It was funny to see Gary struggle. The boy may have become a better person and friend in the future, but he was a jerk right now.
Fuchsia City was just beyond a series of mountains, but Ash had paused from crossing them when a hysteric foreman began cursing the Digletts in the area. Ash didn't remember what happened here, but with all the experience of traveling under his belt, he knew these Pokemon were trying to protect something.
But before he could assess this situation, Gary and a bus full of people showed up, all of them Pokemon Trainers gathered to deal with these Digletts. Words were said and Ash just let Gary do as he please.
This brought him to cackling when none of Gary's Pokemon came out to battle.
"You think this is funny do you?!" Gary snapped, "I don't see you do anything about this!"
"That's because this is not an extermination," Ash said simply. "When wild Pokemon are so adamant in stopping something, they have something to protect. If we follow the Diglett, we'll find out what they are protecting."
Gary scoffed, but the foreman looked very interested.
So with Ash leading, they all followed the trail of Digletts. At one point the trail of Digletts they'd been following met up with more Digletts, these ones carrying trees. The Digletts met up with a Dugtrio and the Pokemon began planting trees.
"They were protecting their home" Ash pointed out to all present.
"If we finish the dam, this whole place would be flooded…" lamented the foreman.
"These Pokemon already figured that out and that must be why they were stopping you" Gary reasoned. "But it doesn't explain why none of my Pokemon would come out when I ask them to."
"They just didn't want to battle" Ash shrugged. "They knew these Pokemon had something to protect so they didn't want to force them."
Gary looked slightly flustered.
"We will stop work on the dam!" the foreman declared, "to allow the Diglett and Dugtrio to continue living in their home."
Ash smiled at the declaration, then looked down when he felt a tug at his pants. It was a Diglett. Ash knelt in front of it and patted it on the head.
"You guys can live here in peace now. They will stop work on the dam" Ash said gently.
The Diglett was happy at the news but it did not move away, to Ash's confusion. Pikachu jumped down from his shoulder and talked with the Diglett for a moment, before coming back to Ash. Pikachu went straight for Ash's belt, pulling a Pokeball from it and placing it in front of Ash.
Ash understood then.
He picked up the Pokeball and held it in front of Diglett. Diglett gently tapped the ball and was sucked into it. Three shakes later the Pokeball was sent to Professor Oak.
Gary watched with a frown.
-x-
Ash felt like he was being watched. From the moment he'd entered the forest, he could feel eyes on him. Yet he chalked it up to being wild Pokemon watching him. It would be the normal assumption, Ash was a stranger on their land after all. But he was still uncomfortable because of it. Eventually, he had enough.
Pikachu used Thunderbolt all around Ash at his trainer's orders.
First fell a Venonat, and then a person.
"Why are you following me?" Ash asked with a frown. Internally though, he remembered who this was. Koga's little sister.
The woman shot to her feet, quickly recovering from the shock. "I will not let you go any further until you defeat me in battle" she demanded.
Ash was all too happy to accept.
The woman's Venonat recovered as well and jumped into battle.
Ash sent his Zubat out.
Venonat shook violently to spread a yellow powder from its body. Zubat acted quickly and used Whirlwind, blowing the Stun Spore back at Venonat. Sparks ran across Venonat as the paralysis took effect. Zubat followed it up with Supersonic, leaving Venonat confused. With a few Wing Attacks, Zubat finished the battle as the victor.
The woman stared in shock.
"Take me to the gym now?" Ash asked nicely and with a polite smile.
-x-
It was easier to navigate this invisible maze of exploding Pokemon with a guide who knew where they were going. A Voltorb falls from the ceiling and explodes, throwing smoke everywhere. When the smoke dissipated, Koga stood before the two looking stern.
"The reason we set up traps was to filter out which trainers were worthy and which were not," the Gym Leader said with clear displeasure.
"He's strong, brother" the woman, Aya, said confidently. "He defeated my Venonat without taking a single damage."
"Perhaps you're the one who needs to train more so you don't get taken down easily" Koga countered.
Aya deflated, and Ash frowned. Was Koga this mean the last time?
The Gym Leader turned to Ash and for a moment studied him in silence. Then the man turned.
"Follow me" he began to walk, Ash following wordlessly. "It will be a three-on-three battle. You will be allowed to switch Pokemon in between turns. The last Pokemon standing wins it for his trainer."
Ash nodded, still frowning.
Koga took position on his end of the battlefield and Ash took his position. Koga sent out Venonat, and Ash sent out Zubat. Zubat had defeated Aya's Venonat, but Ash knew better than to underestimate his opponent.
And he was proven right when Venonat immediately evolved.
Venomoth used Stun Spore and Zubat countered with Whirlwind. But unlike with Aya, Koga ordered his Pokemon efficiently to dodge out of the Stun Spore. Venomoth followed up with Psybeam. Zubat flew out of the way, moving quickly and using Supersonic. Venomoth fired a Supersonic in return and the two moved cancelled each other out. Venomoth fired another Psybeam and Zubat flew around it with glowing wings. The Wing Attack hit home, and Zubat was immediately blasted with Sleep Powder. Zubat fell deep in slumber, sent crashing into the ground when Venomoth used Psybeam.
Ash called back Zubat with a frown.
Koga stared with a bored look. The Gym Leader was not impressed by what he saw.
Ash sent Charmander out.
"So you flounder under the pressure and fall onto something like a type advantage" Koga mused. But he called Venomoth back and sent out a Golbat.
Golbat used Screech and Charmander flinched from the sound. It was not just Charmander though. Aya and Ash were affected too. Koga was the only one unaffected. With blinding speed Golbat landed a Wing Attack on Charmander, sending him reeling. Golbat was fast and used its speed to land multiple Wing Attacks on Charmander.
Charmander eventually blasted the ground under him with Fire Spin, erecting a tornado of flames around him to block Golbat's attacks.
Golbat went back to using Screech, but the flame wall did not let the sound waves break through to Charmander.
Charmander fired a Flamethrower through the wall but Golbat dodged. The flame wall came down and Golbat rushed in with Wing Attack. The move hit Charmander in the face and Charmander bit down on it to hold it in place. Charmander blasted Golbat's wing with Flamethrower before throwing the Pokemon aside. Charmander used Flamethrower again and hit Golbat this time, the Pokemon was unable to dodge because of its damaged wing. Charmander quickly followed it with a Fire Spin, trapping Golbat in a wall of spiraling flames. Charmander used Skull Bash and knocked it back towards Koga.
The Gym Leader looked slightly impressed.
Koga called his Golbat back and sent Venomoth back out.
Charmander panted heavily, having taken serious damage from the battle before. But Ash did not call him back.
Venomoth fired a Supersonic and Charmander fired back with Fire Spin. The flames ran over the waves of sound, encasing Venomoth soon with flames. Burned, Venomoth fired a Psybeam. Charmander countered with Flamethrower. The two moves collided and called an explosion that kicked up smoke and covered the entire field. Immediately Charmander threw up a Fire Spin wall around him at Ash's order. The spiraling wall of flames drew in the smoke and sent it up in the air, clearing the battlefield.
Charmander blasted Venomoth with another Flamethrower, this time knocking the Pokemon out.
A bright light began to come from inside the spiraling wall of flames. The flames collapsed with the light dying down, revealing Charmander having evolved into Charmeleon.
But Charmeleon was on the ground knocked out.
Both Pokemon were called back by their trainers.
"I'll admit, I did not think you'd be pushing me to my last Pokemon" Koga smirked, sending out Scyther. "But this is the end of the line for you."
Ash took in a deep breath and sent his final Pokemon, Drowzee. He had expected Koga to use only Poison Pokemon and had built his strategy around it. It went right out the window, but Ash was not going to pull back the Pokemon he decided to use for this Gym.
Drowzee used Disable the moment Scyther charged with Wing Attack, following up with Poison Gas.
Scyther stumbled, taking the Poison Gas in the face and falling victim to poison. But the Pokemon pushed through and hit Drowzee with Quick Attack. Drowzee quickly hit back with Headbutt, following it up with Confusion to throw Scyther away from him. Scyther recovered, stumbled from the poison a bit, and charged with Slash. Drowzee took a few hits, and countered a few with Confusion and Headbutt, but was overwhelmed and it was plain for all to see.
And right then Drowzee began to glow. A fist lashed out and sent Scyther flying back. The glow died away to reveal Hypno, Drowzee's evolved form.
Scyther struggled to its feet but was shot towards Hypno when Hypno used Psychic to draw it in. Hypno slammed his fist into Scyther's face when it was close, his newly learned Mega Punch sending Scyther flying back to Koga. The damage from the moves and the poison knocked Scyther out the moment it hit the ground.
"You did it!" Ash rushed to Hypno and hugged him tightly.
Hypno looked very pleased by his victor.
"Truly a marvelous and powerful Pokemon" Koga said, walking over to Ash and Hypno. "Trade him for my Scyther. Or my Venomoth!"
Ash sweatdropped. Yeah, this is the Koga he remembered.