Chapter 81: Nerves of Steelix
It was the day of Ash's gym battle as the gang was now at the Olivine City Gym. Both Ash and Jasmine were ready to get their gym battle started.
Misty and Brock were on the sidelines on the side of Ash while Janine, Jasmine's apprentice, was the ref of the match and was in the referee position.
All the while, Jasmine's Ampharos, Sparkle, was watching from the sidelines. While she was better, she was in no position to take part in this battle, even if Jasmine wanted her to. She understood that and would be there for her trainer, but she was also there to see her daughter's trainer and how well he would do in this battle as Jasmine spoke up.
"Ready for a beat down? You got to have nerves of steel to beat me."
Jasmine declared, staring at Ash on the opposite side of the field.
"Oh, you're going to be shocked by how badly I want this badge."
Ash retaliated. Ready to push himself and his team like never before.
"This is a 4 vs 4 Gym Challenge for the Mineral Badge. Only the challenger, Ash Ketchum, is allowed to make substitutions. Winner will be declared by the last Pokemon standing. Ready…BEGIN!"
Janine declared, and both competitors were ready to fight, releasing their first Pokemon each.
"Magneton, come on out!" Jasmine sent out her first Pokemon for this battle, which was a steel/electric type that let out its battle cry, raring to go and do well in this battle.
"Alright, Snorlax, come on out." Ash sent out his first Pokemon, his beefy normal Pokemon, who was well rested and now ready to go for today's battle. Jasmine was wondering what was going on in Ash's head even before the battle began.
'I'm surprised that Ash isn't using a fire type or a ground type against Magneton, but whatever you have planned today, Ash, I don't think that you are ready for what I have in store for you.' Jasmine thought as she smiled at the thought.
"Alright, Ash, I'll play your game. Let's see how you will handle yourself today cause I won't hold back. Magneton, use Electro Ball." Jasmine ordered her Pokemon, who fired a ball of electricity at Snorlax.
"Protect, then use Ice Punch to fight back." Ash commanded his Pokemon, who successfully put up a barrier, deflecting the Electro Ball, and then jumped towards Magneton. Jasmine smirked at this as Magneton took the hit but barely received much damage. Ash figured that it wouldn't, given he'd faced off against a few steel types before this battle. They were notorious for having the wherewithal to take many hits and still be left standing. He figured Snorlax might be strong enough to make a dent, but he wasn't and would now pay the price.
"Steel Beam now at close range, Magneton." A massive flash of steel energy was fired and blasted Snorlax before he could respond. The giant sleeping Pokemon was sent back reeling.
"Snorlax!" Ash was left stunned by how powerful that move was. Probably made even more so because of the same type attack bonus. However, Ash also mentioned the I'll effects of the move as it seems to injure the user. A price Jasmine and her Pokemon were willing to pay to win.
"You really have a lot to learn about Steel types and how bulky they really can be in battle. Because if you are going in with an all offensive approach, you're gonna have a very rough time here. Our defenses will prove your offense is null.
Lock on and then Electro Ball."
Magneton put up a target on Snorlax to guarantee a hit and launched a powerful ball of electricity. Given how fast Magneton was and their high Special Attack, this was going to hurt.
"Protect before it can deal damage quickly, Snorlax." Ash commanded his Pokemon, who quickly tried to put up a barrier but failed. Such is the nature of moves like Protect. They can be fickle at times and not activate. With his failed attempt to shield the incoming hit, Electro Ball hit Snorlax, causing an explosion.
Snorlax was sent to the side of the field where Ash was, and Snorlax was panting heavily. Ash figured that even if he used Rest, the chances of him waking up in order to fight would be slim, even if it went through. He then noticed that Magneton was also tiring out as well as Ash knew she had to use this to his advantage.
"Now, Hyper Beam before it can launch another attack." Ash commanded his Snorlax, who began to quickly gather energy, hoping to clench the first battle win.
"Oh, no, you don't, Ash Ketchum. Steel Beam to counter it." Jasmine ordered her Pokemon, who blasted another blast of steel energy towards the greater Hyper Beam, which was released as Steel Beam was. The two moves did clash, only for the Steel beam to fizzle out as the Hyper Beam reached Magneton.
Hyper Beam made most of its way through, and Magneton was blasted straight into the wall right next to Jasmine.
"Magneton!" Jasmine said to her Pokemon, who was out as Snorlax was panting heavily from all this. He had to lay off the overeating it seems, but that's like asking Gengar not to eat your dreams at night.
"Magneton is unable to battle Snorlax wins. Gym Leader Jasmine, please bring out your next Pokemon." Janine said as Jasmine returned Magneton to its ball.
Ash would have wanted to celebrate, but he knew that his team couldn't let their guard down for even a second.
"Well, Ash, I must say that was a good show of strength, but you left yourself wide open. Now let's show you real power, Skarmory, come on out." Jasmine sent out her second Pokemon who took the skies of the battlefield.
The gym was big enough for flying types like Skarmory to roam freely without causing structural damage to the gym.
Ash had a feeling that he might be up against one in a gym battle as he has dealt with his own Skarmory at times.
Steel types weren't too vast across Kanto and Johto, as most are scattered throughout the world. If Gym Leaders or Steel Type Specialists didn't go out hunting for them perse, they were admittedly limited in what Pokemon they could use for their challenges to those in their home and nearby regions. Ash was considering as to what her team could be because, assuming she didn't use a duplicate ace Pokemon like Bugsy's Scizor, then…and so his thoughts were disturbed as Jasmine spoke up.
"Swords Dance and then use X-Scissors." Jasmine commanded her Pokemon, who charged up its power and charged in at Snolax at a pretty fast pace and landed a blow, doing massive damage to Snorlax.
"That was fast!" Ash said as Snorlax was losing it's balance and was hard to respond to any command that Ash might make, as Jasmine noticed and took charge.
"End this with Brave Bird, Skarmoy." Jasmine commanded her Pokemon, who took to the skies before tucking in its wings and came charging from a low altitude straight at Snorlax. With that gained speed and boasted power, it hit and knocked Snorlax out.
"Snorlax is unable to battle. Skarmory wins. The score is even, with both sides having 3 Pokemon each. Challenger Ketchum, ready your next Pokemon." Janine announced as Ash was still surprised by this as Skarmory landed beside Jasmine, smirking alongside her, though it was a ruse. Anyone could see that Brave Bird's unfortunate recoil damage had taken effect. Skarmory was far more weakened than her arrogant demeanor would have you fall for. Knowing this as well, Jasmine would add to the ruse.
"You would think that being a steel-type, Skarmory would only be all defensive and have great power, but I managed to find a more unique approach to using Steel types with my Skarmory here, and that's what throws off my opponents, Ash.
You can't think that all of them are always going to be as slow as people think. I thought you would know more about them, given that you have one of your own when I saw you participate in the Poke Ringer Tournament. Sadly, I'm mistaken." Jasmine said, hoping this would get a rise out of Ash, who remained calm.
Though he was flustered a little bit from the rush assault, he remained calm by this revelation of just how devastating Skarmory as a species can be, while he returned Snorlax to its ball and gave it praise. It was interesting to be on the receiving end of a fast-paced barrage. He often did this to his opponents with Pikachu. What a rush he felt.
'Man, he didn't fall for it. I remember seeing Ash so calm during his battle against Misty in the Whirl Cup Finals, granted it was a televised event. I figured it was a heat-of-the-moment kind of calm.
He's grown a lot since we all parted when he went to Cianwood. Ash, you really are a different person now." Jasmine thought as Ash pulled out a ball.
"Quilava, come on out." Ash sent out his next Pokemon, whose flames on its backside flared up. "You ready to go girl?" Ash said to Quilava, who nodded.
"Ready, Ash, let's show everyone the fruits of my training here and now." Quilava said to Ash.
Ash knew that if he was going to fight at her level, it would need to be a battle of speed, and that's what Jasmine would get. With Quilava's speed and natural advantage over Steel as a Fire-type, the already harmed Skarmory would have a troubling time taking Quilava down.
"Quilava, Flame Wheel now." Ash commanded his Pokemon, who charged in at Skarmory and was soon engulfed in flames before rolling into a wheel in the ground.
"Dodge it and then Roost Skarmory." Jasmine commanded her Pokemon, who jumped out of the way and glowed in healing.
"Not good! That's what Jasmine meant!" Ash said he knew that this would really get out of hand now. Roost was a smart call, given it is the best healing moves for flying types. He should know. His Pidgeot knew it as well, and since Skarmory had been injured earlier, the cost of healing for one turn wasn't a problem for Jasmine, who was now set up to use Brave Bird once again if needed.
"Now you're catching on, Ketchum. Let's see how you'll handle yourself. Now Swords Dance and then Steel Wing Skarmoy." Jasmine ordered her Pokemon, who charged up and took off with it's wings glowing, and charged right at Quilava when her Flame Wheel ended and couldn't avoid the hit coming straight at her, knocking her off her feet and into the air. Ash had to act quickly.
"Quilava, use Lava Plume." As Quilava lit the fire on her back, an inferno of scarlet flames torched everything and sent shards of fire towards Skarmory from the sky above as she came down from the high altitude onto the battlefield. Skarmory, in turn, was trying to get out of harm's way as fast as she could, only to be struck by the flames head-on. The damage was vast, but still, Skarmory stood.
Jasmine ordered it to attack with Brave Bird, one more time. The move went on to hit Quilava as she landed. Quilava was sent back reeling and was now on her last fumes, as was Skarmory. The fire damage and the recoil from Brave Bird were taking their toll. It was time to end this. This both Trainers knew to be true.
"Quilava, Flame Wheel now." Ash commanded her, who let out a war cry before she spun her way towards Skarmory.
"X-Scissor to counter it." Jasmine figured a final attempt to win was merited as Skarmory charged in at her with its speed just in time. The moves collided, causing an explosion and sending both creatures hard to the ground on both sides of the battlefield. Both were struggling to get up while glaring at each other.
Seconds everlasting as both Pokemon gave an exasperated breath. They fought with all they had, and both knew they had no more in the tank. Both collapsed, and everyone was surprised.
"Both Skarmory and Quilava are unable to battle. Will both Trainers please release their next Pokemon?" Janine announced as Ash and Jasmine returned their Pokemon to their ball, praising them.
'I got to hand it to her. She's no joke. I can see why she's so much well-regarded as a Gym Leader, but I have to win. So I'm putting my trust in you.' Ash thought as he reached for his next Pokemon. Releasing Espeon, who had a calm fierceness about her. It was eerie.
Meanwhile, Jasmine decided to launch a big-bang assault as she released Forretress onto her side of the field.
Janine declared this next of round of battle official, when Jasmine started things off with….
"Explosion!"
'Crap,' Ash thought. Blurting out Protect, with the hope that Espeon would trigger it in time. As the Forretress glowed and released a massive explosive blast that would normally take out the user with the use of the move altogether, Jasmine remained stoic as Forretress had a built-in contingency against this effect. The Sturdy ability. She knew no matter the result, though weakened heavily, that Forretress would stand and hopefully win the battle in one fell swoop.
The only problem was that Protect did indeed work and shielded Espeon from what would've been a devastating blow. Thank Arceus for that. As Ash saw the smoke clear and Forretress still standing, he figured out Jasmine's plan.
"Counting on Sturdy, I see."
"It's a great use of a Pokemon's innate ability. You have no idea what's in store for you."
Jasmine replied. She had to act to act quickly. "Use Rest."
With the command given, Forretress closed its shell and went to a light slumber that restored its lost health. Though the move would be beneficial to heal Forretress, it was now left wide open for Ash to attack.
"Let's make the most of this opportunity. Use Calm Mind."
With that, Espeon's head jewel would glow, showcasing her state of mind, which was indeed clear, and with that came a rise of her Special Attack and Defense. Moves like Psychic would now hit harder, and Ash was hoping to make a strong attack count.
Rest had healed Forretress. Now, Jasmine pulled off her second secret. As Forretress snapped itself awake and revealed its presence, it opened its shell and was seen chewing a Chesto Berry. She was ready for this possibility and would not waste time.
"Set up, Toxic Spikes." Forretress soon lays a trap of poison spikes at her opponent's feet. They burrow into the ground without immediate effect. This confused Ash. Why would she waste a chance to attack like that? But Jasmine was just grinning knowing those spikes poison opponents that switch into battle. So, her next opponent would suffer the consequences of this tactic.
Ash brushed it off and called for a Psychic. Though powerful because of the Calm Mind boost, thanks to the Steel Type, it was resisted and did minimal damage.
"I told you, Ketchum. Steel types are bulky and have many resistances. They're built tough and attack even harder. Use Rollout!"
Closing its shell ever so slightly to retain sight of its target, Forretress barraged in with great momentum, but Espeon's speed made her evasiveness be very effective as she dodged out of the way, thankful not to be hit as Rollout does gain more power for each successful strike landed. They bought themselves some time but needed to take advantage of it.
"Espeon, use Double Team. Once you make enough clones, use Shadow Ball!"
'Guess I need to make myself unavailable to be hit.' Jasmine thought before she issued the Rollout to be stopped and that Forretress should use Sandstorm.
With the imminent onslaught of Shadow Balls incoming, as Espeon had finished making at least 7 mirage versions of herself and all prepared Ghost energy in their maws ready to be released, Forretress was quick to follow its Trainer's instructions and triggered a sandstorm that was fueled by such strong winds that blast the sand into the opponent causing them pain except to Rock, Ground and Steel types.
As the storm consumed the Gym and the battlefield, Ash's plan fell through as now Espeon's Double Team mirage clones were effectively blown away. Revealing the lone Espeon, who remained firm in hitting Forretress with Shadow Ball despite the sand hitting her with great force and reducing her vision, She knew how much this battle meant to Ash. She would not miss it. She remembered where the last Forretress was and launched her Shadow Ball.
The only confirmation of whether the move hit its mark came in the form of a painful cry from Forretress. Try as it may to resist the damage, with the added Calm Mind boost, its Special Defenses weren't up to snuff. It was hit with a devastating blow from Shadow Ball, forcing Jasmine to recall her knocked-out companion.
Janine had seen the hit take place and made the call official.
"Forretress is unable to continue. Gym Leader Jasmine, release your final Pokemon."
'Way to go, girl.' Ash praised Espeon psychically, who replied back.
'Happy to be of service, Ash.'
Ash chuckled as Jasmine spoke up.
"Well, Ash, you have battled well today, but this is the end of the road for you. You know who my last Pokemon is and know how strong she is after what she did with Team Rocket. I won't hold back as the stage is set. Steelix, come on out!" Jasmine sent out her Pokemon, who let out a mighty roar and was now camouflaged in the Sandstorm.
"Espeon, let's try to end this quickly. Power up again with Calm Mind and then use Shadow Ball," Ash commanded her Pokemon. She promptly increased her power and fired the attack in the direction she thought Steelix was. The attack missed.
Even with her Psychic capabilities, she couldn't sense where Steelix was, and to make matters worse, she was hit by the harsh sands once again. This storm was gonna be trouble if it didn't die off soon.
Jasmine rejoiced in the fact that the Sandstorm was doing it's job. Keeping Steelix out of harm's way while dealing damage to the opponent. Now, it was time to deal with her own brand of damage.
"Dig now, Steelix. Go underground." The battlefield rattled as Steelix's massive form broke through it, and the silence that followed showed the attack went as expected. While Ash and Espeon were on guard, they knew she would wind up anywhere. As the ground shook, their nerves were increasingly elevated when Steelix finally came out right under Espeon. The sheer force of the metallic serpent breaking ground and making contact with Espeon sent her flying into the air.
"Espeon!" Ash said as all he could do was watch as Espeon landed hard on the ground, struggling to get up. Jasmine would show no mercy.
"End this with Iron Tail Steelix." The mighty titan slammed her tail straight into Espeon hard. There was denying the move, but it ended up knocking Espeon out.
"Espeon is unable to battle. The round goes to Steelix. The match is tied with both sides with one Pokemon each. Release your final Pokemon, Challenger Ash Ketchum." Janine said as Steelix roared. Proud of herself. She wondered who the boy in front of her would send out to be her next victim.
Sparkle smirked, watching all this from the sidelines. There was a reason why this combo wasn't the type to get around easily, especially with the Sandstorm is still active. Her Trainer was often underestimated because, by reputation alone, trainers like Whitney from Goldenrod City and Claire from Blackthorn were seen as the more tougher to beat type of Leaders. Still, Jasmine had a will of iron and was a true mastermind when it came to pushing the boundaries of what Steel types could do.
As her personal Pokemon, she wasn't technically allowed to participate in Gym Challenges. Still, for other events like the Pokemon World Tournament, the things she and her Trainer would do to devastate the competition would leave you speechless. She knew this boy was in for a tough time, but today's performance was something she was looking forward to.
As a thank you for her time assisting the Lighthouse, Sparkle ensured that she would teach her daughter a few key moves that might come in handy for this battle. She had mentioned to her Trainer that she wanted to fight today. Despite the disadvantages facing a Ground type could yield knowing that be her ace. She wanted to prove her mettle and make a lot of viewers proud. Her Trainer, her mother, but more importantly, her love interest, Pikachu. She knew Ash would be a man of his word. Ash returned Espeon to her ball and sighed.
"Man, this battle has been a lot tougher than I thought. I won't lie; Your battle tactics are uncanny. You came prepared for a test of strength, a rush style assault, and explosive ignition only to then use the elements as a means of cover and also a damage dealing factor.
You deserve every bit of recognition that you are an elite level Trainer, much like Koga was considered in his tenure as Gym Leader in Kanto. I truly mean that."
Jasmine tried hard not to blush at the praise, but it failed, and a light pink hue appeared on her cheeks, along with a simple smile. This was the only answer she could give.
"In order to win this fight, I'm keeping my word. I made a promise I intend to uphold. Ready or not, we're gonna fight to the very end. Ampharos come on out." Ash sent out his last Pokemon, who landed next to her Trainer. She bleated out a roar, signaling she was raring to go.
Jasmine and Sparkle watched the determination in Ampharos' eyes. Jasmine was sure that Ash should've rearranged the order of his Pokemon a little better. There was no clear reason as to why Ampharos should've been left for last.
Was he hoping for a battle of family members? That wouldn't happen. Although her own Ampharos, Sparkle, wanted to be part of the battle, there was no way she would risk her health so early into her recovery from that foul illness.
Was he trying to play mind games or did Ash have something up his sleeve? Jasmine turned to Sparkle, who nodded to go all out on this round as she wanted to see how her daughter would handle herself against a type of disadvantage like this. She crossed her flippers as she was willing to see her daughter battle to the fullest.
However, things took a nasty turn. As Ampharos took to the field. The field glowed and revealed the true nature of the Toxic Spikes used by Forretress earlier. And with a pained cry, the fact that Ampharos was now poisoned was evident.
"What happened?" Ash cried out, confused. Jasmine replied.
"It's all part of my plan, Ash. See Toxic Spikes is a move that scattered venomous spikes throughout your side of the battlefield. The key to their activation is the release of a new Pokemon. It's a move I get the most use out of when a Trainer decides to try and switch out their Pokemon often.
Each time they do, they wind up poisoning the new entrant to the field. The opponent has a limited amount of time to fight the poison and try to win as quickly as they can or, much like now, be subject to the poison as well as the harsh sands that I'm sure you've noticed haven't dealt any damage to my Steel types.
It's a natural bypass to certain moves, like how Hail doesn't hit Ice Types, Electric Type are unable to be paralyzed, and Fire Types can't be burned. With these tactics, I'm nearly unstoppable. So what will you do now, Ash Ketchum?"
That was indeed a good question. He had been driven to his final Pokemon. Even if he had any more to try and switch out, they would fall prey to this menacing combo. Poisoned and assaulted by sand with low visibility and the power of a Steelix on her side…Ash only smiled. This was the type of challenge he craved to overcome.
Using the ability to speak to his Ampharos psychically, he would go on to say.
'I know this isn't what we planned for. If you feel this is too much to overcome, I will understand, but I know you. You put your all to training to highlight how much you've grown since we met all the way back near Azalea Town. You deserve your shot at proving yourself, and you chose the most difficult way to do so, which has now been made even harder, but I'm willing to push through all these obstacles if you are. It's your call, girl.'
Ampharos considered that statement. Already, she was at a disadvantage. She knew the mountain she had to climb to win this, and now, with her first step, the countdown to achieving that goal was set. She had maybe less than 10 moves to complete the job before that poison hindered her chances of winning.
'Let's put the hurt on 'em. If I'm gonna go down, I'm going down swinging.'
Ampharos was dead set on facing Steelix and so with no fear in her entire body, she stood ready to beat Steelix by any means necessary.
"She's ready to fight with all her might. Don't go crying when Steelix loses." Jasmine smirked at the confidence displayed while Sparkle let out a proud cry for her offspring. Her daughter was tougher than steel. She now had to prove it by taking Steelix down.
And with that challenge, Janine took the opportunity to declare. "Steelix vs Ampharos. Winner takes all. Begin!"
'First thing is figuring out if I can get rid of this Sandstorm before it, along with the poison coursing through Ampharos getting worse and things getting out of hand. In the meantime…'
"Swift now, Ampharos." Ash commanded her, who fired the star-shaped rays that never miss toward Steelix only for it to do minimal damage as Jasmine laughed.
"You really don't think that will work against Steelix."
"It did its job." Damaging Steelix wasn't his goal. It was to locate where it was as Sparkle caught on and smiled at this.
'Clever boy. He used it to find her even with the Sandstorm about to die soon. Don't underestimate my daughter Jasmine. She's only getting started.' Sparkle thought. He was not a master tactician, but he had promise.
"Now, let's try a Thunderbolt!"
The move landed square where Steelix was located but did not do damage. Jasmine laughed at Ash's failed attempt to damage Steelix.
"Just because it evolved from Onix doesn't mean that it's immunity to Electricity has faded. You're gonna pay for your mistake, Ash."
That didn't sound too good.
"Steelix, use Dragon Breath now." Jasmine commanded her Pokemon who fired a blast of dragon energy towards Ampharos.
"Time to show off some of those new moves. Signal Beam, now Ampharos." Doing as instructed, Ampharos' tail glowed, and she blasted a dark beam towards the Dragon Breath and managed to push through it and slammed on Steelix. The level of damage it implemented was unknown. Unfortunately, the secondary effect of confusion did not take effect, but a sign of hope for Ash to turn the battle in his favor did.
The Sandstorm finally began to subside.
Hoping to distract Ash from her true motive, she explained how Sandstorm is a move that only lasts up to 5 turns. He would make note of that should he and his team ever need to implement a similar tactic to her own. However, as the sand finally died down, Steelix was nowhere to be found. It was then revealed that a hole was in the field. The use of Dig was pulled off.
'Not saying her command out loud was a great call. She has great trust in Steelix as I do in Ampharos.' Ash thought but grimaced, seeing as Ampharos flinched while the toxins in her body started to glow, dealing damage. Unfortunately signifying she was another step closer to defeat.
"Keep calm, girl. I know you're hurting. She's out there. Be ready." Ash said to Ampharos, who nodded and closed her eyes trying to sense where Steelix was and do it fast cause she knew that Steelix won't let her stand still for too long. As the ground shook violently around Ampharos, the ground starts to crack. Ampharos thankfully jumped out of the way, barely getting out of the range of damage from the Dig attack.
Even though her line isn't as fast as Ampharos' father, the Raichu line, she is surprisingly nimble, especially for her age. This impressed both her mother and Pikachu. With Steelix now in the open, it was time to strike.
"Focus Blast at close range." Ampharos' gem glowed on her head as she heaved the ball of fighting-type energy at Steelix at close range. This caught Jasmine off guard as she turned to Sparkle.
"Just what were you teaching her when you were resting, Sparkle? I know that both you and her father helped train her during the off hours, but to teach her a move that I personally taught you and is now being used against me. Just whose side are you on?" Jasmine whispered at her personal Pokemon. Knowing she could neither confirm nor deny that allegation, Sparkle chose silence.
From what looks could tell, she was just impressed that her daughter mastered that move so quickly and began waving her flipper off at the suggestion that she had anything to do with it towards Jasmine. Who huffed, clearly not believing her entirely.
"No matter, Steelix. Let's end this Earthquake now." Without hesitation, Steelix slammed her tail right into the ground. The battlefield erupted with seismic waves that forced the ground to dismember as the Earthquake was heading towards Ampharos.
"Uh, Oh! " both Ash and Ampharos said as the earthquake reached Ampharos and caused massive damage. Normally, it is enough to take a lesser electric type out in one go. Arceus knows how badly Ampharos wanted this win to still be left standing before. Unfortunately, another dose of toxins took more of her health and stamina. She was fading fast.
As tanky as Ampharos was known to be, there was only so much they could take, even against a Ground type, and Jasmine knew that. She also knew that her Toxic Spikes strategy was chipping away at her health and stamina. It was only a matter of time, but did she have enough of it?
Both Steelix and Ampharos were panting heavily as both of them were at their limit despite the appearances that Focus Blast was devastating. Steelix is built to take on Physical Attacks like nobody's business, but their Special Defenses were lower, so any good trainer that made use of Special Attacks, much like Flamethrower, could take Steelix down. While Focus Blast was no Flamethrower, it certainly packed a wallop, and to think that this was against a type disadvantage for Ash, which he was known to ignore per reports she gathered on him prior to this battle.
"I will say this, Ash: You have surprised me much more than I thought was possible today. More so than most of the challengers I've faced as a Gym Leader, and while I admire your grit and determination, it's time to end this match.
Steelix, use Dragon Breath now at full power." Jasmine commanded her Pokemon, who was powering up a powerful Dragon Breath, to end this match once and for all.
"We can't back down. Time to end this. Give it all you got, girl. Focus Blast at full power as well!" Ampharos powered up a fighting type of energy, and as both Pokemon fired their attack on each other, the two attacks clashed.
Even with Ampharos still struggling with the poison, she was prepared to win this match for Ash or at least go down fighting, as it seemed like Steelix was almost winning. However, Ampharos managed to push a little more and was breaking through the Dragon Breath. Her will would not see this victory be denied, and she blasted Steelix in the mouth with Focus Blasts, causing an explosion in the battlefield which didn't settle down for a while.
As the smoke cleared, everyone anticipated the battle's outcome. Surprisingly, both Ampharos and Steelix were still standing.
Ampharos was about to pass out from the side effects of the poison, but Steelix let out a cry.
"Well done, little one."
Focus Blast did a massive number on her. The gigantic serpent finally collapsed on the field with swirls in her eyes.
"Steelix is unable to battle Ampharos wins. The winner of this Gym Challenge and recipient of the Mineral Badge is the challenger, Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!" Janine announced as Ash ran over to Ampharos along with Pikachu, who almost fell off his shoulder as Ash caught Ampharos.
"You did great out there, girl." Ash said to Ampharos, who let out a weak whimper. She was so exhausted.
"Thanks, Ash. I wasn't expecting to win that because of the poison there, but I'm happy to win in front of my mother here."
Ampharos finished her statement and saw how proud Ash was of her. Soon Pikachu nuzzled her.
"You did so well. You deserve this."
He then kissed his love interest, who returned the gesture by kissing his electric sac. Pikachu squeaked from it, and Ampharos chuckled.
Misty and a few others just went AWWW! making the electric duo blush fiercely.
Sparkle was watching this in amusement as it was much like her relationship with Surge's Raichu, Ampharos' father, who was loving and proud of her daughter. Even if she won or lost, she earned her respect as she saw her trainer returning Steelix to her ball. Sparkle walked over to her trainer, who petted her head gem. Sparkle bleated and purred from it.
"I'm sure you are proud of your oldest daughter there, girl. I'm sure she is ready to show the world just how powerful she is." Jasmine said to Sparkle, who nodded in agreement before the two walked over to Ash with the Mineral Badge in hand.
"Well, Ash. I wasn't expecting this outcome today. I was thinking there would be at least more than one fire type today or at least Ampharos against Skarmory or Forretress there, but a win is a win. Here, the Mineral Badge is yours. You earned it." Jasmine gave Ash the Mineral Badge, who happily accepted it.
After recalling his Ampharos and heading to the Pokemon Center, the group healed their Pokemon.
Ampharos and Sparkle were out having their own conversation while Jasmine and the others talked.
"You battled well out there, dear, and mastered those moves faster than I did when I was your age. You are truly your father's daughter, that's for sure." Sparkle said to her daughter, who puffed her chest cutely, which made her mother chuckle.
"I wish Daddy would have been here to watch my battle, but his trainer needs him. I know that now," Ampharos said to her mother, who nodded. The bond she formed with Ash had led to this. She was thankful to be his Pokemon.
"I'll let him know thow well you did the next time I contact him. You made him and I proud, and I'm sure he'll also see you battle in the Silver Conference. You earned your right to gloat a bit but continue your journey with an open heart. Your Trainer loves you and will take care of you alongside that Pikachu of his. You've learned all you can from me. For now, at least. It was the best way to show you how thankful I was for all your hard work at the Lighthouse.
You did enough for me when I was sick, and now it's my turn to let you grow, my child. If you need more training or visit your mama just because you want to, I won't hesitate to help and welcome you with open arms. You know your father, and I love you," Sparkle said to her daughter, who embraced her mother with tears of joy forming around her eyes as we cut to Ash and the others.
"The next gym is in Mahogany Town. If you follow east, you should make it back to Ecruteak City within a week. A lot faster than it took you to get here." Jasmine said this to Ash and the others. Ash figured that Pryce should be back in Mahogany Town by now, so that would work, although that week's timeline worth of travel was iffy at best. He had responsibilities to take care of soon. This includes getting an update to Morty on the Guardian situation, given Noctowl's recent joining of the team and Brock's breeder event soon, where he would meet with Suzie and possibly give her Vulpix back.
As Ash pondered all the things they needed to do soon, Jasmine turned to Brock.
"I still haven't forgotten about your help with Sparkle a while back, Brock. I was told that you were planning on becoming a breeder one day." Brock confirmed this to be true.
"Yeah, I'm planning on going to and participating at the Breeder Convention to be held in Bonitaville in a few weeks."
"Then we might see each other sooner than you think, y'all." Jasmine said that the group was curious about what she meant when Janine spoke up.
"You see, Jasmine's family is one of the higher-ranked Breeders and will be on the committee for that event that Brock mentioned." Janine said, and the group was surprised when Jasmine spoke up.
"While I don't take part in it, I usually go and see how well other Breeders have been doing, and I do have a say in many Breeders' careers at times.
I can probably put in a good word for you, Brock, for helping Sparkle out there."
Brock was truly grateful for the offer but replied.
"In this instance, I would have to say thank you, but no. I can't have an unfair advantage going into the Convention. I don't know yet what events I will partake in, and if I win, it's best not to have an asterisk next to the win and have others state I won by unfair means. Afterward, no matter if I win or lose, I'll be honored to have you put in that good word. Not before. I hope you understand."
Jasmine smiled at this. Brock is a man of integrity. Janine was initially taken aback by Brock's refusal but soon admired his character.
"Very well. I'm sure that you will do well in any of the events, and I promise to not put any bias towards you until the event is over and done with. I'm sure you will impress there as you did here.
Something to consider, though: You could also find yourself having great success as a Pokemon Doctor one day. Think about it." And think about it, he would indeed.
"Until then, I think you all deserve some rest. Travel safe. I'm positive we'll meet again, " Jasmine told the group, who thanked her as she and Janine returned home.
With a new gym badge in hand, Ash and the others are now setting their long-term sights for Mahogany Town, the site of their next gym battle. With a few adventures to be had along the way, what else is in store for our heroes? Find out as the journey continues…
Stay Tuned
Done and done. Man, was this a chapter to write? We started way back on Thursday and into Friday, and now it is out. With that said, I'm sure many people question the Pokemon he chose or the order Ash did. Well, my beta and I wanted to use Pokemon that Ash hasn't used up till now and no water types, given that they had their time in the spotlight with a whole tournament. And I wanted Ampharos to have a battle since she evolved. Also, at the end need, I remind you that in canon, Jasmine does have family who are breeders, which is part of why Ampharos is a thing if you think about it. That said, I'm not sure if it will be the next chapter or the chapter after it. We'll kick off the Lugia arc as we still have business with Team Rocket in the Whirl Islands, so expect that at some point. Until next time, see you.