Chapter 29: Sowing the Seeds of Victory
"Alright! Time for badge number two!" After getting plenty of rest the previous night Ash was pumped for his second Gym battle, and having his Pokémon receive a clean bill of health from Nurse Joy only fueled his excitement.
"No doubt about it, that second badge is as good as mine," Ash said.
"Normally I'd say you were acting a bit over-confident, but based on what happened yesterday I'd have to say things are looking good for you," Nikki agreed, recalling the training Ash and his Pokémon did the day before.
"(Even so don't get ahead of yourself or you'll be leaving without that second badge,)" Pikachu cautioned. Ash reached up and scratched Pikachu between his ears.
"Don't worry, buddy. I don't plan on letting that happen," he reassured his faithful Pokémon companion. Eventually the group found themselves standing in front of the Treetop Gym. From the outside it looked like a massive greenhouse.
"I guess the look makes sense. After all it is a Grass type Gym," Nikki assumed. As they stood there the front doors opened and Fiona walked out.
Hey there! I was wondering when you'd show," she greeted.
"Sorry if we kept you waiting," Ash apologized. Fiona simply waved it off.
"No trouble at all," she said. "So, I take it you're ready." At that moment Ash's competitive nature rose to the surface.
"You bet I am!" he declared.
"Alright then. Follow me." With Fiona in the lead Ash and Nikki entered the Gym. Very quickly something became apparent in the Gym.
"Whew… it sure is humid in here," Nikki commented while wiping sweat from her brow.
"Sure is," Ash agreed.
"That's so we can create the perfect environment for the plants and Grass type Pokémon contained inside the Gym," Fiona explained. "Don't worry. You'll get used to it." They continued walking for a short distance before Fiona came to a stop.
"Well, here we are," she announced. Looking up Ash and Nikki saw they had indeed arrived at the Gym's battlefield. Aside from the path they had walked to get there the entire field was surrounded by trees of all shapes and sizes, giving them the feel of being inside a massive forest.
"Just look at those trees. It almost makes you forget you're inside," Nikki commented.
"I know. That's one of the reasons I love it here," Fiona said. "So, how about we get to that Gym battle." As she headed to her side of the battlefield Pikachu jumped from Ash's shoulder to Nikki's.
"Make sure to cheer for us," Ash said.
"(I will,)" Pikachu replied.
"Good luck out there," Nikki wished. With a nod Ash took his spot in his trainer box. Nikki, Buneary and Pikachu had all retreated to a safe distance behind Ash.
"The Treetop Town Gym battle between the challenger, Ash of Pallet Town, and the Gym Leader Fiona is about to begin! Each trainer will use four Pokémon with only the challenger being allowed to make substitutions! Also, only Grass types are permitted! The battle will end when either trainer is out of usable Pokémon!" the referee announced.
"Good luck, Ash!" Fiona called.
"You too," Ash replied. With both sides ready the referee prepared to start the battle.
"Very well… Begin!"
"Now blossom, Vileplume!" Fiona called. She threw out a Poké Ball, calling on her first Pokémon.
"Torterra, I choose you!" Ash shouted, sending out his Continent Pokémon. As soon as Vileplume appeared Nikki scanned it with her Pokédex.
Vileplume, the Flower Pokémon and an evolved form of Gloom. Vileplume has the world's largest petals. With every step, the petals shake out heavy clouds of toxic pollen.
"Let us begin with Toxic!" Fiona instructed. From the large mushroom on his head Vileplume fired a purple liquid.
"Don't let that touch you, Torterra!" Ash warned. Despite his bulk Torterra managed to lean out of the way of Vileplume's Toxic. The Poison attack stuck the ground behind Torterra, creating a cloud of purple smoke.
"Oh man, that was too close," Ash commented.
"Bullet Seed!" Fiona refused to give Ash and Torterra any breathing room as she called out her next attack. As the seed-like projectiles closed in on Torterra Ash decided now was the time to try some new tactics.
"Stone Edge!" he called. Two rings of razor-sharp stones materialized around Torterra and began circling him. Then, with a loud bellow, he hurled them forth. The Stone Edge and Bullet Seed attacks collided, canceling each other out.
"Alright! It worked!" Ash cheered.
"Looks like all that training paid off," Nikki commented.
"(Way to go, guys!)" Pikachu praised.
"(Keep it up, you two!)" Buneary cheered.
"You heard them, Torterra! Let's keep up the pressure!" Ash urged. "Use Stone Edge!" Once again two rings of stones materialized and began circling around Torterra. Moments later they were sent hurtling towards Vileplume.
"Counter with Bullet Seed!" Fiona instructed. Just as Torterra had done before Vileplume used his Bullet Seed to cancel out Torterra's Stone Edge.
"Now use Toxic!" As soon as the Stone Edge and Bullet Seed were finished Vileplume spat out his Toxic again.
"Watch out!" Ash warned. Despite his warning Torterra was unable to dodge this time. The attack struck him in the face, covering him in a toxic purple cloud.
"Oh no! Torterra!" Ash panicked.
"You have to finish this battle quick, Ash! The longer it goes the worse the damage gets!" Nikki warned. Aware of this Ash knew whatever moves he made now had to count.
"Rock Climb!" he shouted. Torterra stomped on the ground, causing the ground beneath Vileplume to rise into the air. His claws extended shortly after that as he began his climb up the sloped side.
"That's it, Torterra! Just a little further!" Ash urged. Just when it looked like Torterra's attack would hit its mark he suddenly began to slow down.
"Torterra, what's wrong?" Ash called. As the Continent Pokémon came to a stop Ash noticed his breathing was quite heavy. It became clear right then and there what had happened.
"Toxic must be doing more damage right now than I thought!" he realized.
"Not only that, but that last attack used quite a bit of Torterra's power," Fiona informed him. "Sorry Ash, but this first battle is mine. Energy Ball!" Vileplume immediately gathered energy for his attack, forming a green ball with the energy.
"Get out of there, Torterra!" Ash shouted. Unfortunately Torterra was too low on energy to comply.
"Fire!" Fiona shouted. Vileplume let his attack go, striking the Continent Pokémon with a considerable amount of force. The blast sent Torterra crashing down the slope, the massive Pokémon finally coming to a stop at the base.
"Now finish him with Solarbeam!" Fiona instructed. Despite being indoors the roof of the Gym was made of glass, allowing the sunlight to pour in. Vileplume quickly gathered the necessary energy and fired the attack at the downed Torterra. That attack, combined with the damage he had already received in the battle, proved to be too much for Torterra to handle. He was knocked out rather easily.
"Torterra is unable to battle! Vileplume wins!" the referee announced.
"Oh man. She beat him without being touched even once," Nikki groaned.
"(And things were looking so good,)" Buneary commented.
"(Come on, it's still early in the battle. Ash can turn things around,)" Pikachu reassured them. "(At least… I hope he can.)" As Ash recalled his defeated Torterra he began to think about what he should do next.
"Fiona's a Gym Leader for a reason. She beat Torterra like it was nothing. I've got to make sure she doesn't score another quick knockout or I'll be in trouble." He grabbed his second Poké Ball and threw it out.
"Go, Sceptile!" As the Forest Pokémon took the field Fiona called for her next attack.
"Toxic!" Once again Vileplume spat the poisonous goo, intending on making Sceptile share Torterra's fate. Ash, though, had no intention on letting that happen.
"Quick Attack!" he called. Using his blinding speed Sceptile easily dodged Vileplume's Toxic and charged the Flower Pokémon, striking him hard in his midsection.
"Whoa! That's fast!" Fiona gasped.
"X-Scissor!" Ash shouted. Before Vileplume could recover Sceptile crossed his arms in front of him and slashed at Vileplume in an X-fashion. The quick series of attack left Vileplume unable to continue battling.
"Vileplume is unable to battle! Sceptile wins!" the referee announced, making it official.
"Alright! He tied it up!" Nikki cheered.
"(What did I tell you!)" Pikachu bragged. Fiona returned her defeated Pokémon and looked up at Ash, a smirk on her face.
"You surprised me with your Sceptile," she commented. "Now let's see how you deal with this! Now blossom, Shiftry!" As Fiona's next Pokémon took to the field Nikki took out her Pokédex and scanned it.
Shiftry, the Wicked Pokémon and the evolved form of Nuzleaf. Shiftry lives quietly in the deep forest. It is said to create chilly winter winds with the fans it holds.
"(This one may be tricky,)" Buneary commented.
"You're right," Nikki agreed.
"Let's start off fast, Sceptile! Use Quick Attack!" Ash wanted to keep his high-speed attack going, hence why he called for Sceptile's Quick Attack once again.
"Stop him with Leaf Storm!" Fiona instructed. Before Sceptile could get close enough he was pushed back by Shiftry's Leaf Storm. On top of that the leaves contained within the attack caused a bit of damage to Sceptile as well.
"Don't give up, Sceptile! Use Quick Attack again!" Ash called. Ash knew he couldn't let up, for the moment he did Fiona would assume control of the battle. He hoped that Sceptile would find success with his Quick Attack this time around.
"Dodge and use Aerial Ace!" Sceptile's attack once again missed as Shiftry jumped straight up to dodge. Then, using the height to his advantage, he dove down using Aerial Ace and struck Sceptile, sending the Forest Pokémon to the ground.
"Now follow up with Dark Pulse!" Fiona instructed. In Sceptile's current state Ash knew the Dark type attack would cause considerable damage, maybe even enough to put the Forest Pokémon down and out of the battle.
"Quick, counter with Solarbeam!" he shouted. Just as Fiona's Vileplume had earlier Sceptile used the abundant sunlight to quickly gather the energy he needed for his Solarbeam. The two attacks were launched simultaneously, meeting in the middle of the battlefield and creating a thick smoke cloud that prevented the two combatants from seeing each other. In Ash's mind this gave him the perfect opportunity to attack.
"Now, use X-Scissor!" he shouted. At that moment a smirk appeared on Fiona's face as she prepared her counter-attack.
"Jump and use Aerial Ace!" she instructed. Just like earlier Shiftry jumped into the air and prepared to use his attack, expecting to see Sceptile appear beneath him through the smoke cloud. What he didn't expect was to see Sceptile had done just as he had and jumped above the smoke cloud.
"(Peek-a-boo!)" he shouted. Shiftry was left wide-open, giving Sceptile the opportunity to strike the Wicked Pokémon with the super-effective Bug attack. Shiftry hit the ground hard, leaving him a bit dazed.
"Okay, Sceptile, use Quick Attack and combine it with X-Scissor!" Ash called. Being with Ash as long as he had Sceptile was well aware of Ash's strategy of combining two attacks to create a more effective result, so he was more than happy to do as his trainer had instructed. Using Quick Attack he accelerated down towards Shiftry. Then, as he neared his target, he crossed his arms in front of him and prepared X-Scissor.
"Hurry, intercept with Dark Pulse!" Fiona shouted. Shiftry tried to get a quick Dark Pulse off, but by then it was too late. With the added power from Quick Attack behind it Sceptile's X-Scissor was more than enough to knock Shiftry out of the battle.
"Shiftry is unable to battle! Sceptile is the winner!" the referee announced.
"Yes! Way to go!" Ash cheered. On the sidelines Nikki and the Pokémon were just as happy.
"Alright! Ash is ahead now!" Nikki cheered. Pikachu and Buneary danced around her feet, both of them happy to see things going Ash's way. With a word of thanks for his effort Fiona recalled her defeated Shiftry.
"I wasn't expecting this. Looks like I'm going to have to turn it up," she mused. She then grabbed her third Poké Ball and tossed it out.
"Now blossom, Ludicolo!" she called. A chubby Pokémon with a massive lily pad on his head appeared and started dancing.
"What's the deal with that Pokémon?" Nikki wondered. She took out her Pokédex and scanned him.
Ludicolo, the Carefree Pokémon and the evolved form of Lombre. If it hears festive music, it begins moving in rhythm in order to amplify its power.
"How's Ash going to deal with this one?" Nikki questioned.
"(We'll find out soon,)" Pikachu answered. As Ash looked out at his opponent he began formulating a plan.
"Okay… Ludicolo is a Grass type, but he's also a Water type, which means that Sceptile's Grass attacks could work against him," he thought. With that fact in mind Ash made the first move.
"Let's wrap this up in one hit, Sceptile! Use Solarbeam!"
"Not this time, Ash! Rain Dance!" Fiona said. Before Sceptile could gather the energy he needed for a Solarbeam Ludicolo called forth a rain cloud, effectively blocking out the sun and causing the battlefield to become drenched with rain.
"Oh man… so much for that plan," Ash griped. "Okay, use Quick Attack to close in on him!" With Solarbeam out of the question now Ash decided to go with the tried-and-true method of using speed to overwhelm his opponents. Unfortunately that too was thrown out, for just as Sceptile attempted Quick Attack he slipped in the mud and fell to the ground.
"Guess it's my turn now. Use Ice Punch!" Fiona instructed. Everyone but Fiona was shocked by how quickly Ludicolo moved as he delivered the super-effective Ice Punch. Though Sceptile wasn't defeated he was damaged very badly by the Ice type attack.
"How did he move so fast?" Ash wondered. Moments later Nikki had the answer.
"Ash, it's Ludicolo's Swift Swim ability! It lets him move faster under rainy conditions!" Nikki explained.
"Your friend's right," Fiona confirmed. "And now it's time for this battle to come to an end. Ice Punch!" With rain Dance still in effect Ludicolo used his Swift Swim to quickly close the distance between him and Sceptile in order to once again strike with Ice Punch. This time the Forest Pokémon didn't get up.
"Sceptile is unable to battle! Ludicolo wins!" the referee announced. And just like that the advantage Ash had gained was taken away. Still, he was proud of the effort Sceptile had put forth, and he made sure the Forest Pokémon knew this.
"Rest now. You did more than I could have asked for," Ash said as he returned him. "Now it's time for someone else to take up the slack." He grabbed a Poké Ball and sent out his next Pokémon.
"Venusaur, I choose you!" he shouted, sending out his Seed Pokémon.
"I was wondering when Ash would bring him out," Nikki commented.
"Oh wow! I didn't know your Ivysaur evolved!" Fiona gasped.
"He evolved while we were training yesterday," Ash explained.
"Just seeing him make me want to go out and catch my own Bulbasaur," Fiona stated. "For now, though, I'll have to be satisfied with defeating your Venusaur. Ice Punch, Ludicolo!" Just like before Ludicolo looked to take advantage of his Swift Swim and strike Venusaur before he could react, but just as he began his charge Rain Dance wore off and the skies cleared.
"Uh oh! Not good!" Fiona panicked.
"Now's our chance, Venusaur! Trip him up with Vine Whip!" Ash shouted. Now that Ludicolo was back to his original speed it was time for Ash and his Pokémon to go back on the offensive and regain control of the battle, and Venusaur did just that as he aimed his Vine Whip at Ludicolo's feet, effectively tripping him and causing the Carefree Pokémon to come to a crashing halt.
"Sludge Bomb!" Ash shouted. As Ludicolo was recovering Venusaur struck with Sludge Bomb. The Poison type projectile exploded in Ludicolo's face and sent the Carefree Pokémon tumbling back towards Fiona.
"Now finish with Razor Leaf!" Ash instructed. Victory was within their grasp as Venusaur launched his Razor Leaf volley. Due to Ludicolo's Water typing the attack did quite a bit of damage, more than the Carefree Pokémon could handle.
"Ludicolo is unable to battle! Venusaur wins!"
"Yes! Three down, one to go!" Nikki cheered.
"(Time to bring it home, guys!)" Pikachu urged, sensing that his trainer was on the verge of victory. Ash was also sensing that victory was near as he watched Fiona recall her defeated Pokémon. Moments later, though, she looked at him and smiled.
"I have to hand it to you, Ash. It's been a while since I've been pushed this far," she commented. "For that you've earned my respect."
"Thank you, Fiona," Ash said.
"However, it's going to take more than just earning my respect to win my Gym Badge," she declared. She then took out her final Poké Ball.
"I've been looking forward to using this Pokémon in a Gym battle, and now I finally get the chance," she declared. "Now blossom, Cacnea!" The Poké Ball opened and released a small cactus-like Pokémon.
"So her last Pokémon is Cacnea," Nikki commented as she took out her Pokédex.
Cacnea, the Cactus Pokémon. It lives in arid locations. Its yellow flowers bloom once a year.
"Don't let her small size fool you. Cacnea is one of my most powerful Pokémon," Fiona warned. Ash didn't need to be warned about a Pokémon's size hiding its true power. He had seen many trainers do that with his Pikachu. However, Ash was confident that Venusaur would be able to wrap this up quickly.
"Sludge Bomb!" he instructed. With the type advantage in his favor Venusaur unleashed his Sludge Bomb. As the poisonous blob soared towards Cacnea both trainer and Pokémon were confident this would end it.
"Counter with Sandstorm!" Fiona shouted. In a move that no one was expecting Cacnea summoned forth a massive Sandstorm. The attack completely blew away Venusaur's Sludge Bomb before continuing on to engulf the Seed Pokémon in its damaging vortex.
"Venusaur!" Ash shouted. Even though the attack wasn't causing that much damage what damage it was causing was slowly adding up, and Ash knew it.
"Try breaking free with Vine Whip!" Ash suggested. In an attempt to break free Venusaur utilized his Vine Whip to dispel the Sandstorm. Thankfully the tactic worked, freeing the Seed Pokémon from the damaging attack before things got too bad.
"Pin Missile!" Fiona instructed. From her arms Cacnea fired a barrage of needle-like projectiles at Venusaur.
"Block that with Vine Whip!" Ash countered. Before the Pin Missile could reach him Venusaur knocked it down with his Vine Whip, forcing Fiona to alter her gameplan.
"Try getting in close!" Fiona said. Cacnea sprang forward, charging towards the much larger Seed Pokémon.
"Stop her, Venusaur!" Ash shouted. Before Cacnea could get close Venusaur slapped her away with his vines. Though the attack didn't cause that much damage due to Cacnea's resistance to Grass attacks it did effectively stop her and send her sliding back towards Fiona.
"Well that didn't work," Fiona groaned.
"Try Sludge Bomb one more time!" Ash shouted. Once again Venusaur fired the poisonous blob from the bulb on his back.
"Let's try something different this time! Send it back with Needle Arm!" Fiona suggested.
"(Okay! I'll try!)" Cacnea agreed. She went into an intercept course, her arms giving off a pale green glow. Once she was close enough she swung with all her might, making solid contact with the Sludge Bomb and sending it back at Venusaur. He was so shocked by Cacnea's counterattack that he failed to defend himself from his reflected attack. The attack struck his face, temporarily blinding him.
"This is bad! Venusaur can't see to defend himself!" Nikki exclaimed.
"Hit him with Sandstorm before he can recover!" Fiona instructed. Once again Cacnea's swirling Sandstorm engulfed Venusaur, damaging the Seed Pokémon with swirling winds filled with small grains of sand.
"You have to break free, Venusaur! Try using Vine Whip again!" Ash shouted.
"Not this time! Turn it up, Cacnea!" Before Venusaur could attempt to break free Cacnea increased the force of her Sandstorm. The increased force meant increased damage, which Venusaur was suffering through.
"Now finish up with Pin Missile!" Fiona shouted. Cacnea seamlessly shifted from Sandstorm to Pin Missile, the attack striking Venusaur before he had a chance to mount a counterattack.
"No, Venusaur!" Ash cried. The constant barrage of attacks left the massive Seed Pokémon down for the count.
"Venusaur is unable to battle! Cacnea wins!" the referee announced. And just like that the momentum shifted right out of Ash's hands and back into Fiona's.
"It's all up to Bayleef now," Nikki commented as they watched Ash recall Venusaur.
"(In that case Ash should still have some kind of advantage,)" Buneary stated.
"(How do you figure that?)" Pikachu questioned.
"(Think about it… Bayleef is an evolved Pokémon while Cacnea isn't. That means Bayleef's attacks ill pack more power,)" the Rabbit Pokémon explained. As that moment Nikki and Pikachu realized she had a point. Bayleef's evolved state would give her attacks more power than Cacnea.
"(F-Fiona! It's happening!)" And that advantage was now slipping away. They could only watch as the familiar glow of evolution engulfed Cacnea. Her bulbous body grew taller, resembling that of a human. Her arms and legs also grew out. When Cacnea's evolution finally completed Fiona could barely contain her excitement.
"Oh my goodness! You finally evolved into Cacturne!" she squealed.
"That's not good," Nikki commented as she took out her Pokédex.
Cacturne, the Scarecrow Pokémon and the evolved form of Cacnea. Packs of them follow travelers through the desert until the travelers can no longer move.
"(That's a bit scary,)" Buneary commented.
"You said it," Nikki agreed. During this Fiona's excitement from Cacnea's evolution had yet to die down.
"Oh Ash, you have no idea how long I've been waiting for this day!" she gushed. "I've been praying that I'd find a trainer that was strong enough to help my Cacnea evolve into Cacturne, and now she has!"
"I'm happy for the two of you, but don't think that means I'm not going to try and win," Ash declared. At that moment the Treetop Gym Leader's demeanor went from jovial to serious.
"I wouldn't want it any other way," she announced. With Fiona ready to end the battle Ash sent out his last Pokémon.
"Go, Bayleef!" The Leaf Pokémon appeared, ready to do battle.
"It's all up to you, Bayleef!" Ash informed her. She turned and nodded, letting him know she understood.
"You know, it's a shame this battle is almost at its end," Fiona commented. "It's been fun battling you, Ash."
"I know what you mean. I've had fun battling you too," Ash agreed.
"But alas, all good things must come to an end," Fiona declared. "Pin Missile!" Because she was now evolved Cacturne was able to fire more projectiles with her Pin Missile, and each one was much stronger as well.
"Counter with Razor Leaf!" Ash instructed. With a flick of the leaf on her head Bayleef sent out a Razor Leaf barrage. The two attacks proved to be equal in strength as they canceled each other out.
"Sandstorm!" Fiona shouted.
"Protect!" Ash countered. Cacturne whipped up a powerful Sandstorm, but Bayleef's Protect was more than strong enough to keep the damaging attack at bay.
"Good job! Now use Body Slam!" Ash said. Having weathered the storm so far Ash felt confident on going on the offensive, and as Bayleef charged forward his confidence continued to grow.
"Dodge and use Needle Arm!" Fiona called. Right at the last second the Scarecrow Pokémon ducked to the side, effectively dodging Bayleef's Body Slam. Then, before the Leaf Pokémon could recover, she swung her arm and struck Bayleef in the face wither Needle Arm. The attack didn't cause a lot of damage, but it had its intended effect as Bayleef was forced back.
"Leech Seed!" Fiona said. Cacturne spat out a single seed from her mouth at Bayleef.
"Get out of the way!" Ash yelled. Bayleef was thankfully able to recover in time to dodge the incoming Leech Seed. The seed imbedded itself in the ground right behind Bayleef.
"Whew… that was a close one," Ash sighed. "Looks like you missed on that one."
"Who said I missed," Fiona remarked, a smirk on her face. Before Ash could ask what she meant vines sprouted from the ground where Cacturne's Leech Seed impacted. The vines immediately searched for something to attach themselves to. Unfortunately the nearest object was Bayleef. Before anyone knew what was going on the vines wrapped themselves around her hind legs, effectively immobilizing her.
"(Hey! Let me go!)" she demanded. She tried to kick the vines off, but they held strong.
"It's going to take more than that to get free," Fiona stated. "Unfortunately for you I don't plan on giving you the chance! Sandstorm!"
"Quick, use Protect!" Ash shouted. Again Cacturne sent a powerful Sandstorm in Bayleef's direction, forcing Ash and Bayleef on the defensive.
"Don't give them time to recover! Use Pin Missile!" As soon as Bayleef's Protect wore off Cacturne fired her Pin Missile. Since the Leech Seed made it impossible for her to dodge the only thing the Leaf Pokémon could do was try and endure the onslaught. That quickly proved to be easier said than done as each strike from the Pin Missile added to the collective damage Bayleef was receiving. By the time the barrage was over Bayleef could barely stand on her own four feet.
"Wow. I have to say I'm impressed," Fiona admitted. "Most Pokémon would have gone down in defeat after that, but your Bayleef is still standing."
"She's stronger than most," Ash bragged.
"Clearly, but I'm afraid that she's still going down," Fiona declared. "Pin Missile!"
"Use Protect!" Once again Cacturne fired her Pin Missile at Bayleef and Bayleef countered with Protect. Unfortunately for Bayleef she did not have the strength to maintain the Protect shield and it fell very quickly, leaving her at the mercy of Cacturne's assault.
"Hang in there, Bayleef!" Nikki urged.
"(Don't give up!)" Buneary added.
"(You can do it!)" Pikachu cheered.
"Please, Bayleef! Stay strong!" Ash called.
"(Stay… strong…)" Out of everything Ash and the others were saying to Bayleef to urge her on those two words stood out the most. Ever since Ash first caught her back in Johto she prided herself in being one of the Pokémon that Ash could always count on no matter how bad the situation was. She never settled for being just good enough. She always wanted to go above and beyond her limits.
"(I… I have to… stay strong… I have to stay strong. I have to stay strong!)" As she willed herself on she began to feel power welling up inside of her.
"(I have to stay strong!)" Right then her body became engulfed in a bright white light, startling everyone.
"No way!" Nikki gasped. "Bayleef's evolving!" Now it was Ash's turn to get excited as he watched his Pokémon begin her evolution. Overall she grew a bit bigger in size. The leaf on her head was replaced with two antennas, and the ones around her neck were now unfolded.
"Alright! Bayleef's a Meganium now!" Ash cheered once her evolution was complete. Now it was his turn to take out his Pokédex.
Meganium, the Herb Pokémon and the evolved form of Bayleef. The aroma that rises from its petals contains a substance that calms aggressive feelings.
"Awesome!" Ash exclaimed. Before continuing the battle Meganium turned her attention to the vines around her legs. With her evolution came more physical strength than she had as a Bayleef, and she used that to easily tear her legs free of the vines.
"Look at that. Seems like your Leech Seed isn't going to work anymore," Ash stated.
"Perhaps not, but I'm still going to win!" Fiona declared. "Hit her with Sandstorm!" Cacturne again whipped up a powerful Sandstorm.
"Protect!" Ash countered. If her Protect was strong when she was a Bayleef it was now seemingly impenetrable.
"Pin Missile!" Fiona instructed.
"Counter with Razor Leaf!" Ash shouted. It seemed as though Meganium would once again block Cacturne's Pin Missile, but once the attacks met head-on Cacturne's attack was easily overpowered, resulting in the Scarecrow Pokémon getting a face-full of Meganium's Razor Leaf. Though it didn't do much damage it sent a clear message that Meganium was a much more powerful opponent than Cacturne had been facing thus far.
"It looks like it's Fiona's turn to be on the defensive," Nikki commented.
"(I'll say. Ash and Meganium have this in the bag,)" Buneary said.
"(That's it! Keep it up!)" Pikachu cheered.
"Body Slam!" Ash shouted. Meganium broke out into a head-on charge towards Cacturne, looking to slam into the Scarecrow Pokémon with all her body weight.
"Stop her with Sandstorm!" Fiona instructed. Before Meganium could reach her Cacturne blasted the Herb Pokémon with a strong Sandstorm, stopping her in her tracks.
"Now Pin Missile!" Wanting to keep the pressure on Cacturne bombarded Meganium with Pin Missile. The Herb Pokémon was forced back by the powerful attacks, leaving the two combatants in a stand-off.
"There's got to be a way to get through her attacks… but what? Every time I try to get in close she either uses Sandstorm or Pin Missile… wait! That's it!" With his game plan figured out Ash prepared to go back on the attack.
"Try Body Slam again!" he said. Meganium once again charged towards Cacturne.
"Use Sandstorm to stop her!" Fiona shouted. Just like before Cacturne whipped up a Sandstorm to stop Meganium.
"Protect!" Ash countered. Right before the Sandstorm hit Meganium protected herself with her barrier.
"Switch to Pin Missile!" Fiona ordered. This was the chance Ash had been looking for.
"Now, catch her with Vine Whip!" he called. As Cacturne prepared to fire her Pin Missile Meganium's Vine Whip shot forward, wrapping around Cacturne's arms and stopping her attack.
"Uh-oh!" Fiona gasped.
"Now slam her!" Ash shouted. Meganium lifted Cacturne into the air and slammed her down with great force. The Scarecrow Pokémon wasn't defeated, but she was definitely close to it.
"Now finish her with Body Slam!" Ash called. Meganium released Cacturne and used her vines to launch herself into the air, much to the surprise of Fiona and Cacturne.
"What the? I didn't know she could do that!" Fiona gasped. Unfortunately for them in their shocked state they forgot the battle was still going on. They were quickly reminded when Meganium came crashing down on top of Cacturne. Once Meganium stepped back it was clear the battle was over.
"Cacturne is unable to battle! Meganium wins, and the victor is Ash of Pallet Town!"
"Alright! We won!" Ash cheered. His celebration was cut a bit short, for seconds after claiming victory for him Meganium charged Ash and tackled him to the ground, nuzzling him.
"(We did it, Ash! We won!)" she shouted.
"I know. You were great out there," Ash praised. "But now, do you think you could let me up?" As Meganium got off Ash and helped him up Nikki, Buneary and Pikachu approached them to offer their congratulations.
"Way to go, you two," Nikki said. "That was one intense battle."
"(It sure was. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time,)" Buneary agreed.
"It was a tough one, but my Pokémon came through for me. Especially Meganium," Ash stated.
"(I'll say. Your evolution couldn't have come at a better time,)" Pikachu said. Meanwhile Fiona had recalled her defeated Cacturne.
"Thank you, Cacturne. You did all you could," she said in thanks. With that said she looked up towards Ash as he and his friends celebrated his victory.
A few minutes later everyone was gathered out in front of the Gym. The rest of Ash's Pokémon were both surprised and excited to see that Bayleef had evolved, especially Sceptile. Ever since he first saw Meganium he had a difficult time keeping his eyes off her.
"I have to hand it to you, Ash. No one has pushed me that far in a long time," Fiona admitted. "You are definitely a trainer I wouldn't mind battling again."
"Thank you, Fiona," Ash said. At that moment she presented Ash with the Gym's badge. Like the Shifting Earth Badge it was circular in shape, only the face of this badge was green and had a flower image.
"It gives me great pleasure to present you with the Blossoming Flower Badge. Congratulations," Fiona said.
"Thank you, Fiona," Ash said as he accepted the badge.
"Alright! We won the Blossoming Flower Badge!" he cheered. His Pokémon soon joined in with cheers of their own.
"Now that you've got two badges you can challenge the Area Boss," Nikki stated.
"And I plan on defeating him too," Ash declared.
"That may be easier said than done," Fiona stated. "First you have to find the Area Boss, and that in itself is a challenge."
"Well we've never backed away from a challenge, and we don't plan on starting now. Do we?" The Pokémon all voiced their enthusiasm. During this, though, Sceptile's eyes kept drifting over towards Meganium. He had considered her to be rather cute as a Bayleef, but now that she was a Meganium he saw her in a whole new light. Just as she had his feelings for her had evolved into something more… something he hadn't felt in a long time.
With Ash now claiming his second Gym badge he is now qualified to challenge the area Boss. Where will he find the Area Boss? And for that matter who is the Area Boss? Find out in the next chapter of Search for Power!
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