It wasn't until ten o'clock the next morning that Ash finally came down into the cafeteria of the Pokémon Center. All of them had slept in later than usual, desperately needing the rest after traveling from Laverre City, but Ash had stayed up far later than Iris and Brock, exchanging text messages with Serena. They had traded numbers before she left for her hotel, and they'd confirmed their plans for the next day, but they were both too giddy and excited to stop their conversation. They ended up talking about anything and everything under the sun, until Ash finally passed out after nearly two hours, unable to stay awake another second.

He yawned and rubbed his eye, getting a plate filled with breakfast food, then turning and scanning the tables. He quickly found Iris and Brock finishing up their own plates, as Axew and Pikachu were sitting happily, full and lazy. Brock was the first to spot him as he walked over.

"You're finally up," he remarked. "We were starting to think we wouldn't see you until lunchtime."

"Sorry, was just tired…" Ash sat down heavily next to him, digging in, as Iris pushed her empty plate aside.

"The Coumarine Gym's already open," she spoke, mentally telling herself not to judge him for staying up late. "We can get going as soon as you're done."

He shook his head in response, swallowing some hash browns. "We can't go right away. I need some time to prepare. I need to figure out what my strategy's going to be."

"Well, Skorupi's got a strong advantage against Grass-type Pokémon. He'll do great in this battle, I bet."

"Yeah, but I can't rely on him to carry the entire battle," Ash explained. "He's still not strong enough for that. Plus, I need to practice with Snivy. It's been a long time since we battled together."

Brock nodded, pleased that Ash was taking the upcoming Gym battle seriously. "When did you want to go, then?"

"I was planning on 2 p.m." Ash took another bite of breakfast.

"That's later than I thought," Iris chimed in. "Serena's meeting us there, right? Does she know the right time?"

"Yeah, she does. I let her know." He pulled out his phone, showing it off to her. "I sent her a text on my phone. The one I have, and know how to use."

She smirked. "I'm so proud."

They continued talking as Ash finished his breakfast, before he took his Pokémon out to a nearby battlefield to practice.

That afternoon, Ash, Iris and Brock made their way back to the Coumarine Gym, on the outskirts of the city. Climbing the giant tree that housed the structure, they made their way onto the battlefield, which rested on a large, flat bed of dirt, surrounded by greenery. They quickly found Ramos waiting on the other side, standing a bit hunched, his hands behind his back.

As Ash stepped into the challenger's position opposite Ramos, Pikachu sitting at his feet, his attention was drawn away by a voice calling out to him. Looking toward the left side of the battlefield, he smiled wide as he spotted Serena waving at him, standing a good distance back in the spectator area. She was wearing a more casual red-and-black dress, matching her hat, with what looked like a blue flower pinned to the front of it.

"Good luck, Ash!" she called out, as Brock and Iris walked in her direction, ready to spectate as well. He grinned and nodded, waving back, before turning his attention back to the Gym Leader facing him; Serena turned her attention toward the two walking toward her, greeting them warmly.

"Good to see you again, young man," Ramos called out. "Good dedication. Just what I would expect from you."

Ash grinned back at him. "I hope your Pokémon recovered alright."

"They're just fine, don't you worry about that." Ramos chuckled, appreciating the concern. "I remember our last battle now. I've made sure you'll be seeing some Pokémon you didn't encounter last time. Second badge, right?"

Ash nodded in response, as the Gym Leader continued. "Alright, then. Two Pokémon each. Take down both of mine, and you win the badge." He pulled a Poké Ball from his side, standing up straight for a moment as he tossed it into the arena. The ball opened, spitting out a brown, mole-like Pokémon covered in round, green armor.

"Quilladin, huh?" Serena muttered, recognizing the Pokémon, as Brock pulled out his Pokédex.

"Quilladin, the Spiny Armor Pokémon and the evolved form of Chespin. The hard shell covering Quilladin's body is so tough, a direct hit from a large truck wouldn't even dent it. Quilladin uses this shell to deflect foes' attacks, and it strikes back with its sharp quills."

Ash nodded thoughtfully, not having expected this Pokémon, but not rattled by the choice. He reached for a Poké Ball of his own, smirking as he tossed it into the arena. "Snivy, let's go!" The snake Pokémon emerged from the ball, quickly sizing up her opponent, as Quilladin did the same. Pikachu gave Snivy an encouraging cheer.

"Both Pokémon are ready to battle!" the referee announced from the side of the battlefield. "The battle will begin… now!"

As the battle began, Ramos's Quilladin stood its ground, waiting for Snivy to make the first move. This was no problem for Ash, who was eager to begin the offensive.

"Leaf Storm, Snivy!" he called out, pointing forward dramatically. "Aim for its face!" The Pokémon leaped into the air, a number of sharp leaves appearing and swirling around her body, before they flew forward toward her opponent's face.

"Take out those leaves!" Ramos responded. "Vine Whip!" Quilladin cried out, two vines emerging and flying all about, cutting up and deflecting the leaves; a couple of them made it through, but the Pokémon was mostly unscathed. As soon as the attack was deflected, Quilladin went right back to biding its time, waiting for another attack, which Ash was eager to provide.

"Let's try to trip it up! Vine Whip!"

Snivy nodded, her own vines extending from her collar and zooming forward, aiming for her opponent's legs. Quilladin extended its own vines in response, and the two pairs of vines wrapped around each other tightly. Everyone watched as the two Pokémon engaged in an impromptu strength contest, each one trying to pull the other off their feet. After a good fifteen seconds of this, both Pokémon ended up losing their footing, falling onto their backs, as their vines detangled and retracted.

"This will be tricky," Iris commented to the other two, as Snivy got back to her feet. "Ash is trying to keep his distance, but Quilladin's defenses are solid. It'll be hard for him to win like this."

Brock nodded. "Snivy will have to go in for a stronger attack, but that's when a Pokémon like Quilladin is at its most dangerous." Serena listened to their analysis, keeping her eyes on the battle, trying to absorb their insight. Sitting on Iris's head, Axew leaned forward for a closer view of the fight, wondering what Snivy was going to try next.

Ash bit his lip, coming to the same conclusion as his friends: he was going to have to fight this battle on Ramos's terms. His Pokémon turned and glanced back at him, giving a nod, apparently in agreement.

"Alright, Snivy, use Leaf Blade! Be careful of its counterattack!"

The Pokémon dashed forward, the tip of her tail glowing as she ran. She leaped into the air and spun around, swinging her tail like a blade toward Quilladin's face. Her opponent turned as quickly as it could, managing to block just in time; the tail hit against its hard body, doing no damage.

"Needle Arm, Quilladin!" Ramos called out, having waited for this moment. His Pokémon spun back around, its arms glowing with spiky energy, slamming the spikes into Snivy's body; she cried out in pain as she was knocked roughly to the ground.

"You need more patience, youngster!" the Gym Leader continued, a mixture of amusement and disappointment in his voice, before turning his attention back to his Pokémon. "Finish it with Rollout!"

Snivy started getting slowly and painfully to her feet, turning toward her foe, eyes widening as she saw him rolling toward her at a high speed like a bowling ball. She didn't come close to getting out of the way before Quilladin impacted her, sending her flying across the arena.

"No! Snivy!" Ash called out, as she landed roughly on the ground, sliding a bit. She started to get to her feet before collapsing to her arms and knees, crying out in pain. She looked back at herself, seeing one leg splayed out, not responding, not holding up her weight.

"Oh my gosh," Serena uttered, covering her mouth with one hand. "I think something's wrong. Snivy's seriously hurt." Iris and Brock leaned in, eyes wide, worried that Ash's battle might be over just as it was starting. Ash gritted his teeth, stepping as close to the battlefield as he could, as if he was about to run in and scoop her up. Pikachu ran up to the edge as well, worried and wondering if Skorupi was about to be sent in next.

Across the battlefield, even Ramos and Quilladin looked concerned, not having intended to cause so much damage. Quilladin stepped forward nervously, almost apologetically, as Snivy glanced back at him, pain in her eyes, blinking slowly.

"Quilladin, you need to leave it alone, little buddy," Ramos offered. "These things happen sometimes." His Pokémon didn't respond, starting to run forward helpfully. Snivy offered an appreciative smile, as Iris carefully studied the Quilladin. Her eyes widened as she put the pieces together.

"Wait a minute! That's Attract!" she exclaimed, keeping her voice as low as her surprise will allow. "Snivy used Attract on him!" The other two's eyebrows raised as they watched carefully, wondering where this was going.

Ramos came to the same conclusion a couple of moments later, calling out to his Pokémon. "Quilladin, don't! Get back here! It's a trick! A ruse!" Unfortunately for him, Quilladin was much too far gone to respond, swept up in his sudden attraction for his foe.

Snivy smirked as her foe came within feet of her, more than eager to help her back up. Once he was close enough, her vines extended once again, wrapping around his body multiple times. She immediately stood up, almost completely unharmed, and leaped into the air, pulling her foe along with her. She spun around, swinging him through the air, before letting go and sending Quilladin flying into the ground with the force of a Seismic Toss, burying his head in the dirt. She landed daintily on her feet, eyes closed and arms akimbo, exceedingly proud of herself. Everyone but Ash stared, amazed and stupefied.

"Wow… I can't believe they both planned that out," Iris commented, waiting to see if Quilladin would get back up. "Our little Ash is using strategy." She grinned a bit, pleased and proud.

"I've never seen any Pokémon sell an Attract like that," Serena added, not entirely sure how she should feel about this deception. "Why did they put on that whole show? Couldn't Snivy just use Attract by itself?"

"That act wasn't for Quilladin," Brock offered thoughtfully. "They were trying to fool Ramos. They didn't want him realizing what was happening until it was too late." He rubbed his chin contemplatively. "What I'm wondering is how Ash knew that Quilladin was a male. Even I wasn't sure about that."

Serena watched the battlefield for a moment, thinking back to everything they had just seen, before coming to a realization. "Snivy told him. That nod she gave him, it was her confirming that it would work." They all watched, impressed for a variety of reasons, as Quilladin finally fell onto his back. The dazed look on his face was evident to everyone, including the referee.

"Quilladin is unable to battle!" he declared, raising a flag in Ash's direction. "Snivy is the winner! Gym Leader Ramos has one Pokémon left!"

"Great job, Snivy!" Ash declared, pumping his fist. "He didn't know what hit him!" Pikachu gave a loud cheer, clapping, as Snivy brimmed with confidence, which was her default state at all times.

Ramos sighed, reaching for his Poké Ball. "I know that feeling all too well, Quilladin," he commented cryptically, as his Pokémon returned to the ball. "Well, this changes things a bit… but it's nothing we can't handle."

He grabbed another Poké Ball from his side, glancing down at it, speaking to it just loudly enough for everyone to hear. "It's all on you, girl." He reared back and threw it into the arena, watching as it landed and ejected a Pokémon that looked like a tall tree, with a creepy red eye peeking out from the top of its trunk. Iris was the one to pull out her Pokédex this time, curious.

"Trevenant, the Elder Tree Pokémon," the machine recited in a mechanical voice. "This Pokémon controls trees via roots stretching from its feet, and it will attack anyone that dares to ravage the forest."

Serena's eyebrows raised a bit at the size disparity between the two. "Wow, that's big… this Pokémon isn't going to go down so easily, huh?"

"And it's a girl, according to Ramos," Brock added. "He must have been worried about Attract being used a second time. It's not going to work against another female."

"Not against most of them, anyway," Iris chipped in, as Serena glanced over at her curiously. "It's probably not worth the risk." Serena contemplated this for a moment before returning her gaze to the battlefield.

The referee raised both his flags. "Ramos's next Pokémon is ready! The battle begins… now!"

Trevenant quickly buried its roots in the ground, focusing intently. As Snivy looked back, she realized that it was starting to get darker in the gym. Looking around, she saw the trees starting to contract and form a dome around the battlefield, blocking out the sun. Ash looked up as well, surprised, but quickly realizing Ramos's strategy.

"I see what they're doing," Serena spoke, looking up with everyone else. "Snivy gains strength from sunlight, so Ramos is blocking it out." She glanced back down, thinking that Ash's Pokémon was going to need strength to take down such a large foe.

"Let's show them your strength, Trevenant!" Ramos called out. "Wood Hammer!"

The Pokémon responded by raising its claw in the air, a green aura forming around it and taking the shape of a hammer. It swung downward toward Snivy, who nimbly leaped out of the way as the hammer slammed into the ground, shaking the battlefield.

"We need to topple that tree!" Ash exclaimed. "Snivy, use Vine Whip!"

Snivy landed back on her feet and extended her vines out from her collar; they reached out and wrapped around Trevenant's claws tightly. She leaned back, trying her best to pull the tree Pokémon down, but her opponent dug her roots even more firmly into the ground. Trevenant didn't budge even an inch.

"Show that Snivy what strength is, Trevenant!" Ramos called out. His Pokémon roared and swung her claws about, pulling Snivy along and sending her flying into the air. She quickly retracted her vines, twirling about in the air and barely managing to land on her feet, hitting the ground hard.

Ash clenched his fist, thinking as quickly as he could, trying to come up with a plan. In the meantime, he needed to buy some time. "Leaf Storm, Snivy!"

Snivy nodded, raising her arms and forming a number of leaves around her, flinging them toward her opponent in a wide pattern. Ash watched as several of the leaves flew toward Trevenant's eye, expecting them to be blocked. Instead, he watched as the large Pokémon leaned down, using her claws to protect her roots instead, letting the leaves assault her eye freely. His eyebrows raised in surprise as Trevenant bristled, barely even registering any pain from the attack.

"Respond in kind! Magical Leaf!" Trevenant stood up in response to Ramos's command, summoning a number of leaves of her own, far more than Snivy had in her weakened state.

"Vine Whip, Snivy! Deflect as many as you can!"

Ash's Pokémon nodded, producing her vines once again and slicing them through the air, as the massive barrage of leaves flew in her direction. She took out as many as she could, with a number of them still getting through and damaging her. As she lowered her vines again, her eyes widened as a ball of ghostly flame flew in her direction, the Will-O-Wisp hitting her head-on. She cried out in pain as she flew backward, sliding along the ground, singed all over.

On the sidelines, the trio of friends felt their hearts sinking in unison. Trevenant was strong enough on its own, but after taking out Snivy's source of strength, she had become a massive powerhouse. They turned their heads toward Pikachu, expecting him to be sent in any minute. As they watched Snivy painfully get to her feet again, they breathed small sighs of relief.

"Are you okay, Snivy? Can you still fight?" Ash asked, kneeling down. Snivy turned back to him and nodded, her gaze resolute; he sighed and nodded, smiling in response. "Glad to hear it. I know how we're going to win this now."

"Wait, what?" Iris blinked. "He's going to win? What's his plan?"

"I don't know," Serena responded. "I guess we're about to see it." She was still skeptical, but she let some optimism take root, putting her faith in Ash's ability as a trainer.

Ramos smirked a bit, curious himself, but not foolish enough to wait and see what the plan was. "Don't give them the chance, Trevenant! Use Magical Leaf again!"

Snivy watched as another batch of glowing leaves appeared around her opponent, primed to attack. As soon as they flew toward her, she leaped out of the way, using her vines to give herself a boost and dodge the attack. The leaves immediately changed course, seeking out their target, but Snivy was able to use Vine Whip to dispatch nearly all of them once again. As she landed, she used her vines once again to turn herself on a dime, flinging herself toward her imposing foe.

"Now!" Ash called out. "Leaf Blade! Attack the ground!"

Snivy's tail glowed once again, and she gave a battle cry as she flung herself around, swinging at the ground and scooping out a large chunk of ground around Trevenant's roots. As one of the roots became visible, Ash smirked confidently.

"That's what I wanted to see!" he called out. "Let's uproot that tree! Vine Whip!"

As Snivy landed, she whirled around quickly on one foot, her vines stretching out and grabbing the exposed root. Pulling as hard as she could, she managed to yank it out of the ground, as Trevenant cried out in frustration.

Once the root was removed from the ground, the sound of shifting branches could be heard throughout the arena. Everyone looked up at once to see that the trees had started to retract, and a beam of sunlight was starting to peek through the foliage. Ash grinned wide, his fist clenching involuntarily in excitement. His plan was working.

"Keep it up, Snivy! Take out every last root!"

Snivy nodded, energized from this success, and she whirled around to use another Leaf Blade. Trevenant swung her claws, flinging more Will-O-Wisps all over, trying desperately to stop her irritating foe from uprooting her; it was to no avail, as even in a weakened state, Snivy was too small and agile to be caught. As she pulled up one root after another, the trees continued to retract more and more, until eventually the entire battlefield was bathed in sunlight.

Before too long, Trevenant had no more roots left buried in the ground, and she lost all control of the trees around her. Snivy stood in the center of the arena, feeling strength coursing through her once again as the bright sun shone down on her. Ramos frowned, thinking of how to respond to this, while Ash's friends watched excitedly from the sidelines. Ash, for his part, had no intention of letting Ramos execute any more of his plans.

"Time to go on the offensive, Snivy! Leaf Storm!"

Once again, his Pokémon summoned a barrage of leaves, much larger than the last, sending them directly toward Trevenant's roots and eyes. The tree Pokémon cried out in pain, in stark contrast to the previous attack, and she started moving for the first time since the battle began, trying to flee the assault. Ash grinned wide; this was exactly what he was waiting for.

"Let's finish it!" he called out. "Grass Knot!"

Snivy nodded, her eyes glowing green, and she thrust her arms out toward her fleeing foe. As she did, a number of vines appeared out of the ground, ensnaring Trevenant's roots and throwing it off balance.

"Oh, here we go…" Brock spoke to himself, recognizing the move. Grass Knot was an attack that was more effective the larger its opponent was, and against a foe as large as Trevenant, it was bound to cause a huge amount of damage. Everyone watched with rapt attention as Trevenant cried out, toppling over and landing painfully on the ground, kicking up a huge cloud of dirt. Ash had to resist the urge to yell "timber" as it happened.

When the cloud cleared away, everyone in the room got a clear look at Trevenant's face, and the dazed expression that adorned it. Brock, Iris and Serena all cheered in excitement as the referee raised his flag in Ash's direction.

"Trevenant is unable to battle! Ash and Snivy have won this Gym Battle!"

"Yes!" Ash leaped into the air, amped and amazed that his Pokémon had done so well. Pikachu ran out onto the field, excitedly clasping hands with Snivy and cheering, offering words of praise in his language. Ramos sighed as he returned Trevenant to her Poké Ball, disappointed in himself, but pleased that his opponent had unquestionably earned his victory.

"Maybe I'm starting to lose my touch in my old age," he muttered to himself, walking out into the center of the battlefield, as Ash did the same. He reached into his vest pocket, producing a green badge in the shape of a rounded leaf, handing it over. "You don't have anything to complain about, though. You've definitely earned this Plant Badge."

"Thanks a lot, Ramos." Ash took it gently, looking it over, still grinning from ear to ear.

"That's one very special Snivy you have there, Ash," the Gym Leader continued. "And she's got a skilled Trainer, to boot. Keep this up, and the Pokémon League won't know what hit it." He reached up and adjusted his cap. "You take care, now." Ash nodded again, turning and walking toward the sidelines, where his friends were rushing over.

"Great work, Ash!" Brock exclaimed. "That was a tough foe to take down. You both did really well."

"That was a great battle all around," Iris added, smiling wide. "You really earned that badge."

"Thanks, guys." Ash grinned back. "Wasn't just luck this time, huh?" Iris smirked back at him, as Serena kneeled down to congratulate his Pokémon.

"You did great too, Snivy! You were really impressive out there!" She reached down to shake hands gently, which Snivy accepted, always eager for praise. Serena could feel the strength in Snivy's handshake, despite the size difference between the two of them.

Ash smiled and glanced down at the two of them, watching them celebrate, when his eye was drawn to the blue flower pinned to Serena's dress. Upon closer inspection, he realized it wasn't a flower at all; it was actually a blue ribbon, woven intricately into a pattern resembling a blooming flower. His eyes widened as he realized what it was.

"Serena," he spoke, gazing at the ribbon as she stood back up. "Is that…?" She looked back at him, following his gaze downward; she beamed when she realized what he was looking at.

"Yeah." She nodded, thrilled that he had recognized the gift he had given to her so long ago. "It's the same one."

He looked back up, their eyes meeting. "You kept it all this time?"

"I told you I would." She smiled at him warmly. "You didn't believe me?"

"No, I did, just…" He smiled back at her, flushing lightly. "It's just nice to see." Her smile widened as she turned pink as well. She could feel everyone else's eyes on her and Ash, watching this exchange, but right now she was too happy to feel self-conscious.

"Well, shall we go?" she spoke after a moment. Everyone else nodded, as they turned toward the entrance to the Gym, making their way back to the Pokémon Center. Snivy led the charge, not interested in returning to her Poké Ball, taking a self-satisfied victory march back into downtown Coumarine City.

To see what Ash and Serena said to each other, read the story "Message Received".