Ash woke up earlier than he usually did the next morning, just as the sun was starting to emerge from beyond the horizon. His eyes opened slowly, his foggy brain confused as he took in the relative lack of light in the room, trying to register where and when he was. As he pieced together that he was still in Cyllage City, resting in the Pokémon Center, the events of the day before stormed back into his mind. He felt a sudden rush of alertness, adrenaline coursing through him, as he realized that what had happened was real and not just a dream.
He stared up at the bunk bed above him, with disbelief as his immediate reaction; just like with their reunion, yesterday felt like something that was only possible in his mind, never to become real. He replayed the kiss over and over in his head, recalling every sensation, almost able to feel it once again. After over a dozen replays, he glanced over to his side, wanting to see Serena, as if he needed confirmation that she was really there. She was sound asleep in her bunk, rolled onto her side and facing him, a gentle and sleepy smile adorning her face. She had no makeup hiding her blemishes, her mussed bedhead hair falling into her eyes, but she was positively radiant, more beautiful to him now than any time he could remember.
He grinned wide as he looked back up at the bed above him, inhaling deeply, feeling as if he had just won ten Pokémon Leagues at once. He lay still for a long time, not thinking about anything in particular, just enjoying the thrill, his body racked with excitement. He didn't bother closing his eyes, knowing there was no chance he would fall back asleep now, lying in his bed for ten minutes that felt like thirty.
Eventually Ash lifted his covers and slowly got out of bed, being careful to not disturb anyone else in the room. He quietly grabbed a pair of gym shorts from his bag and stepped outside, needing to burn off his excess energy with a run through Cyllage City.
Later that morning, Ash was emerging from the showers in a clean set of clothes, his hair still drying and his body fully awake. The sun was properly up now, and some of the other travelers had awoken and were now traversing the halls of the Pokémon Center as well. He started making his way back to the room where they were staying, when he heard a voice calling out to him from behind.
"Morning, Ash!" He turned quickly to see Iris waving at him, grinning from ear to ear as she approached, unusually chipper. Her hair was partly wet and drying just like his, which he took to mean that she had gone off for an early-morning swim again.
"Morning, Iris." He grinned back at her, waiting for her to catch up. "Did you have a good day yesterday?"
"Yeah, it was great," she answered, as they started walking back to their room together. "Though not as great as yours was, I bet."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Shannon and I saw the two of you at the lantern lighting," she explained, her grin widening, tickled pink at the events of yesterday. "You two must have had a really nice date, huh?"
"You saw us?!" he exclaimed in surprise, turning red as he realized exactly what that meant. "How… how much did you…"
"Oh, we saw everything, Mr. Suave." She smirked at him teasingly. "She must really like you if she let you try a second time."
"I… I guess so…" He looked down sheepishly, wishing that his embarrassing failure could have been a secret between himself and Serena, or erased from history altogether.
"Still, congratulations, Ash," she offered, smiling warmly. "I'm really happy for both of you."
"Thanks, Iris." He smiled as well, his embarrassment fading. "It feels strange… I never really thought that I would have a girlfriend at this point, but…"
"Wait, really?!" Iris exclaimed excitedly, her eyes lighting up. "Is that what she said to you? Are you a couple now?"
"Well, she didn't say that exactly," he clarified, looking back at Iris. "But we kissed, so… it sort of goes without saying, doesn't it?"
Iris's face fell just as quickly as it had risen, and she slumped forward, her head in her hand. "Oh, Ash…"
"What? What did I say?" Ash cut himself off as she grabbed him by the sleeve, dragging him into the Pokémon Center's TV lounge and shutting the door behind them, needing to set him straight. Moments later, Serena emerged from the showers with a towel wrapped around her hair, humming happily to herself as she flitted down the hallway back toward her bunk and her backpack.
Ash sighed, already irritated with their conversation before it had even begun, as Iris turned back to face him. "What did I do wrong now?"
"Look, Ash, just because you two kissed doesn't mean that she's your girlfriend now," she responded, incredulous that she had to explain something like this to him.
"What does it mean, then?"
"It means she likes you, you dolt!" she shot back. "She's testing you. She's trying to see if you're boyfriend material."
"Testing me?" He glared back, replying defensively, not enjoying Iris talking down to him. "We've known each other a long time, Iris. If she's testing me, I'm pretty sure I passed way before yesterday."
"Maybe you did! I don't know!" she replied, exasperated. "The point is, you can't just assume."
He groaned. "Fine, whatever. How am I supposed to know if she's my girlfriend, then?"
"You ask her, of course."
"Ask her? You mean like… ask her to be my girlfriend?" He tried to imagine himself having that conversation, his confidence starting to visibly slip away.
"Yes, Ash." Iris closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, visibly frustrated. "I have no idea how you got as far as you did if you're this scared of her."
"I'm not scared!" Ash fired back. "It's… just… it's not an easy thing to ask, alright?"
She sighed, her frustration giving way to pity. "Look, just… keep doing what you're doing now. She likes you a lot, so clearly it's working. But eventually, if you want her to stay with you, you're just going to have to man up and ask her."
"How will I know when the time is right, though?" he asked, his defensiveness falling away, eager for whatever help Iris was willing to give, badly wanting to not mess things up with Serena.
"I can't tell you that, Ash," she answered, her voice more gentle now. "That's up to you."
"Alright…" Ash rubbed his head, feeling like he had just come out of a college lecture. "I don't know how people are supposed to learn this stuff…"
Iris smirked a bit, gesturing to herself. "Well, that's why I am a mature young woman…" She reached out and poked him lightly on the nose. "…And you are still just a little kid."
He smirked back, reaching out and resting his hand flat on top of her head, to emphasize the height difference between them. "Yeah, I'm the little kid." Iris glared up at him, her eyes flaring.
Back in their room, Serena finished drying her hair with a small hair dryer she had brought with her, putting it aside and reaching for a brush to give her hair a last once-over. Brock, Shannon and Madison were all putting their shoes on, with Brock finishing first, standing and heading for the door.
"Alright, time for some breakfast, then it's back to the gym." He glanced back toward Serena, as the other two girls started to follow him. "You coming down with us?"
"Sure, I'll be there in just a minute," she answered, inspecting her hair with a hand mirror. "You don't happen to know where Ash and Iris are, do you? They were both gone when I woke up."
"I heard them in the hallway just a few minutes ago," he replied. "I'm sure they're around."
"Alright, I'll go find them." She placed the mirror back into her bag, as Brock and the others headed down to the cafeteria. Walking out into the hallway, she looked around for a moment, wondering where the two of them might be, when she heard Iris's muffled voice from nearby. She moved slowly toward the sound, quickly realizing it was coming from the TV lounge. She reached out and opened the door, taking a step inside.
"Hey, I…" Her voice dropped off as she took in the bewildering sight before her. Ash was lying face down on the couch, his arms grabbing at the sides of it, trying to push himself up. Iris was on top of him, one knee planted firmly in his back, her hand mashing Ash's face into the couch cushion, a clear expression of vengeance on her face.
She glanced over at the door as she heard a voice, her expression changing to a smile as she saw who was there. "Hey, Serena!" She greeted her cheerfully, as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening, not letting up the pressure on her target. "Ash and I were just having a little chat. What's up?"
"We… um…" Serena tried to collect her thoughts and process the scene in front of her at the same time, a difficult task. "Breakfast…"
"Oh! Great! I'm starving." Iris casually hopped up onto her feet, walking through the door past Serena and making her way downstairs. Serena turned her gaze back toward Ash, who was still lying defeated on the couch, face down, not looking in her direction.
"Are you alright, Ash?" she asked.
Ash nodded wordlessly.
"Do I want to know what that was all about?"
Ash shook his head.
"Well… we'll be downstairs." She quietly closed the door, as Ash continued lying on the couch for a few more moments, stewing in his humiliation.
Later that day, everyone had gathered at the gym, waiting for Brock to close it up so they could all have a big dinner together on their final day in Cyllage City. He had already defeated one challenger using only his Sudowoodo, and had just finished training with another who was hoping to strengthen his own Rock-type Pokémon. He was currently killing time by talking with Iris about their experiences running their own gyms, with Shannon standing nearby and taking in their conversation quietly. In another corner of the room, off of the battlefield, Madison was giving instructions to a brown-haired boy of the same age and height as herself.
"…I'll try not to change anything else before the showcase," she explained. "And I'll make sure we arrive in Couriway Town a couple days before so we can practice more."
"Sounds good," the boy agreed, before grinning a bit. "You'll 'try' not to change anything?"
"Yes, I'll try," she responded. "But no promises. I'll be practicing with Serena, and she might have some good ideas for improvements. If I do change anything, I'll send you a video."
He nodded, chuckling. "Alright, sure."
"Thank you so much for this, Barrett." She smiled at him appreciatively, deeply grateful. "I can't tell you how much this means to me."
"It's no problem, really!" he insisted, his smile mimicking hers. "Actually, I still had one question…"
On the other side of the arena, Ash and Serena were standing together, making idle talk as he leaned back against the stands. They spent a fair amount of their time together in silence, simply enjoying each other's quiet company. Their eyes would occasionally meet as they glanced around, causing both of them to grin. It was as if they had a special secret they were sharing between the two of them, and they shared it again each time they looked at each other. At the moment, both of them were watching Madison's conversation, curious about the trainer who had agreed to be her Battle Partner.
"He likes her," Serena commented.
"Huh? You mean Barrett?"
"Yeah," she confirmed. "He's crushing on her hard."
"How can you tell?" Ash stood up properly, looking over the two of them, trying to see what made her so certain.
"It's a bunch of little things," she answered. "The way he talks, the way he looks at her, his body language…"
"Huh." He leaned in closer, examining Barrett's face for clues. "I don't get it. He's just looking at her normally, isn't he? That's the same way I look at anyone."
"That's not true," Serena rebutted. "You look at me differently than you look at Brock or Iris."
"Wait, I do?" He looked over at her. "How do I look at you?"
"I'm not telling." She grinned as she watched Madison waving her over, needing help answering Barrett's question.
"Why not?"
She glanced back at him as she started walking in Madison's direction. "Because I want you to keep looking at me that way."
He watched her walk off for a moment, trying to figure out how he could possibly look at her differently, as she started talking with Madison and Barrett about their performance. He pondered this for a minute before a voice to his side distracted him.
"Hey, Ash?" He glanced over to see Iris standing beside him, looking humbled, her hands clasped in front of her.
"Iris? What's up?"
"Just… I'm sorry I gave you a hard time about Serena this morning," she spoke quietly. "I shouldn't have lost my patience like that. I know you're trying your best."
"Oh, that… it's fine, really." He gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it. I probably deserved it."
She smiled back. "We're still cool, right?"
He nodded in response. "Of course we are. I know I wasn't in a great mood about it, but I really appreciate all your help."
"Well, I want you two to be happy. You're a good friend, Ash."
"You too, Iris." He grinned a bit. "I thought you were going to apologize for tackling me."
Iris smirked. "Oh, I'm not sorry about that at all."
"Alright, it's closing time," Brock announced, walking into the center of the arena. "My tenure as Gym Leader is over. Who's hungry?" The others in the room cheered, ready to get some food, and they congregated in the middle of the room as they started discussing their dinner options.
"Excuse me." Everyone stopped talking abruptly, glancing over at the soft male voice coming from the direction of the gym entrance. At the edge of the arena stood an older teenager, a couple of inches shorter than Brock, with short, jet-black hair. "I know it's late, but I was hoping I might be able to have a Gym Battle. I just got into town now."
"Ah, hi… technically, the gym is closed, but…" Brock looked around at the others, gauging their expressions, weighing the pros and cons of keeping the gym open a bit later for one more battle.
"I don't mind waiting a bit longer," Ash spoke up. "He came all this way for a battle, and it would be great if he could have one. I'd love to watch it, too."
Recognition flashed across the boy's eyes, and he walked over to Ash. "I've seen you before, haven't I? You were the challenger at the gym's grand reopening. That was a tense battle."
"Yeah, that was me." Ash smiled, extending his hand. "I'm Ash. Nice to meet you."
The boy smiled back, as the two of them shook hands. "You, too. My name's Darius."
"I think we can wait a bit so he can have his battle," Serena chimed in. She was happy to do what Ash wanted to do, and this newcomer seemed like a nice enough person. The other girls voiced their agreement.
Brock grinned. "Well, I guess that settles that. Only issue is, the ref already left for home a few minutes ago…" He looked in Iris's direction. "Iris, would you mind?"
"No problem, Brock." She walked over to the edge of the arena, toward the referee's position, as Brock turned back to face his new challenger.
"Alright, Darius. As the acting Gym Leader, I accept your challenge. We'll have a two-on-two Pokémon battle for the Cliff Badge. Sound good?"
"That sounds great." Darius bowed his head in gratitude. "Thank you very much." He turned and made his way to the challenger's position, as Brock took his position on the opposite side of the arena. Ash, Serena, Madison and Shannon walked up into the stands, as Iris loudly declared the rules of battle, before gesturing toward Brock.
"Gym Leader Brock, please bring out your first Pokémon." Brock reached down to his belt and tossed a Poké Ball into the arena, summoning his Geodude; his Pokémon bashed his fists together boastfully, ready to send another challenger home. Everyone watched as Darius reached down for a Pokémon of his own, throwing a Poké Ball onto the battlefield.
"Jolteon, let's go!" The ball opened up and released a yellow, fox-like Pokémon onto the battlefield, its sharp, pointed fur sticking straight out like needles, a white mane surrounding its collar.
"Jolteon?" Ash wondered aloud, a bit stunned at Darius's choice of an Electric-type Pokémon. "But Geodude is part Ground-type. Electric attacks aren't going to do a thing."
Serena frowned, sensing that a bad loss was incoming. "Do you think it's his first Gym Battle?"
"I don't know," he answered. "I guess we'll find out." He took a careful look at Darius's face, trying to gauge the boy's expression, as Iris raised her arms, holding a flag in each one.
"Both trainers are ready! Let the battle… begin!"
"Geodude, use Rock Throw!" Brock commanded, his empty stomach telling him to take the initiative. His Pokémon raised his fists and punched the ground with extreme force, sending rocks flying in the direction of his opponent.
"Dodge and get closer with Agility!" Darius ordered, his normally soft voice becoming louder and more stern. Jolteon's body began to glow as its speed greatly increased, and it dashed away from the oncoming rocks as fast as lightning, speeding toward Geodude.
"Stop it in its tracks with Stone Edge!" Brock called out.
"Don't let him do it! Use Bite!" the challenger retorted. As Geodude tried to focus on forming the rings of sharp stones around him, Jolteon was in his face in mere moments, its powerful jaws clamping down on Geodude's left arm. He cried out in pain, the stones vanishing, as he struggled to get free.
"Keep hold of it! Slam it into the ground!" Jolteon growled and thrust her head downward, slamming its opponent's body painfully into the arena; the Pokémon did this once more before tossing a dazed Geodude away.
"Are you alright, Geodude?" Brock asked as Geodude managed to right himself, holding his head. The Pokémon grunted and nodded, as Brock focused on Jolteon instead. "We'll show that Pokémon speed! Use Rollout!"
Geodude tucked its arms in, becoming as sphere-like as possible, and started to roll along the ground in Jolteon's direction, preparing for a powerful impact. Darius watched the Pokémon approach, looking unfazed.
"Counter that Rollout with Double Kick!" Jolteon whirled around quickly, raising its hind legs and striking Geodude with both of them at the same time. The powerful blow send its opponent flying, and Geodude crashed hard into the arena near Brock, badly damaged.
"No! Geodude, are you alright?" Brock leaned in closer, concerned, as Darius continued without pause.
"Quick Attack, Jolteon!" His Pokémon growled and dashed forward with great speed, covering the full length of the battlefield in no time. As Geodude slowly rose into the air, Jolteon's head bashed into it with great force, sending him flying out of the arena and slamming against the wall. As Geodude fell down to the ground, the spectators had no doubt as to the outcome of the battle.
"Geodude is unable to battle!" Iris raised a flag in Darius's direction. "The winner is Jolteon! Gym Leader Brock has one Pokémon left!" Up in the stands, all four of the spectators were watching with amazement, eyes popping out.
"You've got to be kidding," Ash spoke aloud, partly to himself. "That's the strongest Jolteon I've ever seen."
"It didn't even take one bit of damage," Shannon commented. "I guess this isn't his first Gym Battle after all."
"Definitely not…" Ash thought back to his conversation with Ramos, the Coumarine Gym Leader, on the night he had reunited with Serena. Could Darius have been the black-haired trainer who demolished the gym on that day?
Brock returned his Pokémon to his Poké Ball, not sure if he was more amazed or disappointed. "You did a good job, Geodude." He attached the ball to his belt as he looked back at his challenger. "You've got a great Jolteon there, Darius. But I think my last Pokémon will be a bit more of a challenge." He grabbed his other Poké Ball, whipping it onto the field. "Rhyperior, I choose you!"
Darius watched as the enormous drill Pokémon emerged on the battlefield, letting out a powerful roar that shook the gym. He gave a nod to Iris, indicating that he would be sticking with Jolteon for now.
"Both trainers are ready!" she declared. "The battle will resume… now!"
"Jolteon, use Pin Missile!" Darius's Pokémon bristled, its fur becoming even spikier than usual, shifting and pointing directly at its foe. Numerous needles shot out of its fur toward Rhyperior, who was too slow to dodge the attack; she cried out in pain as the needles hit her, much stronger than she expected.
Brock gritted his teeth, growing frustrated with how one-sided this battle was becoming. "Use Earthquake! Throw it off balance!" Rhyperior growled and leaped into the air, stomping her feet as she came back down, shaking the entire arena; everyone watched as Jolteon started to stumble a bit, the Ground-type attack having a powerful effect.
"Leap into the air and use Quick Attack!" Darius commanded. Jolteon bounded upward as soon as it could, leaping toward Rhyperior with surprising speed. As it landed and jumped forward again, Brock smirked, seeing an opening.
"Now, Rhyperior! Hit it with Rock Wrecker!"
His Pokémon raised her arms, small rocks shooting out of the holes in her palms and coming together to form a giant boulder over her head. Jolteon's eyes widened in panic at the oncoming attack, unable to change directions and dodge in midair. Rhyperior roared and heaved the boulder at her opponent; it smashed into Jolteon with amazing force, sending the Pokémon skidding across the battlefield, where it lay on its side for a moment close to Darius's feet.
"Yes! That's the way, Brock!" Ash exclaimed, grinning, thankful that there was some fight in him still. Darius glared down at his Pokémon, as it slowly worked to get back up.
"What do you think you're doing?!" he yelled, a vicious snarl in his voice. "How could you let that hit you?! Get back up and fight, you useless idiot!"
The simultaneous gasps of everyone in the room echoed through the cavernous gym, as the spectators were shocked into silence. Even Brock and Iris were briefly stunned, gaping at Darius, as Jolteon got back to its feet.
"Did he just say what I think he said…?" Serena was covering her mouth with one hand, as was Madison next to her. Ash didn't respond, too shocked to feel anger just yet.
"Get up close and use Iron Tail!" Darius ordered, clearly still angry with Jolteon for letting itself get hit. His Pokémon dashed forward as quickly as it could, wanting to make up for its previous mistake.
Brock managed to shake himself out of his reverie. "Bat it away with Hammer Arm!" Rhyperior extended her left arm, focusing hard, but she was still recovering from using the powerful Rock Wrecker. Jolteon was soon in her face, whirling around and striking her in the head with the iron-hard fur on its meager tail; Rhyperior stumbled backwards, dazed by the super-effective Steel-type attack.
"Now follow it up with Double Kick!" As Rhyperior was recovering, Jolteon leaped forward once again, landing on its front feet and spinning around. It slammed both feet directly into its opponent's jaw with incredible force, enough to knock even the enormous Rhyperior off of her feet. She crashed down onto the ground, on her back and groaning in pain.
As everyone watched Rhyperior weakly try to get up, it was clear that she was going to be down for the count. Darius, however, seemed to have other ideas.
"Don't you let up! Take Down!"
"What?!" Ash exclaimed, nearly standing up, as he watched Jolteon charge at its nearly-unconscious opponent, not a shred of mercy in its eyes. Right before the attack connected, Rhyperior transformed into a pile of red energy, as she was summoned back to her Poké Ball, causing Jolteon to skid to a stop. Darius looked up as Brock reattached Rhyperior's Poké Ball to his belt, a disappointed and angry frown on the Gym Leader's face.
"Brock has withdrawn Rhyperior from the battle," Iris announced, the energy gone from her voice, sounding as defeated as Brock was. "Jolteon wins the battle, so the challenger has won the match." She cast her flags aside as both challenger and Gym Leader walked toward the center of the arena, Brock reaching into his pocket.
"Your Pokémon is very strong, there's no doubt about that. Its skill is off the charts." He pulled a Cliff Badge out of his pocket, holding it out toward Darius, a stern look on his face. "But you really need to learn when to stop."
"I already know when to stop," Darius answered, his voice soft and gentle once again, reaching out and taking the Cliff Badge respectfully. "It's when I'm holding this badge in my hand." He bowed courteously to Brock. "Thank you very much for the battle."
Brock and Iris watched as he turned away, walking across the battlefield toward the entrance to the gym. A shout from the stands caused him to stop in his tracks.
"Hold it!" Madison exclaimed, standing up, her hands clenched into fists. "Where do you get off, talking to your Pokémon like that?! How could you be such a jerk?!"
"She's right!" Ash stood up as well, anger welling up inside him. "Nobody who treats Pokémon like you do deserves to call themselves a trainer!" Serena and Shannon voiced their agreement as well.
Darius smirked a bit, holding his badge out to face the angry spectators. "You may not like my methods, but you can't argue with the results." He placed the badge into his pocket. "Good luck in the Kalos League, Ash." He turned away and walked out of the gym, into the night.
"Ooh, that…!" Serena was baring her teeth, furious herself as she made her way down to the battlefield with the others. "We can't just let him treat his Jolteon like that! We have to do something!"
"Yeah!" Madison looked toward Brock as he approached. "Can't you get in touch with the Pokémon League and do something about that jerk?"
"I mean… what are we supposed to do?" Iris replied as she walked over, the wind taken out of her sails.
"She's right," Brock concurred. "As bad as that was, there aren't any rules against yelling at your Pokémon." He watched everyone's faces fall in light of this information, before shaking his head. "Forget about him. The battle's over now. Let's close up here and get some dinner."
The others reluctantly nodded, as Brock and Iris walked away to turn off the gym lights. Shannon and Madison slumped as they walked toward the gym entrance. Serena started to follow them before realizing Ash wasn't coming along; she turned back to see him looking down at the ground, his clenched fists shaking with anger. She walked back toward him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Ash, take a deep breath. I know he's awful, but try not to think about him."
"I just can't stand it…" Ash's voice was strained, as he tried to force himself to calm down. "I can't stand anyone who treats Pokémon the way he does…!"
"I know, Ash…" She rubbed his shoulder gently, trying to relax him. She knew how much Ash cared about every single Pokémon he ever met, and how much he despised anyone who would abuse them in any way, verbally or otherwise. "Just focus on something else. Think about how we'll be in Lumiose City soon. We'll be able to see Bonnie and Clemont again."
"Yeah… yeah…" Ash took a deep breath and let it out slowly, unclenching his fists. "Yeah. Alright." Serena gave him a gentle smile, glad that she had been able to defuse him, at least. The two of them began walking toward the entrance again, with Ash deep in thought. His anger at Darius was starting to fade, replaced with the worry that the two of them might have to battle at some point. With such powerful Pokémon, would Ash have any chance at victory?
His thoughts were eventually interrupted as the lights in the gym started turning off one by one, leaving only a few small emergency lights weakly illuminating the cavern. Brock and Iris soon joined the others, as they started their walk back toward Cyllage City, and the dinner awaiting them there.