid-air, pushing against each other. It seemed like both Pokémon were trying hard to overpower each other. The two Pokémon would have continued pushing against each other for who knows how long. «Let's try to get out of this! Use Substitute!» The Sea Otter Pokémon created a copy of itself, made as if it were a water bubble. «And now, hit it with Razor Shell!» The Sea Otter Pokémon used the remaining propulsion from Aqua Jet to rise higher than its opponent. The Sea Otter drew its scalchop and wielded it like a sword. The shell extended like a blade and glowed blue. Oshawott struck its opponent, still attacking the Substitute from behind, causing it to fall. «And now Water Gun!» The Pigeon Pokémon was hit by a powerful jet of water from the Sea Otter Pokémon's mouth. «I feel you can still continue! Respond with Gust!» The Pigeon Pokémon rose back into flight while its opponent tried to land gently. Meanwhile, from its wings, the Pigeon had generated a giant air current, ready to hit its opponent.

«Try to dodge!» ordered the girl, with the Sea Otter Pokémon quickly veering to avoid being hit. The whirlwind disappeared just as it had formed. "We need to try something different!" thought the girl. «Oshawott! Use Aqua Jet again!» The Sea Otter Pokémon covered its body with a thin layer of water before jumping and heading towards the opponent, like a wild projectile. «And now use Razor Shell!» The Sea Otter Pokémon drew its scalchop and wielded it like a sword. It struck the opponent with a swift blow, causing it to fall again, no longer able to battle. «Pidove!» The Pigeon Pokémon was immediately tended to by the boy. «You fought well. I can't stand to see you suffer more than necessary.» A few moments later, the boy turned to Anita. «You should change Pokémon too. Your Oshawott has given a lot.» Anita didn't feel like arguing. «Oshawott… return!» The girl took her second Poké Ball.

Soon, another Pokémon appeared in front of N. The boy smiled at it. «Timburr! Let's show what we believe in!» In front of the girl appeared a bipedal Pokémon, whose body was mostly gray. At the back of its head, it had a sort of ponytail, while at the front, it had a kind of protrusion. Its eyes were elongated, its nose was round and brown. It had a small, thin mouth. On the sides of its head, it had two raised pink marks, forming a sort of Y. There were two other raised pink marks between its arms and shoulders, surrounding the part of the arm attached to the shoulder. Two more pink marks, shaped like lines, were on its thighs. In its left hand, it held a large log. Anita scanned the strange Pokémon with her Smart Rotom. «Timburr, the Muscular Pokémon. Fighting type. Male specimen. It always carries a wooden plank and helps with construction work. As it grows, it chooses a larger plank. Known moves: Rock Throw, Rock Smash, Drain Punch.»

The girl, without thinking twice, sent out her Vivillon. «If you don't mind, we'll start this time.» N intervened. «Timburr! Use Rock Throw!» The Fighting-type Pokémon generated several small rocks and began hurling them at its opponent. «Destroy them with Energy Ball!» ordered the girl. The Pokémon generated several green energy spheres. The center of each sphere was slightly darker, almost like the pupil of an eye.

Each energy sphere hit the rocks with great precision, nullifying the opponent's attack. One last sphere remained suspended in the air, ready to strike the Muscular Pokémon. «Defend with your log!» ordered N. The Pokémon blocked the energy sphere with its thick wooden beam.

«Let's try again! Use Air Slash!» ordered the girl. A thin blade of air was generated from the wings of the Scale Pokémon, quickly reaching the opponent, who, as before, was using its wooden beam to protect itself. This time, however, the Pokémon was not so lucky. The air blade broke the wooden beam in two, surprising both Timburr and N. «Timburr! Use Rock Smash!» ordered the boy.

One of the Pokémon's arms lit up with a reddish light as it quickly approached its opponent, who, at least for now, remained still, waiting for orders.

«Use Psychic!» ordered the girl. The Scale Pokémon's body was enveloped in a blue aura as it concentrated its psychic powers on its opponent.

Timburr was lifted into the air and thrown in various directions. Soon, it was hit by pieces of its own log. Shortly after, the Scale Pokémon hurled its opponent to the ground. Timburr was also no longer able to continue. «I think that's enough.» N declared the end of the battle. «My friends and I still lack the strength necessary to save all Pokémon. Changing the world requires an effort we are not yet capable of.» With these words, the boy walked away. «He's really a strange guy.» Carlos commented. «I wonder what he means by "changing the world."» He added shortly after. «Take these.» Serena took some purple sprays from her bag. «Your Pokémon have fought hard; it's better to heal their wounds with these.» Anita released her Oshawott from its Poké Ball and sprayed the potion on it. The Pokémon clenched its teeth; the potion stung a bit.

Finally, the four could enter the Gym. The entrance was a large room with a floor made of thick blue marble slabs.

On the sides of the room, numerous iron armors were on display. Each held lances or shields. «These things make me uneasy.» Carlos seemed scared by the steel knights. «If you want, Gengar and I can give you a good reason to be scared.» Ash teased him. A few moments later, a creak startled the four. «Now you're scared too!» Carlos teased him back. Once they calmed down, the four observed the various armors. «They seem really old...» Serena observed. «You're not wrong. They are over five hundred years old.» A female voice startled the four again. «Sorry if I scared you. I didn't think young people would be interested in such artifacts.» The four turned around abruptly. In front of them stood a tall, robust woman. She had very dark skin. Her hair was green and curly, kept in check by a headband with red and orange stripes, and her eyes were light blue. She wore a white shirt. She had green bell-bottom pants held up by a light brown belt. On her feet were low red shoes. «Enough chit-chat. I guess I have to face one of you in a Pokémon battle.» The woman looked at the girls. «Battles can last quite a while, and we can't waste time. After this battle, I have to guide visitors to the museum. You can join us if you want.» She added shortly after. Simultaneously, she made a small gesture with her hand, inviting them to follow her. «So, the World Champion honors us with his presence. We really hope the battle will be to your liking.» The Gym Leader joked. «Oh! It surely will be! Anita and her Pokémon are doing a great job. It will definitely be a great battle, won't it?» Anita was caught off guard by those words. «I hope so.» She replied half-heartedly. The Gym Leader led the four to the battlefield. It was a simple dirt field. As tradition, on the long sides of the field were bleachers for guests to watch the battle, although, due to restrictions, the number of people who could attend the match was limited.

As in the Striaton Gym, the refereeing system was managed by an electronic system, with a central computer and several cameras that allowed the system to determine the status of the Pokémon on the field.

«So you are Anita...» The Gym Leader began entering the battle data into the electronic refereeing system. «I understand this is your second Gym battle. Is that correct?» She asked. «Yes...» The girl replied. «Since this is your second Gym battle, it will be a three-on-three match. Do you have three Pokémon?» Another question. «Yes...» «I can tell you're very tense about this battle. Don't be afraid. It will go as it goes.» The Gym Leader tried to reassure her.

As soon as the woman finished programming the device, she positioned herself on one side of the field. «As soon as you position yourself on your side of the field, we can start the battle.» Anita obeyed, positioning herself opposite the Gym Leader. Ash, Serena, and Carlos took seats in the bleachers. «The Gym battle between Gym Leader Lenora and Challenger Anita is about to begin! It will be a three-on-three match. The winner is the one who makes the opponent's Pokémon unable to battle! Also, only the Challenger is allowed to substitute her Pokémon. You may send out your Pokémon!» Declared the electronic referee. «It's your turn!» Anita decided to start her battle with her Oshawott. «So you've decided to start with your first Pokémon? Then this means I will battle with the last Pokémon I caught. Come out, Deerling!» From the Gym Leader's Poké Ball emerged a Pokémon just over half a meter tall, resembling a fawn or a deer. The upper part of its body was pink, marked with yellow designs, while the lower part of its body was light beige. On its head was a tuft of yellow flowers, the same color as its elongated ears. The tips of its limbs and its small tail were pink. Anita scanned the Pokémon with her Smart Rotom: «Deerling: the Season Pokémon. Normal and Grass type. Female specimen. Spring Form. With the change of season, its fur and smell change. It is a Pokémon that announces the passing of seasons. Known moves: Seed Bomb, Double Team, Double Kick.» The girl put her device back in her bag.

«The battle can begin, the first move goes to the challenger!» Declared the electronic referee. "Deerling is also a Grass type, it could be a problem for Oshawott... unless..."

«Let's try! Oshawott! Use Fury Cutter!» The Otter Pokémon brandished its Scalchop. It quickly lit up with an orange light, transforming into a sort of sword. Trying to run as fast as its small legs allowed. «Deerling, attack with Seed Bomb! Repeatedly!» The Season Pokémon generated a large seed from its mouth, elongated in shape. It was yellowish and covered in a green aura.

«Try to defend yourself!» Ordered the girl.

It didn't seem like he had a particular plan in mind. The otter Pokémon obeyed and focused on the incoming seed. It quickly moved its arm, disintegrating the seed. The resulting explosion pushed Oshawott back several meters. Fortunately, the otter Pokémon was still holding its scalchop.

«Deerling! Use Double Team!» The Pokémon began to run at great speed, while its body was enveloped in a light green aura. The sound of hooves was the only audible noise at that moment.

«Dodge!» Anita ordered, hoping she was still in time. Unfortunately for her, the Season Pokémon was too fast. Oshawott was thrown into the air, flying several meters before falling back to the ground, with the scalchop landing about a meter away from him. «Oshawott! Return!» The girl took the otter Pokémon's Poké Ball and called it back inside. The Pokémon transformed into a simple red light as it was absorbed into the red and white sphere. «Vivillon! It's your turn!» The girl sent out the Scale Pokémon, which positioned itself on her side of the field, waiting for orders. «Since the Challenger has substituted her Pokémon, the first move goes to the Gym Leader!» declared the electronic referee. «Deerling! Use Double Team again!» ordered the Gym Leader. The Pokémon started to run at great speed, its body enveloped in a light green aura. «Fly as high as you can!» ordered the girl.

«Clever of you!» commented the Gym Leader. «Deerling! Launch with Double Kick!» The Season Pokémon stopped abruptly, contracting the muscles in its hind legs and pushing off the ground. «Use Double Team again!» ordered again. «As you can see, Deerling and I have developed a technique to counter flying Pokémon like Vivillon!» Anita smiled slightly. «Air Slash!» From the wings of the Scale Pokémon, a thin blade of energy, blue in color, sliced through the air with a strong gust. Deerling was hit squarely and thrown to the ground with a loud thud. Despite the hard hit, the Pokémon was still standing. «Deerling! Launch Seed Bomb!» ordered the Gym Leader. The Season Pokémon generated a large seed from its mouth, yellowish in color and covered in a green aura. From the stands, Carlos couldn't help but comment, «Vivillon is a Bug and Flying type Pokémon, Grass-type moves aren't effective against them.» Ash motioned for his friend to be quiet. «In my experience, it's a trap. Anita needs to be careful.» Almost as if she had heard him, the girl decided on a different move than she had planned: «Use Swift!» The Scale Pokémon generated star-shaped energy beams, yellow in color. These in turn generated thick energy beams. One of them hit the seed, causing it to explode, while the other energy beams hit the Season Pokémon, foiling the Gym Leader's strategy. «Deerling is unable to battle. Vivillon wins!» declared the electronic referee. «Well done, you defeated one of my Pokémon, but you still have two to go. The battle isn't over!» The Gym Leader recalled the Season Pokémon into its Poké Ball. «Herdier! It's your turn!» The woman sent out a Loyalty Pokémon, differing from Anita's only by the length of its whiskers. «If the Challenger doesn't substitute her Pokémon, the battle can resume.» declared the electronic referee. Anita decided not to substitute her Pokémon. «The battle can resume, the first move goes to the Challenger!» declared the electronic referee. «Vivillon! Use Energy Ball!» The Pokémon generated a dark green energy sphere in front of its body, resembling an eye. It seemed to reflect light like a precious stone. «Dodge and use Retaliate!» ordered the Gym Leader. "Retaliate? Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" the girl thought. Meanwhile, the Loyalty Pokémon began to run at great speed, its body glowing with a brownish light. «Fly as high as you can!» ordered the girl. «Haven't you learned your lesson yet? We are perfectly capable of dealing with flying Pokémon!» the Gym Leader retorted. The Loyalty Pokémon, using the muscles in its hind legs, made a powerful leap, hitting the Scale Pokémon squarely. Due to the force of the blow, Vivillon lost several meters of altitude. «Vivillon!» the girl cried out, worried. Despite the violence of the blow, the Pokémon managed to recover. Anita sighed in relief. «Retaliate is a move that becomes much stronger when used by a Pokémon after its teammate has been defeated.» explained the Gym Leader. «Vivillon! Return!» The girl recalled her Pokémon into the Poké Ball. «Oshawott! Let's give it a try!» The girl sent the otter Pokémon back into the field. It was still a bit shaky from the injuries caused by Deerling, but it would grit its teeth and fight. «The first move goes to the Gym Leader!» declared the electronic referee. «Herdier! Use Play Rough!» The Loyalty Pokémon began to run with all its might, its body enveloped in a pink aura. «Oshawott! Try to dodge with Aqua Jet!» ordered the girl. Using the propulsion of the water current, the Pokémon managed to avoid the blow. «Now hit it with Fury Cutter!» ordered the girl. The Pokémon brandished its scalchop, which was covered in a yellow aura, elongating and transforming into a sort of sword. «Herdier! Dodge!» ordered the Gym Leader. The Pokémon made a quick dash, moving and initially avoiding the opponent's attack. «Let's try again!» ordered the girl. The otter Pokémon continued to chase the opponent, propelled by the water current.

For a few minutes, there was a tug-of-war between the two Pokémon, with the otter trying in every way to hit the opponent. «Enough running away!» Use Play Rough again!» ordered the Gym Leader.

The two Pokémon collided rather violently, being thrown to opposite sides of the battlefield. «Oshawott is unable to battle!» declared the electronic referee. Now the two Trainers were almost on equal footing. Both had one Pokémon still in perfect shape and one that had already battled. Anita was forced to recall her Oshawott into the Poké Ball. «You did a great job. Now rest.» The girl took her third Poké Ball from her bag. «Herdier! It's your turn!» The girl decided to let her third Pokémon battle. «The battle can resume. The first move goes to the Gym Leader!» declared the electronic referee. «Herdier, use Wild Charge!» ordered the Gym Leader. The Loyalty Pokémon began to run, its body covered in electric sparks. «Use Dig!» ordered the girl, without having a precise plan in mind. Quickly, the girl's Herdier dug a hole in the battlefield and dove inside. «Pursue!» ordered the Gym Leader. The woman's Herdier dove into the hole, chasing the opponent, continuing its attack. From underground, neither Pokémon could hear the Trainers' commands.

After digging for who knows how long, Anita's Herdier emerged from the ground. It looked around, disoriented. The opponent had disappeared. «Be careful! It could pop out at any moment!» Anita warned her Pokémon. «Move away and be ready with Tackle!» The Pokémon moved away from the hole it had dug. Moments later, the opponent emerged from the same hole, still covered in electricity. Anita's Herdier was ready to hit the opponent, who was heading in its direction. The two Pokémon collided in the middle of the field, both being violently repelled towards the side from which they had started.

Both Pokémon were covered in electric sparks due to the combined power of the two attacks.

Suddenly, there was a loud explosion, followed by the sound of an alarm. «The battle between Gym Leader Lenora and Challenger Anita is interrupted due to force majeure.» declared the electronic referee. «Follow me!» the Gym Leader invited them. Anita recalled Herdier into the Poké Ball before following the woman, along with her friends. The Gym Leader took her Smart Rotom from her pants pocket. «It seems the alarm is coming from sector 3.» The Gym Leader tried to stay calm. «In the third sector, ancient Pokémon fossils are on display.» she explained, leading the group. Leaving the battlefield, the four of them walked down a short corridor. «How strange!» commented the Gym Leader, looking at the floor. «It seems to be covered in dirt.» The Gym Leader glanced at the floor. «Yet the cleaning company was here this morning. We haven't had any visitors. My husband hasn't arrived yet. And we haven't had any guided tours. Be careful. There could be dangerous people around.»

The Gym Leader took one of her Poké Balls in hand, and so did Serena and Carlos. The five of them soon found themselves in front of the door. «I can assure you the door was open this morning.» explained the Gym Leader, before slamming the door open with her shoulder. Inside the room, a large number of Team Plasma Grunts. «And what are you doing here?» The Gym Leader seemed extremely angry. «Hands off my artifacts!» she shouted shortly after. One of the grunts stepped forward. «Oh! So, in the end, you decided your artifacts are worth more than a battle with your Challenger...» The Grunt took another step forward, sending out a Yamask, a Pokémon that looked like a black spirit. Its body was slender, with arms attached to it, and at the lower part, a golden mask with human features. There were three irregular protrusions on its body. It had tiny eyes, surrounded by a red ring with a dot in the lower right corner, resembling a tear ready to fall. «I'm sorry to inform you that you arrived too late! The Dragon Skull is ours!» The Grunt pointed to the Dragonite skeleton displayed in the center of the room. «I assure you, we are not joking. We will give our lives to free the Pokémon. But we are wasting too much time. Yamask! Use Haze!» The Spirit Pokémon generated a thick black smoke that quickly made it impossible to see anything.

The Grunts wore masks to avoid inhaling the gas, while the others started coughing. A few moments later, the smoke screen cleared. «Damn it! They took the skull!» complained the Gym Leader. «But as long as we stay here, we can't do much.» she added shortly after. The woman invited the four to follow her to the exit. «I'll stay here in case they return. This time they won't catch me off guard. You, however, could look for them in the area. They shouldn't be too far away. I don't think they have accomplices here in town.» she added shortly after, while escorting them to the exit. Just before leaving the four to their mission, the Gym Leader's phone rang. «Excuse me... it's urgent.» The woman took her Smart Rotom out of her pocket. «Oh! Hi, Burgh! How are your Gym battles going? You couldn't have called at a worse time!» The Gym Leader greeted her colleague on the phone. «So Burgh is another Gym Leader?» Anita asked in a low voice. «Yes, he's a Bug-type Pokémon specialist. And he's also a very renowned artist.» Carlos replied. «Having worked as an assistant in a Gym also has its advantages.» he added shortly after.

«Team Plasma attacked and stole the Dragonite statue's skull!» explained the Gym Leader on the phone. At a certain point, the woman's expression changed. «Alright, we'll agree on that, but please hurry!» She ended the call. «Change of plans, guys. Burgh will be here soon to help us.»

After about twenty minutes, a small acid-green car, shaped like a sort of egg, parked in the square in front of the Gym. A tall, thin young man with fairly long, wavy brown hair and green eyes got out of the small car. He seemed clean-shaven and wore a light green shirt, a red scarf. His pants were red with light and dark green stripes, held up by a leather belt with a butterfly-shaped metal buckle.

«Here...» The Gym Leader pointed to the man. «This is Burgh, the Gym Leader of Castelia City.» She introduced him. Meanwhile, the man approached the group. «I came as soon as I could. The situation seems quite serious.» the man replied. «You told me on the phone that Team Plasma stole the Dragonite skull... I wonder what they want to do with it.» The Normal-type Pokémon specialist gestured to her colleague to hurry. «Whatever they want it for, it's certainly nothing good.» the woman commented. «In any case, it's better to move. There aren't many hiding places in this city... they have most likely hidden in the nearby forest. Fortunately, Burgh knows Pinwheel Forest like the back of his hand.» The Bug-type specialist smiled slightly. «If you say so...» The man changed his expression, inviting the four to follow him. «Let's go... we don't have time to lose.» He invited them to get into his car. «I can only take you as far as the entrance to the forest. Inside, you can only enter on foot, by bike, or with electric buses.» he explained. Ash opened the passenger side door and unlocked the passenger seat mechanism. Anita, Carlos, and Serena sat in the back, then Ash sat in front. The Gym Leader started the car and drove a few kilometers to the outskirts of the city. During the journey, the five exchanged phone numbers so they could contact each other if necessary. «From here, we have to continue on foot.» The man stopped the car, allowing the four to get out.

As soon as everyone got out, the Gym Leader started explaining the situation: «Pinwheel Forest is very intricate. The Grunts could be anywhere. Be careful. I think it's best to split up. There are five of us, so I'll go alone.» The others quickly paired up, with Serena pulling Ash and Pikachu along, leaving Anita and Carlos to form the other group.

Separated, they could patrol the forest more quickly, although they also risked being more vulnerable to the Grunts' attacks.

Ash and Serena headed south, while Anita and Carlos headed north. Burgh, on the other hand, would go west. It was a beautiful day, and sunlight gently filtered through the trees. There was also a gentle breeze that barely moved the leaves. Some Sewaddle nibbled on the leaves of some of those trees.

«Let's try to be quiet. They could be nearby.» Ash tried to speak in a low voice. Serena just nodded. The two continued to walk in silence, always straight ahead. They didn't want to risk getting lost.

They walked for a long time without encountering any human beings, only Bug-type Pokémon, who seemed quite calm.

Suddenly, the sound of breaking branches broke the silence. «Be quiet!» Ash scolded Serena, putting a finger to his lips. «It wasn't me. Look over there!» The girl pointed to a figure moving quickly not far from them.

It was a sort of gray blur moving quickly. «Did you see that? It's one of them!» Serena tried to stay quiet.

«And the others are surely not far behind.» added Ash. «Let's follow him!» he said shortly after, inviting Serena to follow him.

Ash, Serena, and Pikachu set off, following Grunt's trail.

Meanwhile, Carlos and Anita had walked a long way without finding anything. «Oh! Look!...» Carlos called his friend's attention. «What?» the girl asked. «A Bug-type Pokémon!» The girl tried to stay calm. When he got started, Carlos could be really annoying. Suddenly, a loud noise caught the attention of the two, making them jump. «Let's try to stay calm.» Carlos tried to calm the situation. «It must have been just a tree falling. These things happen.» Anita gave him a look that said, «If you say so!» and decided to ignore it, continuing to search for the Grunts.

The two continued to walk for a long time. Neither of them could estimate the distance they had traveled. They might have walked several kilometers.

«WATCH OUT!» A man's shout broke the silence. The two stopped, almost as if the shout was directed at them. What should they be watching out for?

Suddenly, a rustling sound grew louder and louder. «Another tree?» Carlos asked, almost rhetorically. «And what's that yellow thing up there?» he asked shortly after.

Carlos barely had time to finish his sentence when that yellowish object started to fall. «I'll get it!» Anita lunged towards the object that was falling.

Fully aware of the risks, the girl made a dash forward and managed to grab what appeared to Carlos as a strange yellow object, just in time. The girl looked more closely at what she had in her arms. It was smooth and delicate. Before she could think or do anything else, a huge crash nearly made her lose her grip on what she had picked up. A gigantic tree fell very close to her. It took the girl a few moments to understand what had happened.

«I think you're all in one piece, you can move.» Carlos prodded his friend, but got no response. Evidently, she hadn't yet realized the danger they had just escaped.

«Now that I look at it closely, it seems to be a Pokémon egg.» Carlos commented, adopting a serious tone more fitting for the situation. «I imagine you know what this is.»

«Well… yes.» The girl replied. «At school, we were taught that Pokémon reproduce through eggs, but no one has ever seen a Pokémon lay one.» She responded, repeating the information almost by rote.

«Hey! What are you two doing here?» A male voice broke the silence. It was the same voice that had warned of the tree falling moments before. Anita and Carlos were paralyzed.

«Don't you know that entry into this part of the forest is forbidden to unauthorized personnel? Didn't you read the signs? We are working to build a factory and we are already behind schedule. Don't waste our time!» He scolded them.

«You kids are always the same… sticking your noses into things that don't concern you. Get out and never come back here!» He added shortly after.

The two moved away from that area, trying to go as fast as possible, though for Anita it was extremely difficult to run with that egg in her hands without risking dropping it.

«We should be far enough now.» The boy commented after they had covered an indeterminate distance. «Shall we try calling the others?» He asked. Without even waiting for the girl's answer, he took out his Smart Rotom and started the call. Despite several attempts, no one answered. «I must have the phones on silent.» The boy commented, frustrated. «Maybe it's better to wait for them here. When they see your call, they'll call you back.» Anita tried to calm the situation. Carlos stopped trying to contact the Gym Leader.

Meanwhile, Ash and Serena had started following that boy dressed in gray. They tried to avoid making any noise. They kept hiding behind every tree to stay out of his sight. Fortunately for them, the technique worked better than expected.

«Look, here are the other Followers.» Ash spoke as quietly as possible. Together with Serena, he watched the Followers celebrate for obtaining the Skull.

«Hahaha! It was easier than we thought! Maybe that Champion doesn't really care about the Trainers!» One of the Followers sneered.

«And here is our treasure!» Another Follower, dressed exactly like his colleague, opened his uniform, revealing that mysterious object.

«I wonder what the Pokémon skull has to do with Team Plasma's plans.» Serena commented in a low voice. «Whatever they plan to do, it's surely nothing good.» Ash moved to approach the two Followers, but Serena grabbed him by the arm. «We don't know where the other Followers are… there were at least ten of them.» Ash stepped back.

After a time that neither Ash nor Serena could estimate, the same Follower who had carried the skull took a small transmitter from his uniform. «We are safe, you can join us!» He communicated. Within moments, a dozen Followers rushed from the surrounding trees, five men and five women, with their old-fashioned uniforms.

«Now we just need to take it to the Boss, and then we can finally take a well-deserved vacation!» Commented one of the Followers, who had just arrived. «Now everyone should be here.» Ash seemed determined to attack at all costs. The girl sighed. Sometimes Ash was so impatient… «Alright… let's go!» The Kalos native didn't seem very convinced.

«Now we just need to inform the Boss of our success!» One of the Followers started rubbing his hands together as he took out his device.

«Not so fast!» Ash and Serena emerged from their hiding place, ready to attack. «And you two… what do you think you're doing? Don't you see you're outnumbered?» A Follower pointed at them.

Ash and Serena looked at each other and smiled. «We're not alone.» Ash contradicted the Follower, as he reached for his Poké Balls. Serena did the same. «Come out!» The two sent out all their Pokémon. At that moment, in addition to Pikachu, Tauros, Snorlax, Servine, and Noctowl, Ash sent out his Charizard. Serena sent out all four of her Pokémon, including Lilligant, who could finally count on Sylveon's support.

«I'll leave you with Ash… I'll call Burgh and the others.» The Kalos native addressed her Pokémon, who merely nodded. Delphox, Pancham, and Sylveon had no problem trusting him. Lilligant decided to do the same after a quick exchange of looks with Sylveon.

«Do you think you're the only ones with Pokémon?» One of the Followers addressed the two. «As much as I hate to admit it, you can't free all Pokémon from the tyranny of Trainers without behaving like one of them, as disgusting as it is.» At those words, all the Followers took their Poké Balls from the inner pockets of their uniforms.

In an instant, about twenty Pokémon appeared on the Followers' side. Most were Watchog, a bipedal Pokémon resembling a prairie dog. Its body was brown with yellow stripes, except for the white tips of its limbs. Its tail, the same color as its body, was extremely long and ended with a white tuft. Its eyes were red and yellow, and its cheeks were also rather large and puffy. A large incisor protruded from its mouth. Besides the Watchog, there were also some Liepard and a couple of Scrafty. «You want to fight? Here you go!» Another Follower intervened.

«Let's have some fun, then! Tauros! Use Iron Head! Snorlax! Body Slam! Noctowl and Charizard, use Air Slash! Pikachu! Thunderbolt!» Ordered the boy. The ground began to shake due to Snorlax's bulk and Tauros's great speed. Meanwhile, Pikachu had climbed onto Charizard to attack from above.

Moments later, some of the Watchog were crushed by Snorlax's massive body, while the Liepard and Scrafty were thrown into the air by Tauros.

Their fate was no better than that of their companions. They were struck by powerful air slashes combined with a highly potent electric shock.

Meanwhile, the situation for the other Pokémon of Team Plasma was not looking good. Although one of the Followers had ordered them to use Hyper Beam, the powerful whitish energy beam they generated was of little use.

«Come on! Dodge!» Ash ordered the Pokémon remaining on his side of the field, while Snorlax was getting back up and Tauros was returning to his side. «Let's give the others a chance to have some fun too!» He commented with a smile. «Delphox, use Fire Blast! Sylveon, Hyper Voice! Pancham, Stone Edge! And you, Servine, use Leaf Tornado!» The combination of attacks was about to overwhelm all the remaining enemy Pokémon.

Lilligant turned to the boy with a rather disappointed expression. Why hadn't he ordered her to attack?

«OH! Sure! Lilligant! Use Pollen Puff!» A shapeless mass, colored violet, quickly joined that series of attacks. The enormous flame shot by the fire fox, further fueled by the whirlwind of leaves generated by the grass snake, and propelled by the sound waves created by Sylveon, preceded by a few moments the enormous quantity of sharp rocks that sprouted from the ground, and finally, that violet-colored mass with enormous corrosive power. With a few well-aimed blows, all the Pokémon belonging to the Team Plasma followers had been defeated.

«Enough with the games... give us back the skull, unless you want to get hurt.» Ash tried to sound as serious as possible.

«Alright... this time you've won... but next time you won't be so lucky!» One of the followers took several steps towards Ash, holding that skull.

Ash grabbed it firmly and examined it very carefully. It seemed perfectly intact. A few moments later, those present could hear the sound of an engine. As seconds passed, the sound became increasingly intense. Soon, a strong current of air could also be felt, as if a large Flying-type Pokémon was using Gust or a similar move.

The present members only needed to look up at the sky to understand it was not a powerful Flying-type Pokémon, but a helicopter. A large black helicopter with the Team Plasma insignia emblazoned on it. The belly of the vehicle opened via four hydraulic pistons. From the belly of the vehicle, a strange figure descended, dressed in a brown suit, partially covered by a yellow cloak, secured with the Team Plasma symbol.

The man landed, jumping from the platform and revealing his true appearance, that of a man in his seventies, or perhaps older, tall and robust. At his sight, all the followers bowed in respect.

«Wise Celio!» The followers greeted the elder obsequiously.

The elder raised an arm, as if to command the followers to stop bowing and stand up immediately.

«Sir...» One of the followers timidly addressed the elder. «We failed. These Trainers hindered us, preventing us from obtaining the Dragon Skull.» The elder gestured for the follower to be silent.

«It doesn't matter. We conducted some research and discovered that skull has nothing to do with our objectives. This little setback will not prevent us from carrying out our mission. It doesn't matter that the World Champion is against us. We will capture him and free all his Pokémon! It will serve as a warning to all Trainers who dare to obstruct us!»

Ash couldn't suppress a laugh: «Even when I came to you personally, you couldn't hold me back. As long as I'm here in Unova, I won't rest until Team Plasma ceases to exist.»

The Sage did not respond. He took a Poké Ball from his coat and released it. From it emerged a large Pokémon resembling a sarcophagus with four black arms. The entire body of the Pokémon was covered in a dark aura. Its eyes were red and on what could be its face, a sneering smile was imprinted.

«Cofagrigus! Use Haze!» ordered the elder. The Coffin Pokémon generated a thick, dark, and foul-smelling smoke. Ash, Serena, and all the Pokémon present started coughing.

«Charizard! Noctowl! Try to get rid of this haze!» Ash ordered. The two Flying Pokémon obeyed, vigorously flapping their wings to disperse the black cloud. Despite the rapid intervention of Ash's Pokémon, it was already too late, all the followers and their Pokémon had vanished.

«Damn it!» The boy seemed quite upset. «They got away!»

«It doesn't matter. We will defeat them once and for all. I'm sure we can do it.» Serena tried to reassure him.

«Here I am! I came as soon as I could... but it seems I'm too late.» Burgh reached them, still catching his breath. «I heard the Bug-type Pokémon in this area and they seemed incredibly worried, but it looks like everything is fine now.»

Ash signaled the Gym Leader to stop. «Not at all. Team Plasma is much more dangerous than I thought.»

«I understand.» The Gym Leader replied. «My colleagues and I will do our best to stop them. You have my word.» The Gym Leader extended his hand to the two.

«By the way...» The Gym Leader changed his expression. «What happened to Anita and Carlos?» He asked.

«I don't know. I called them, but they said it would take some time. They didn't tell me anything else.» The girl replied.

A quarter of an hour later, Anita and Carlos finally joined the three. None of those present missed the fact that the girl was carefully holding something. As she and her friend approached, the object in the girl's hand became clearer. It was a Pokémon egg.

«And this?» The Gym Leader asked, pointing to the egg in the girl's hand.

«Don't worry, you can keep it... it will soon hatch, and a Pokémon will be born.» The Gym Leader explained. «I just want to know where you found it. I have a bad feeling.» He added shortly after

«Well... I caught it just before it fell from a tree they were cutting down.» The Gym Leader sprang up. «Did I hear right?» He

asked. «A tree being cut down?» The girl nodded.

«Can you tell me more?» He asked.

«Well... yes. A man threatened us to leave. They were doing some work.» The Gym Leader shook his head. «Impossible! The forest is a protected area. It's not possible to build new structures or anything else. And trees can only be cut down if decided by the EPF, the Forest Protection Agency.» The Gym Leader responded. «Can you tell me where you found the egg?» He asked.

The girl couldn't refuse.

«It's a bit far from here. But I hope that's not a problem.» Carlos replied for his friend, who seemed rather annoyed. After all, she had carried that egg all this time, and now it was starting to weigh her down.

Ash and Serena recalled their Pokémon into their respective Poké Balls. Only then did the five set off along the path taken by Anita and Carlos.

Burgh, out of kindness, decided to hold the egg for a while, noticing how Anita seemed quite tired of carrying it.

After a walk that lasted almost half an hour, the group finally reached where Anita and Carlos had been harshly chased away by one of the workers. At that moment, it seemed there was an eerie silence, as if that part of the forest was dead.

A few moments later, the noise of the machinery replaced the silence. Before the Gym Leader could even say a word, one of the workers there rushed towards the five. Taken by surprise, the five reached for their Poké Balls, ready for battle.

«Hey! You! What are you doing here? Don't you know this area is private property? Entry is forbidden to outsiders!» The man asked. «And you two...» The man addressed Anita and Carlos. «Didn't I already tell you to leave less than an hour ago?» He scolded them.

Burgh stepped forward, as if to protect them. «I am Burgh, the Gym Leader of Castelia City, and a specialist in Bug-type Pokémon.» He introduced himself. «I am also the guardian of this splendid forest and the Bug-type Pokémon that live here.» The man looked at the Gym Leader as if he were an alien.

«So what? My colleagues and I are just following orders from our boss, and now you're wasting our time!» The man reached for his Poké Balls. «And now you will pay the consequences!»

From the man's Poké Balls emerged a Conkeldurr, a humanoid-looking Pokémon. It was extremely muscular. Its body was predominantly light brown, with some lilac stripes. The upper body was wider and more robust, especially the arms, while the lower body was smaller. Its nose was round and red. Additionally, it held two large stone pillars.

Anita analyzed that strange Pokémon with her Smart Rotom's Pokédex function: «Conkeldurr. Pokémon: Superpower. Fighting type. Male specimen. It is believed that the technique for making concrete was spread by Conkeldurr, 2000 years ago. Known moves: Bulk Up, Stomping Tantrum, Mach Punch.»

The man's second Pokémon, however, was a Beartic, a large Pokémon resembling a polar bear. It had a sort of ice beard. Its body was completely covered in thick white fur, except for the palms of its hands, which were hairless and completely black. It had large, very sharp claws.

The Ice Pokémon did not escape Anita's Smart Rotom either.

«Beartic. Freezing Pokémon. Ice type. Male specimen. It fights using fangs or claws created by freezing its own breath. It lives in the cold northern regions. Known moves: Icicle Crash, Shadow Claw, Rock Smash.» The girl put her device back in her bag.

«We'll handle him... you call the authorities!» After a quick exchange of glances with Ash, Burgh activated the mechanism of one of his Poké Balls.

At the same time, Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder and positioned itself in front of the two opposing Pokémon. «Volcarona, help Pikachu!» The Gym Leader sent his Pokémon into the field.

Serena was quite intrigued by the appearance of that Pokémon resembling a large moth. Its belly was white, the lower part of its body was bluish. Its head was black. On the sides of its body were two decorations shaped like orange worms. Its wings, three on each side, were orange with black spots. Its eyes were blue, darker than the lower part of its body.

The girl analyzed the Pokémon with her Smart Rotom's Pokédex function: «Volcarona. Sun Pokémon. Bug and Fire type. Female specimen. It is thought to be the incarnation of the sun. It appeared during a harsh winter to save Pokémon from the cold. Known moves: Fiery Dance, Quiver Dance, Bug Buzz, Air Slash.»

«I'd say we can start! Pikachu, use Quick Attack!» Ash ordered. The Mouse Pokémon started running at high speed, leaping between trees.

«Beartic! Hit him with Icicle Crash! You, Conkeldurr, use Bulk Up!» The Superpower Pokémon's body glowed with a red aura and its muscles swelled, while the Ice Pokémon was generating large ice stalactites aimed at the electric rodent.

«Quick, Pikachu, send them back with Iron Tail!» the boy ordered. The Mouse Pokémon's tail glowed white, changing its structure, becoming as hard as metal.

It quickly struck each stalactite, sending them back towards the bulky opponent who could do little to dodge its own attack.

«Volcarona! Use Fiery Dance!» The Sun Pokémon generated a huge whirlwind of flames, rapidly raising the surrounding air temperature.

«Conkeldurr! Defend yourself!» ordered the man. The Superpower Pokémon lifted the two heavy stone pillars and used them as a shield, neutralizing the moth's attack.

«Enough fooling around! Beartic, use Shadow Claw! Conkeldurr, use Mach Punch!» While the muscular Fighting-type Pokémon charged a powerful punch, sharp claws wrapped in a violet aura emerged from the Ice-type Pokémon's paws. «Great! Pikachu jumps on Conkeldurr's arm and then hit it with Iron Tail!» The Mouse Pokémon obeyed, jumped high, and dodged the opponent's blow.

In its eagerness, the Fighting-type Pokémon struck one of the trees, making it shake.

Without the opponent being able to shake off the electric rodent, now on one of its shoulders, the Electric-type Pokémon swiftly and impressively struck the opponent's neck, forcing it to stagger forward and drop the pillar it was clinging to.

Meanwhile, following its Trainer's orders, Volcarona began to gracefully hover in the air.

Due to the powerful blow inflicted on the opponent, Pikachu was also lifted into the air.

«Conkeldurr! Hit it with your pillars!» the man ordered, quite sure of what he wanted to do. The Superpower Pokémon, although hesitant, followed its Trainer's order, throwing the two heavy pillars into the air with impressive ease.

«Good, Pikachu! Destroy them with Iron Tail and send them back!» Ash ordered. The Mouse Pokémon's tail glowed white again, changing its structure to become hard and sharp.

In a few moments, the stone pillars were sliced into many small discs, rapidly launched by the rodent.

«Conkeldurr, Beartic! Dodge!» the man ordered. The two Pokémon immediately moved, and now the stone fragments were on a collision course with Volcarona.

«Let's add our touch to this masterpiece! Volcarona! Use Fiery Dance!» ordered the Gym Leader. The Sun Pokémon generated a giant fire tornado from its wings, incorporating the stone discs launched by Pikachu, spinning them at high speed towards the two opponent Pokémon, paralyzed with fear.

«And now let's put our signature on it, Pikachu!» Ash jokingly mimicked the Gym Leader's mannerisms. «Use Thunderbolt!» From the electric sacs on its cheeks, the Mouse Pokémon generated slight sparks that, in a few moments, turned into an

impressive electric discharge that joined the tornado of fire and stone.

The two Pokémon fell to the ground, unconscious.

The man, not resigned to his defeat, took his Smart Rotom to contact his colleagues through a group call, who, fortunately for him, answered immediately: «Come here, to the south side of the construction site! I need your help!» From his tone, it was understandable how his situation was not the best.

«Not so fast! You and your colleagues are under arrest for damaging a protected area.» The man was stopped by a group of Officer Jennys. «Now call your colleagues and don't try anything funny. You are surrounded!» another Officer warned him.

A third Officer congratulated the group.

After a few minutes, a large group of workers arrived at the scene, surrounded by the Officers and handcuffed. To avoid extending their time behind bars, none of them resisted. As required by law, their Pokémon were handed over to a specialized facility.

«It seems you've also managed to recover the dragon skull for the Museum... it seems it was stolen by Team Plasma, but we found no trace of their passage. Burgh is someone we trust, and we know he will return it to the museum as soon as possible.»

After the arrest of the various workers, the five left the forest to return to Nacrene City, both to deliver the skull and because everyone was starting to feel the fatigue.

Back at the car, Serena settled in the back seat, then signaled to her friend to pass her the egg, to make her entry easier. For Ash, it was relatively easy to sit in the front while holding the skull. «Lenora will be happy, fortunately, the skull is in perfect condition.» commented the Gym Leader.

As soon as they arrived in front of the Gym, the five got out of the car. Lenora was waiting for them in front of her Gym, impatient. When Ash handed her the skull, the woman almost snatched it from his hands.

«You did an excellent job with Team Plasma. And I'm glad the Skull is back here intact. I wonder what they wanted to do with it.» the Gym Leader congratulated everyone, still maintaining her perplexity.

«They wanted to use it for their purposes, but then they discovered it wasn't useful to them.» Ash replied. The woman nodded in understanding. «Anyway... regarding your battle...» the woman turned to Anita. «We can finish it tomorrow morning, I hope that's okay with you.» Anita simply nodded.

The four of them arrived at the city's Pokémon Center. Anita was holding the egg she had recovered in the forest tightly. The egg did not go unnoticed by the Nurse.

«Sorry if I'm being intrusive...» the Nurse asked. «But where did you find that egg?» Anita had to answer the same question once again. «In the forest, it fell from a tree that was being cut down.» she explained. «But the forest is a protected area!» the Nurse replied. «True, but many unscrupulous people don't care that it's a protected area. For them, money comes first!» Ash answered. «Fortunately, Ash and Burgh stopped them in time.» Serena added. «If they hadn't fought against one of them, the police would never have arrived in time.» she explained.

«You did very well. I wish there were more Trainers like you!» the Nurse congratulated them. «But now I'd better get back to work... if you want, I can take care of your Pokémon and the egg... I don't know how long it will take to hatch, but it's better to keep it under observation.»

The four of them didn't need to be told twice, placing their respective Poké Balls on the counter. Pikachu jumped from Ash's shoulder to settle on the counter, while Anita placed the egg on a cushion provided by the Audino assisting the Nurse. After about three-quarters of an hour of checking, the group and their Pokémon headed to the dining room.

To celebrate the workers' arrest, Burgh decided to treat everyone to dinner. The Gym Leader ordered from a very famous catering service in that city, known for both the deliciousness of its dishes and the abundance of its portions.

Not wanting to miss anything, the Gym Leader had ordered a dinner consisting of appetizers, two first courses, two second courses, and would have also bought desserts if it hadn't been for Lenora who offered to buy them herself. Due to the many orders, the man had to pick up the dinner in person.

Burgh arrived at the Pokémon Center at half-past eight in the evening, carrying a large blue container made of a material similar to polystyrene. He held a white plastic bag between his teeth. «These should go in the freezer...» After placing the container on a table, the Gym Leader took the bag and headed to the kitchens.

Upon arriving, he placed three white bottles, with a lemon drawn on each label, in a freezer. Once done, he returned to the dining room.

«If you don't mind, could you give me a hand?» asked the Gym Leader. «There are still five more containers in the trunk!» he added shortly after.

Ash and Carlos left the building to head to the Gym Leader's car. It was parked in front of the Pokémon Center entrance, with the trunk still open.

As soon as the two entered the dining room with the thermal containers, they noticed the girls had just finished setting the table. «Put them next to the one I placed.» Burgh pointed to one of the nearby tables. On it was the thermal container brought by Burgh. «Let's go get the remaining containers.» The Gym Leader signaled the two to follow him to unload the last two boxes. In a few minutes, the three returned to the room with the various containers.

«So... the appetizers are in the blue containers. In one, there are land appetizers, and in the other, sea appetizers... the land first and second courses are in the pink containers, while the sea first and second courses are in the dark blue ones.» the Gym Leader explained as he headed to one of the thermal containers.

«Luckily, everything arrived intact.» he commented shortly after, as he began to remove the dishes from the container. Numerous slices of cured ham, a sliced dry sausage, a container full of olives seasoned with oil, garlic, and parsley, and croutons covered in a red sauce.

The Gym Leader was helped by the others to bring the various dishes to the table before heading to the second container. Inside were three different types of seafood salads, croutons with a light pink sauce, and others with a dark pink sauce.

Once the appetizers were set and a few minutes had passed for Lenora and her husband to arrive, they finally started dinner. The Nurse, to get up quickly in case of an emergency, sat at the head of the table.

Ash, being a big eater, started by taking a bit of everything. He seemed particularly curious about those croutons covered in some kind of red sauce. He took one and bit into it.

«Help! These things are super spicy! WATEEEEEER!» The boy drank half a bottle of water in a few seconds. «That's better.» he commented shortly after.

«Let me try!» Anita took one of those croutons and began to eat it. «Yes... they're a bit spicy, but they're really good.» Ash looked at her with his eyes still a bit watery. «A bit spicy? Are you kidding? It feels like I swallowed a fireball!» Ash replied in his usual manner.

Noticing the looks from the others, the boy from Pallet Town realized he wasn't in the minority at all. Both Serena and Carlos, along with the Nurse, seemed to be greatly affected.

For Pikachu, it was enough to see his friend's reaction not to dare try one of those croutons. The rest of the appetizers, both land and sea, passed quietly.

After the appetizers, they moved on to the land first courses, which Burgh offered to serve with his typical kindness. Starting with the first course, pasta with mushrooms, cream, and sausage.

Ash took a second plate to let Pikachu try that dish, which seemed to enjoy it a lot.

After the first course, they immediately had the second course, simple roast meat, seasoned with just a bit of salt. Once the meat was finished, Burgh got up from the table. «Excuse me, but I need to get something.»

The Bug-type Pokémon specialist got up from the table and headed to the kitchen. He took the two bottles he had put in the freezer a while ago and then returned to the dining room. «Here I am!» The man placed the two bottles he had brought on the table. «It's better to cleanse our palates with this now that we're moving on to the sea dishes.» he explained, while pouring a strange half-frozen white drink into glasses. «Be careful, it's pretty cold!» he cautioned.

As Carlos started to drink that strange liquid, he made a funny face, halfway between disgust and pleasure. «It tastes like lemon! It's very sour!» he commented.

Burgh smiled. «That's exactly what it's for, to remove the taste of the land dishes from your mouth so you can move on to the sea dishes or vice versa.» he explained. «And yet you worked at the Opelucid City Gym... you should know this.» Carlos felt embarrassed. «We never served these things in the middle of meals.» he tried to defend himself.

Shortly after, it was time for the sea dishes. The first course was seafood pasta. A rather peculiar type of pasta, little irregularly shaped balls. After overcoming the initial strangeness, everyone ate without asking questions. For the second sea course, a large quantity of mixed fried seafood.

After finishing the second courses, it was time for fruit and then the desserts, kindly offered by Aloé. There were pastries and a cake.

A couple of hours later, the Gym Leaders left, leaving the kids and the Nurse alone.

It was almost time to go to bed when a siren caught everyone's attention. «It's coming from the Pokémon ward!» the Nurse stood up quickly. «I hope it's nothing serious,» she added shortly after.

Ash and the others also got up to follow the Nurse, just in case they could help.

The Nurse, upon arriving at the ward where the Pokémon were being treated, soon noticed their presence. «Come on in... it's nothing serious... in fact...» The four quickly approached the Nurse. «Look! The egg is about to hatch!» The Nurse pointed to the egg, which was covered with various sensors and resting on a soft cushion.

«Is this the first time you've seen an egg hatch?» Serena asked Anita.

«Yes... it's the first time. I've never been very close to Pokémon before traveling with you...» Anita replied. «What about you?» she asked shortly after.

«Many times... but each time is as exciting as the first,» Ash answered. «You never know what Pokémon might come out of the egg.»

«Only once for me,» Serena and Carlos ended up speaking at the same time. The boy, out of courtesy, let the girl from Kalos speak first.

«Only once... it was Ash's Noivern. Back then, it was still a little Noibat and couldn't fly.»

«And now it's a very, very powerful Pokémon. It was thanks to him that we saved Carlos from Team Plasma,» Ash responded.

«I've only seen an Eevee hatch from an egg. Now you know it as Umbreon...» the boy explained. «I was home alone, and my mom had told me to watch the egg but not touch it, just in case. You can't imagine how happy I was to see that little Pokémon just hatched from the egg. That's how Eevee became my first Pokémon.»

Meanwhile, the egg in the machine hadn't stopped pulsing.

A few moments later, very light cracking sounds could be heard. «In just a few moments, it should...» The Nurse didn't have time to finish her sentence before the egg glowed a greenish light and then finally hatched, revealing the Pokémon inside—a Sewaddle.

It was a Pokémon resembling a caterpillar. Around its round head was a large, wide leaf. It had protrusions on its forehead. Its eyes were dark and circular, while its snout was orange. The lower part of its face was white. The rest of its body was green, with three rows of truncated, spherical legs, while its chin was white.

Anita immediately analyzed the newborn Pokémon using the Pokédex function on her Smart Rotom. «Sewaddle, Sewing Pokémon. Bug and Grass type. Female specimen. The protrusions on its head are sensory organs. When two Sewaddle meet, they greet each other by rubbing these together. Known moves: Tackle, String Shot, Bug Bite.»

«Now, it's better to feed her something, then I'll do some checks, and after that, you can catch her,» the Nurse told Anita. «I'm going to get some food,» she added shortly after.

Anita reached out her hand towards the newborn Pokémon but had to retract it immediately when the newborn tried to bite. «I guess you're really hungry!» she commented with a touch of irony.

Luckily for the young Trainer's fingers, the Nurse arrived with a nice bowl of Pokémon food, specifically designed for newborn Pokémon. The Pokémon devoured the food in seconds. Anita watched her devour the food with a speed that would make Ash envious. «You really were very hungry!» she commented jokingly. Once she finished eating, the Pokémon lay down and fell asleep.

The Nurse gently lifted the Pokémon, trying not to wake her, and placed her just as gently on another counter where she could perform the various examinations.

After about ten minutes, the Nurse finished the checks. «Sewaddle is fine, she's just been born, but she seems like she will be a very strong and determined Pokémon. If you want, you can catch her now,» the Nurse explained.

Anita shook her head slightly. «I'd rather wait until she's awake to catch her... I don't want to force her to stay with me,» she tried to explain.

The Nurse smiled slightly. «That's not a problem. Let's let her rest now.»

«And Sewaddle won't be the only one doing so...» Ash let out a big yawn. «Goodnight!»

The four went to bed; it was quite late, and the next day Anita would have to face Aloé. Soon, all four managed to fall asleep without any particular problems.

It was a particularly quiet and silent night, as if the night had wrapped the city in a heavy cloak.

«He should be here! Give him this message!» A boy attached a small note to the back of a wild Swoobat.

The Pokémon Love Bat fluttered for a few meters to the back of the Pokémon Center, outside the room where Ash and Carlos were staying. Since it was still spring, the window of the room was closed. No problem. The Pokémon used its psychic powers to open the window so it could enter the room. Thanks to the instructions given by that boy, it was sure that this was the right room.

The rest of its "mission" was pretty simple; it had to approach the boy with a Pikachu, wake him up, and give him that note, after which it would be free to go wherever it wanted. It would be free again.

«Hey! What's going on!» Ash woke up because of the draft. «Who left the window open?» he complained, trying not to wake Carlos. Pikachu had woken up with him since he was sleeping in the same bed. Noticing that Carlos was still sound asleep, Ash turned on the light, at least to get up and close the window. Once up, he noticed the presence of a strange Pokémon that looked like a bat with a big pink nose.

Due to the suboptimal lighting conditions, it was difficult for the boy to identify the Pokémon.

As soon as the Pokémon realized it was close to its target, it turned its back. «You have a message for me?» Ash asked, detaching the note from the Pokémon's back.

Noting that the strange Pokémon had not reacted in any way, Ash deduced that his hypothesis was correct. "Meet me in ten minutes in front of the Blue Newsstand, we need to talk." The note was neither signed nor anything of the kind, which made the boy suspicious. Despite his hesitation, Ash took his bag and climbed out the window, which, fortunately, was on the ground floor, so getting out wasn't risky.

Thanks to the map application, finding the meeting place was pretty easy. It was just two hundred meters away from the Pokémon Center.

The newsstand was a small metal building, similar to a sort of metal booth. It was three twenty-five. Ash had arrived five minutes early. «We got here a bit early, but it's okay, we'll wait,» Ash said to Pikachu.

The Mouse Pokémon didn't seem bothered by this at all.

At the appointed time, the person who had sent that Swoobat finally arrived. He was a tall and thin boy with long light green hair, wearing a black cap, a white shirt, light brown pants, and green shoes. Around his neck was a pendant resembling a planet. He also wore bracelets, and hanging from his pants was a sort of Rubik's cube.

«N?» Ash seemed rather surprised.

«What did you expect? A visit from some secret admirer of yours or... a Trainer who wanted to challenge you to a battle?» the boy asked, teasing him slightly.

«Probably the second one,» Ash replied.

«I figured,» N responded. «You Trainers think of nothing but having your Pokémon fight to see who's stronger... you are the strongest Trainer of all.

«How many Pokémon did you have to overcome to get that title... and now you want to battle me and my friends? You know the outcome of the fight would be predictable. No, I didn't come here to battle you. I told you we would meet to talk, and I thought this was the best moment to do it. I wanted to talk just with you and your Pikachu. No battles, I just wanted to talk.» Ash nodded, understanding. He knew he had a completely different worldview than N, but he tried to stay open to the conversation.

«I heard what happened today. You and one of the Gym Leaders stopped the peace of Pinwheel Forest from being disturbed by workers who wanted to build a factory. Honestly, I never expected it. I thought no one lived in harmony with Nature anymore. Especially, I didn't expect it from people who use Poké Balls to carry their Pokémon with them...» Ash shook his head at those words: «Pikachu and I, along with many friends, have been traveling the world for years, and this isn't the first time we've faced such people. We've always stood up to them and brought them to justice.»

«But for every one you bring to justice...» «A hundred are ready to do the same,» N completed Ash's sentence. «Anyway, I didn't come here just to compliment you. I imagine you've figured that out. You're not much different from the poachers you face. You also take Pokémon from their environment to bring them with you. It doesn't matter that you don't sell them or get rich from them.» Ash felt those words as an affront. «I've never forced any Pokémon to come with me. I've never caught a Pokémon just to collect them, they aren't stickers!» Ash replied. «The reason you catch them doesn't matter. You make them fight in battles pushing them to their limits and surely subject them to exhausting training.» Ash tried to stay calm. «I have always been against such things. Many of my Pokémon belonged to trainers who treated them that way. They considered them weak or even useless. One even abandoned his Pokémon because he thought it was the source of his bad luck.»

«You don't believe in such things, do you?» N asked him. «Not at all. I've never believed in such things.» N pressed: «And in what else do you think you're different from the others?» Ash didn't expect such a question: «If a Trainer doesn't respect their Pokémon, they can't call themselves a Trainer. You can't expect a Pokémon to respect you if you don't treat them with respect. I've met many people who treated their Pokémon by terrorizing them. And they obeyed out of fear of being treated worse.»

«But even the best-treated Pokémon get hurt in battles... and I can't stand the idea of seeing Pokémon suffer because of it,» N replied. «Even in the wild, Pokémon get hurt, and there aren't always people who can take care of them there,» Ash answered him. «Can I talk to Pikachu?» N asked, changing the subject. «What do you think?» Ash turned to his Pokémon, who was almost falling asleep by now. «Pika!» The Pokémon seemed to agree.

«It seems you get along very well with your Trainer...» N remained silent for a few moments: «So you and your Trainer have been traveling together for many years, and you also say you're inseparable? Don't you miss your life when you were free?» The Mouse Pokémon shook his head. «What do you mean you don't miss it? You say you've had experiences you wouldn't have otherwise? That you've met people and Pokémon you wouldn't have known? And tell me... how did you two meet?» N's expression changed radically. «So, at first, you didn't get along? Then something clicked, and... I would have never expected it.»

After walking a few meters in silence, Ash asked N: «I understand you don't like to see people and Pokémon together. Can I know why?» «You know, I've always thought humans and Pokémon should live apart. Because I've always seen people taking advantage of Pokémon for anything. And I've always seen people not caring about their Pokémon. Treating them like toys and not like living beings. I can't let thousands of people mistreat Pokémon.» Ash understood N's motivations. He also despised those who mistreated Pokémon, although his ideas were not as extreme. «I have one last question for you. And then I can say our meeting was really interesting. What do you think about Team Plasma? I heard you fought against them too.»

«They are wrong. You can't separate humans and Pokémon. Friendship between people and Pokémon goes beyond battles, contests, or competitions. Trying to separate people from Pokémon doesn't seem like a good idea. Instead, let's teach people to respect their Pokémon.» «I think one day you and I will be friends. And we will fight for the freedom of Pokémon. That day will come, sooner or later. And with the help of the Legendary Pokémon of Unova, no one will be able to stop us!» With these words, N walked away, leaving Ash no chance to reply. «That guy sure is serious,» Ash commented, talking to Pikachu. «But it doesn't matter. We'll show him even more that he's wrong.» Ash would have liked to talk about how Pikachu loved to battle and how much fun he had doing it.

With no reason to stay outside any longer, Ash returned to the Pokémon Center. Fortunately, Carlos was a heavy sleeper and hadn't noticed anything. Ash and Pikachu managed to enter the room without waking him. Once inside, Ash closed the window and changed back into his pajamas, lying down again with Pikachu by his side. He couldn't fall asleep immediately.

He spent an indefinite amount of time reflecting on the meeting he had just had.

Finally, it was time to get up. Ash was a bit sleepy, having had to wake up in the middle of the night, and trying to hide it wasn't easy at all. After the usual breakfast, the Nurse escorted the four to the room where the Pokémon were kept. The woman had another can of food for newborn Pokémon with her. Like the day before, the little one devoured the food in a few moments. «Now that she's awake, you can catch her. I remember you were afraid of going against her will yesterday,» the Nurse reminded Anita.

The girl didn't need to be told twice, she took an empty Poké Ball from her bag and brought it close to the head of the

Sewaddle. The Pokémon literally bit the Poké Ball, triggering the opening mechanism. Because of this, the Pokémon was absorbed into the ball in a beam of white light. After absorbing the Pokémon, the Poké Ball began to oscillate, once, twice, three, four times, then emitted a slight "Click," indicating the capture had been successful. The girl picked up the Poké Ball from the table, smiling. «Hooray! I caught a Sewaddle!» she cheered.

«But now we should get going, don't forget you have a Gym battle,» Ash reminded her. «Right... of course...» Anita replied in a low voice.

With a new team member, the four headed back to the city's Gym so the girl could complete her battle against Lenora. Soon, they arrived in front of the imposing brick building. Several columns supported a wide patio. A large door provided access to the inside of the building. Nothing suggested that the building was a gym. They knew well by now that the building was not just a Gym, but also a museum. Lenora was waiting for her challenger right at the Gym entrance.

«You've arrived sooner than I thought, but that's not a problem... my Pokémon and I are always ready to battle. Unfortunately, we can't pick up where we left off yesterday, so we'll have to start from scratch.» She welcomed them, inviting them in. «I imagine you know this Gym well by now,» she commented wryly, leading them to the battlefield. «You were doing well last time, but I'm not sure about your victory, so now you can give me the chance to prove it.» The Gym Leader seemed to change her tone. «Anyway...» she approached the computer that regulated the automatic arbitration of the battle.

«Don't worry, I remember your name is Anita and that this is the battle for your second badge,» reminded the Gym Leader.

Meanwhile, Ash, Serena, and Carlos settled into the stands, next to the woman's husband. «The Gym battle between Gym Leader Aloe and Challenger Anita is about to begin! It will be a three-on-three battle. The winner is the one who can render all of the opponent's Pokémon unable to fight! Additionally, only the Challenger is allowed to substitute their Pokémon. You may now send out your Pokémon!» declared the electronic referee.

Anita thought for a few moments before deciding which Pokémon to send out. "Yesterday, I fought with Oshawott, and Aloe sent out Deerling, which had an advantage over Oshawott… but I don't know what other Pokémon she'll use besides Deerling and Herdier. I hope at least one of my Pokémon is in good shape to face them. And I have to remember that her Herdier has Thunder Fang, so neither Oshawott nor Vivillon can withstand much…" she thought.

«Have you decided which Pokémon you'll use?» asked the Gym Leader. «Yes… sure.» The girl forced herself to answer. «Go!» The girl sent out her Oshawott. After thinking it over, she realized that fighting with him was the best choice. «Then I will also fight with Deerling again!» declared the Gym Leader, sending out her Pokémon.

«The battle can begin. The first move goes to the Challenger!» announced the electronic referee. "Last time we started with Fury Cutter… she might expect a similar move again…" Anita thought.

«Oshawott! Let's start with Water Gun!» ordered the girl, leaving the Gym Leader slightly surprised. From the mouth of the Sea Otter Pokémon came a powerful jet of water, which shot towards its opponent.

«Deerling, dodge and use Jump Kick!» ordered the Gym Leader. The Pokémon quickly moved aside, then leaped powerfully toward its opponent.

«Try to dodge!» ordered the girl. The Pokémon tried to move, but was hit squarely by the hind legs of the Season Pokémon.

The Sea Otter Pokémon was thrown back several meters, landing hard. «Are you okay, Oshawott?» asked the girl in a worried tone. At the Trainer's words, the Pokémon sprang to its feet, as if to show that it was fine.

«So Oshawott managed to withstand Deerling's powerful Jump Kick? You should know that it's a very strong move, but if it misses, the user takes heavy damage.» explained the Gym Leader. Anita tried to memorize that information. It might come in handy.

«Deerling, use Jump Kick again!» ordered the Gym Leader. The Season Pokémon leaped again in the direction of the Sea Otter Pokémon. «Let's put into practice what she told us! Hit it with Water Gun!» ordered Anita. The girl's expression changed when she noticed that instead of the usual jet of water, a thin beam of light blue energy, almost white, came out of the Sea Otter Pokémon's mouth.

«You've learned Ice Beam!» commented Carlos from the stands. «I think that's a good thing. Ice-type moves are very strong against Grass-type Pokémon,» he added shortly after.

The beam of energy enveloped the opposing Pokémon, quickly trapping it in a layer of ice. Because of the great weight of the ice, the Pokémon lost its balance, falling heavily to the ground. As previously explained by the Gym Leader, the ice made the Pokémon fall to the ground, injuring it.

«Now use Aqua Jet!» ordered the girl. The body of the Sea Otter Pokémon was covered by a thin layer of water as it rushed toward its opponent, who was trying to get back up.

Before it could do so, the Pokémon was thrown into the air by the great force of the Sea Otter Pokémon. «And now use Fury Cutter!» ordered the girl.

The Sea Otter Pokémon stopped in mid-air, brandishing its Scalchop. The shell glowed a delicate yellow light, extending like a sword.

An instant later, it began to repeatedly strike its opponent with the sword, putting more force into each hit. Deerling tried in vain to defend itself, moving its legs, but without success.

Another blow made Deerling crash to the ground, now unconscious. «Deerling is unable to battle. Oshawott wins!» declared the electronic referee. «If the Challenger wishes, she may substitute her Pokémon.» The robotic voice added shortly after regarding substitution, as the Gym Leader recalled her Pokémon into its Poké Ball.

Anita also decided to let her Oshawott rest for a bit.

«Herdier! It's your turn!» The woman sent out a Loyalty Pokémon, which differed from Anita's only by the length of its whiskers. «If the Challenger does not substitute her Pokémon, the battle may continue,» declared the electronic referee. «The battle may continue, the first move goes to the Challenger!» declared the electronic referee.

Anita also sent out Herdier. «Herdier! Let's start with Bite!» ordered the girl. The Loyalty Pokémon began running toward its opponent, ready to bite it.

«Dodge and use Retaliate!» ordered the Gym Leader. The Gym Leader's Pokémon ran at high speed, its body glowing with a brownish light. «Dodge it with Dig!» ordered the girl. Quickly, Herdier dug a hole in the battlefield, hiding from its opponent's view.

«Follow it into the hole and use Bite!» ordered the Gym Leader. The woman's Pokémon jumped into the hole dug by its opponent, in frantic pursuit. «Herdier!? Can you hear me? Try to get out of there!» The girl tried to raise her voice to be heard.

Sensing the vibrations in the ground, the Pokémon realized something was wrong and began to move quickly, throwing a large amount of dirt at its opponent.

In a few moments, the girl's Herdier managed to emerge from the hole, followed moments later by its opponent, completely covered in dirt.

«Come on, Herdier! Use Play Rough!» ordered the Gym Leader. «Hit it with Tackle!» ordered Anita. The two Pokémon clashed rather violently, being thrown to opposite sides of the battlefield.

«Herdier!» both Trainers shouted simultaneously, in a worried tone. Fortunately for them, both Pokémon were still able to

fight. «Herdier, take a break,» Anita recalled her Pokémon into its Poké Ball.

«Oshawott! It's your turn again!» The girl sent out the Sea Otter Pokémon once more. It was still a bit shaky from the injuries caused by Deerling, but it would grit its teeth and fight. «The first move goes to the Gym Leader!» declared the electronic referee. «Herdier! Use Play Rough!» The Loyalty Pokémon ran with all its might, its body covered in a pink aura. «Oshawott! Try to dodge with Aqua Jet!» ordered the girl. Thanks to the propulsion of the water current, the Pokémon managed to avoid the blow. «And now hit it with Fury Cutter!» ordered the girl. The Pokémon brandished its Scalchop, which was covered in a yellow aura, extending and transforming into a kind of sword. «Herdier! Dodge!» ordered the Gym Leader. The Pokémon made a quick move, dodging the attack for the first time. «Let's try again!» ordered the girl. The Sea Otter Pokémon continued to chase its opponent, propelled by the water current. For a few minutes, there was a back-and-forth between the two Pokémon, with the Otter trying in every way to hit its opponent. «Stop running away now! Use Play Rough again!» ordered the Gym Leader.

The two Pokémon clashed rather violently, being thrown to opposite sides of the battlefield. «Oshawott is unable to battle!» declared the electronic referee. Now the two Trainers were almost evenly matched.

Both had one Pokémon still in perfect shape and one that had already battled. Anita had to recall her Oshawott into its Poké Ball. «You did a great job. Now rest.» The girl took another Poké Ball from her bag. «Herdier! Now it's your turn!» The girl decided to have her Herdier battle again. «The match can resume. The first move goes to the Gym Leader!» declared the electronic referee. «Herdier, use Thunder Fang!» ordered the Gym Leader. The Loyalty Pokémon started running, its body covered in electric sparks. «Use Dig!» ordered the girl, without a clear plan in mind. Quickly, the girl's Herdier dug a hole in the battlefield and jumped inside. «Chase it!» ordered the Gym Leader. The woman's Herdier dove into the hole, chasing its opponent, continuing its attack. Underground, neither Pokémon could hear their Trainers' instructions.

After digging for who knows how long, Anita's Herdier emerged from the ground. It looked around, disoriented. Its opponent had vanished. «Be careful! It could pop up at any moment!» Anita warned her Pokémon. «Move away and get ready with Tackle!» The Pokémon moved away from the hole it had dug. Moments later, its opponent also emerged from the same hole, still covered in electricity. Anita's Herdier was ready to strike the opponent, heading in its direction. The two Pokémon collided in the middle of the field, both being violently thrown back to the sides from which they had started. Both Pokémon were covered in electric sparks due to the combined power of the two attacks.

«Herdier! Use Play Rough!» ordered the Gym Leader. The Loyalty Pokémon started running with all its might, its body covered in a pink aura. «Herdier! Dodge with Dig!» ordered Anita. The Loyalty Pokémon dug another hole in the ground, avoiding the opponent's attack. «Stay still! Don't let it know where you are!» The Gym Leader ordered her Pokémon not to move. Underground, Herdier also remained still and silent, as if waiting for something.

A few moments later, the Pokémon began to move very slowly, digging small amounts of earth gradually, without a specific direction. Slowly, the Pokémon started to sense slight vibrations from the ground. It couldn't perfectly tell where they were coming from, but it seemed that as it moved in that direction, the vibrations increased. Evidently, that was the right direction. Continuing to dig, it finally reached the point where its opponent presumably was. At this point, it moved quickly, launching itself rapidly in that direction.

The blow to the opposing Herdier was extremely violent, sending it flying into the air with considerable force. «Now hit it with Tackle!» ordered the girl. With one final blow, the girl's Herdier managed to hurl its opponent to the ground. «The Gym Leader's Herdier is no longer able to battle. If she wishes, the Challenger may switch her Pokémon,» declared the electronic referee. Anita did not need to be told twice, recalling her Pokémon into its Poké Ball. «Now rest a bit.» Aloe smiled. «I'm glad to see that this time you managed to keep one of your Pokémon in top shape to battle against mine. But be warned, that might not be enough! Come out, Watchog!» From the Gym Leader's Poké Ball emerged a bipedal Pokémon, resembling a prairie dog. Its body was brown with yellow stripes, except for the white tips of its limbs. Its tail, of the same color as its body, was extremely long and ended with a white tuft. Its eyes were red and yellow, and its cheeks were also quite large and puffy. A large incisor protruded from its mouth.

The girl analyzed that Pokémon with the Pokédex function of her Smart Rotom: «Watchog, the Lookout Pokémon. Male specimen. It attacks by shooting the seeds of the berries it has stored in its cheeks. If it spots an enemy, it raises its tail. Known moves: Iron Tail, Seed Bomb, Revenge, Double Team.» The girl quickly put her device back into her bag.

«The first move goes to the Challenger,» declared the electronic referee. Meanwhile, Anita had sent out her Vivillon. «Okay, Vivillon! Let's start with Air Slash!» ordered the girl. Thin blades of air generated from the Pokémon's wings, moving at immense speed towards the enemy.

«Quick, Watchog, use Revenge!» ordered the Gym Leader. The body of the Lookout Pokémon glowed with a reddish-brown light as it leaped towards its opponent.

«Let's try it! Vivillon, use Psychic!» The Scale Pokémon concentrated a large amount of psychic energy around its body, then enveloped its opponent and hurled it violently against the ground. The Pokémon took the hit, quickly getting back up. «Clever of you, preventing Watchog from using the full power of Revenge, but the battle is just beginning!» commented the Gym Leader. «And now we'll prove it! Watchog, use Double Team!» In a few moments, the Lookout Pokémon began to create dozens of illusory copies, all identical to it.

«Destroy the copies with Air Slash!» ordered the girl. In an instant, numerous blades of air slashed through the surrounding air, hitting and making more and more copies of that Pokémon disappear.

«Now use Seed Bomb!» ordered the Gym Leader. The Lookout Pokémon and all its copies generated large seeds from their mouths, launching them towards their opponent.

«Defend with Swift!» ordered Anita. The girl gave a quick glance at her Pokémon. She quickly noticed that her Pokémon was starting to show signs of fatigue. After the numerous star-shaped energy rays collided with the seeds, generating numerous explosions, Anita called her Pokémon back. «Vivillon! Rest a bit!» She recalled her Pokémon into its Poké Ball. «Herdier, it's your turn!» The girl sent out the Loyalty Pokémon again. «The first move goes to the Gym Leader,» declared the electronic referee with its robotic voice. «Watchog! Use Iron Tail!» The long tail of the Lookout Pokémon hardened and sharpened like a sword. The same happened with its remaining clones.

«Herdier! Dodge with Dig!» ordered the girl. Before the opponent could reach it, the Pokémon had already dug a large hole, taking cover from the powerful attack. Shortly after, the Pokémon emerged from the ground, quite far from its opponent. «Can you recognize which one is the real one?» asked the girl, addressing her Pokémon. «Hit it with Tackle!» The Pokémon stood still for a few moments, sniffing the air. In a few seconds, it started running towards one of the many Pokémon on the opposite side of the field. As soon as Watchog was hit, all the clones disappeared. It was the right one. «So, you figured us out? It might surprise you, but we anticipated that. Use Seed Bomb!» From the Lookout Pokémon's mouth emerged a large seed, wrapped in a greenish aura, which exploded shortly after, right on Herdier, raising a huge cloud of dust. It took a few seconds for the dust to settle, and perhaps, for Anita, it would have been better if the dust had remained suspended in the air longer.

«Herdier is no longer able to battle,» declared the electronic referee. «Both the Challenger and the Gym Leader have only one Pokémon left. The outcome of the battle between the two Pokémon will determine if the Challenger wins the badge or if she will have to retry the battle,» it added shortly after. Anita, having no other options, had to recall Herdier and send Vivillon back into the field. «The battle can resume. The first move goes to the Gym Leader,» declared the electronic referee with its usual robotic and monotonous tone.

«Watchog! Use Iron Tail!» ordered the Gym Leader again. The Lookout Pokémon jumped, its long tail hardening and sharpening like a sword.

«Quick! Use Energy Ball!» ordered the girl. Pokémon generated a dark green energy sphere, resembling an eye, which quickly collided with the Sentinel Pokémon. «Hit it with your tail!» commanded the Gym Leader, making her Pokémon perform a 180-degree rotation. The energy sphere was destroyed by the Pokémon without any consequence.

«Now use Swift!» ordered the girl, as Watchog approached the opponent. Without needing any instruction from the Gym Leader, the star-shaped energy beams were destroyed by the Pokémon's tail, which was now just meters away from its opponent. «Fly as high as you can!» ordered the girl.

No sooner had she spoken those words than the Butterfly Pokémon was struck by the Sentinel Pokémon's tail, losing several meters of altitude.

«Vivillon!» cried the girl, extremely worried for her Pokémon. Anita sighed in relief when she saw the Pokémon regain altitude, flapping its wings again.

«Let's try! Use Psychic!» ordered the girl. The Butterfly Pokémon's body was enveloped in a pink aura, which quickly surrounded the opposing Pokémon as well. Watchog was continuously tossed around the battle field, hitting the ground and the walls of the Gym.

«Try to regain control and use Retaliate!» commanded the Gym Leader. The woman knew the move wouldn't be as strong as the first time, but she realized she had little choice. She certainly didn't expect to be pushed this far.

The Sentinel Pokémon's body glowed with a brownish aura as it struggled to resist the psychic force of its opponent. Vivillon faltered slightly, and the opponent took the opportunity to attack, beginning to run rapidly toward its adversary.

«Try to hit it with Air Slash!» ordered the girl. Thin blades of air generated from the Butterfly Pokémon's wings, striking the opponent but not stopping its charge. It seemed that contact between the two Pokémon was inevitable.

«Energy Ball!» shouted the girl. The Butterfly Pokémon generated a green energy sphere that resembled a large gem. The Pokémon couldn't launch the energy sphere at its opponent, as the latter was too close. The clash between the Pokémon caused a large explosion, pushing both Pokémon back.

«Watchog is unable to battle. Vivillon wins. Thus, the winner of the match is the Challenger,» declared the electronic referee. Anita and the Gym Leader recalled their Pokémon into their respective Poké Balls, then met at the center of the battlefield to shake hands.

«Congratulations! You have earned the Basic Badge!» complimented the Gym Leader, handing the girl the Gym Badge. It was a rather simple-looking badge, made of golden metal with a narrow rectangular shape. Inside, it was dark red with some areas separated by the metal.

Meanwhile, Ash, Serena, Carlos, and the woman's husband came down from the stands to congratulate the girl: «And now it's time for the customary photo. It's already your second badge, so you know what I'm talking about.»

Anita released the three Pokémon that had participated in the battle from their Poké Balls, holding the newly won badge in her hand. The Gym Leader's husband took several photos of the two of them before congratulating the girl himself. Soon after, Bunz, Serena, and Carlos also congratulated their friend.

Metagross

I apologize for taking so long to write this chapter, but I had several commitments and couldn't write much. Additionally, this chapter was supposed to be part of the chapter "An eventful Tournament" until I realized how excessively long that chapter had become. Considering the text size and line spacing in my word processing program, it would have been well over 30 pages, so I decided to write two separate chapters.

That said, Anita has finally won her second badge after two attempts, even if it wasn't her fault. I hope you enjoyed the battles against Aloe; I had a lot of fun writing about them. Honestly, I expected to narrate Oshawott's evolution into Dewott by now, but it's still not the right moment, though it could happen quite soon.