章 7: Report : Route 4 : Santalune City
Arriving at the Pokémon Center, Ash and I registered our Pokédexes for the Pokémon League, receiving a case each for when we begin collecting Gym Badges.
After doing so, Ash said he wanted to contact Professor Oak back in Kanto before we headed off.
Seeing as this was as good a time as any, I made my way over to a video booth myself, a reasonable distance from anyone who could overhear my conversation, punching in the codes and waiting for an answer.
Just in case, I decided to channel my aura, creating an invisible bubble around myself and the video booth. This prevented sound from escaping my location; however, it allowed sound to enter.
I didn't have to wait long before the screen lit up, displaying a woman sitting at a desk. She had black hair, black eyes, and a soft smile on her face. She was a carbon copy of our founding Ancestor, Mochizuki Akari.
"Well, well, well, I know you promised that you'd call, but I didn't expect one so soon! So how are you, my sweet boy?"
"Hi, Mum, I'm alright. The last few days have been a bit of a mess, but all in all, everything is good."
"Hmm, yes, I was sent a copy of the News report yesterday, and I have to say, you performed splendidly, albeit a little reckless."
"I just did what I thought was right."
"Haaaa… so much like your Father." She said before suddenly; her expression became neutral.
"Now then, the line is now secure. Are you able to make your report?"
"Yes, Ma'am. No civilians are within earshot, and my sound dampening barrier is active."
"Good, now, your report."
After which, I gave a fully detailed report regarding the incident. I made sure to not leave anything out… including the fact that both Ash and Professor Sycamore saw me use my ADA and Ash's prior knowledge on Aura Guardians.
When I arrived at this point, my mother's eyes became sharp.
"Are you saying that you exposed our secret to a civilian?" She asked in a cold tone of voice.
"No, Ma'am. I, myself, am merely compromised by these two individuals. However, knowledge of our family's secrets is still secure."
Hearing my words, she remained silent for a moment. She then continued, asking,
"You mentioned that one of these individuals, an Ash Ketchem, had prior knowledge of the existence of Aura Guardians?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
"I want a detailed report on how this is so. As soon as possible." She ordered.
"Understood."
"What is your opinion of the other individual, this Professor Augustine Sycamore. Will you be further compromised?"
"No, Ma'am, I do not believe so."
"Oh? And why, pray tell, do you believe that to be the case?"
"Because the data bank which houses the CCTV footage of Prism Tower runs on a private server. As I am currently travelling with the Lumiose City Gym Leader, I will be able to access his datapad, confirming the legitimacy of the Professor's words. Also, as the best judge of character among my siblings, I have assessed that he is both honourable and righteous. A promise kept when repaying a debt is something he will most likely take seriously."
"And if your assessment of him is wrong?" She asked.
"Then I will eliminate him personally," I replied coldly.
"I see," she said with a slight smile.
"I truly am proud of you, Kai. You've grown up to be a great man and a great Guardian."
"I am merely doing what is expected of me as a member of this family," I replied, an answer which made her smile grow slightly wider.
She was about to ask another thing when a voice from behind me called out,
"Hey, Kai! You ready to head out?"
Turning around, I saw Ash waving towards me, jogging over. When he arrived at my side, entering my bubble, he noticed I was still on a call.
"Oh! Hi there, my name's Ash! Are you Kai's mum?"
"That I am, young man. Kai was just telling me about you. I also happened to see your actions on the News the other day. That was quite brave of you."
"Oh, haha, nah, I was doing what I thought was right," Ash said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly, unknowingly repeating what I had said earlier, something my mother picked up on.
"How funny; Kai said the exact same thing. So it seems like you two will get along splendidly."
"Mhm! Kai's awesome! I can't wait to travel all around Kalos with him." Ash said, nodding his head quite quickly.
"Well then, I suppose I shouldn't keep you any longer then. But, Kai, make sure to give me a call soon, alright? I want to hear all about my sweet boy's adventure!"
"Alright, Mum. I'll see you later." I replied, feeling a little embarrassed at how my mum addressed me in front of Ash.
The call then shut off.
"Alright! Let's go!" Ash exclaimed, running off to where Bonnie, Clemont, and Serena were waiting.
Looking back at the video booth briefly, I sighed before making my over as well.
…
..
.
After leaving the Pokémon Center, Clemont spoke up, saying,
"So Ash, you mentioned wanting to challenge the Santalune Gym first?"
"Yeah! I'm pretty sure the Gym Leader should be back by now."
"Well, according to this map, the best way to get to Santalune City is by travelling Route 4 all the way there."
"Then Route 4 it is," I announced.
"So then, let's hit the road!" Clemont said.
"Huh? You don't have to show us around anymore." Ash said, looking towards me, seemingly confused.
"Haha, silly Ash! We're all really, really good friends now, right? So we're going with you!" Bonnie replied.
"No joke?!" Ash exclaimed.
"We're serious! Seeing what you and Kai did to help out Garchomp showed me what it's like to have real courage! I know I can get stronger! We both can get stronger while travelling with you two!" Clemont replied.
"You're right, Clemont!" Bonnie affirmed.
"So, is that okay?" Clemont asked, seemingly a bit shy now.
"Of course it is! Travelling with lots of friends is way more fun!" Ash declared, continuing,
"And, of course, Serena, you're welcome to come along too!"
Hearing his words, everyone smiled.
"Well then, off to Route 4 we go!" I said.
"Yeah!" They all cheered.
…
Passing through the gate that led out of the city, we made our way through the forested Route 4.
Ash was walking upfront with Pikachu, Bonnie and Clemont. They were looking around for different Pokémon that might appear, with Bonnie going from bush to bush, seemingly deadset on finding something.
Serena and I were walking a couple of paces behind them, watching their shenanigans.
Looking over at the girl walking beside me, I decided to strike up a conversation.
"So Serena, what made you decide to go on an Adventure?"
"Huh? Oh, umm… well… it's umm.. a little embarrassing, to be completely honest…." She replied, seeming quite flustered.
However, I just raised an eyebrow in response, trying my best to look confused.
Seeing my expression, Serena closed her eyes and took a deep breath before saying,
"Umm, you see, it's… it's because of what happened on the News a couple of days ago."
I raised my eyebrows in mock surprise, asking,
"You mean because of the Garchomp incident; you decided you wanted to get your own Pokémon and go on a journey yourself?"
"Well… no, not entirely…." She said, looking quite nervous.
"Oh… Umm, I'm sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable with my questions." I replied, wearing a worried expression.
"Oh! No! No, no, no, Kai, you didn't do anything wrong!" She suddenly exclaimed, waving her hands back and forth in front of her towards me.
"I went on this Journey because I wanted to see Ash!" She yelled out.
Seeing how her face suddenly became a little red after the fact, it was apparent that she was embarrassed by what she'd just said.
"Oh! I get it now!" I said with a giant smirk on my face.
"Let me guess, Ash's heroic actions on live T.V had you swooning, so you just had to see him again in person, right?" I snickered.
"Huh?!? What?! No! That's not it! If anything, watching you dodge all of Garchomp's attacks was even cooler!" Serena once again blurted out.
However, realising what she'd just said, her face burned a scarlet red.
I could've sworn I saw steam rising from her head this time.
Then, perhaps in a rush to cover up what she'd just said, she continued, saying,
"I know Ash from a camp where I'd met him years ago! I just recognised him and wanted to see him again."
Serena then began to look up at me nervously, looking away with her eyes, only to snap them back on me, internally hoping I'd ignore what she'd just said.
Hearing her words, I didn't have to put on a fake surprised expression this time.
I was genuinely caught off guard by what she'd just said. However, to honour her attempt at diverting attention away from her earlier words, I said,
"Ohhh, I see. So this is one of those 'Reuniting with a childhood crush' kind of situation."
"W-W-What?! Childhood crush?! I-I-I…" She exclaimed, looking at me wide-eyed, in shock, blushing even harder.
"Oh, come on, I can totally tell you're head-over-heels for Ash!" I snickered.
"I mean, someone wouldn't just drop whatever they were doing to run off and meet someone from their childhood just because they saw them appear on T.V. There had to be some kind of strong driving force behind that!"
"Something like…. Love?" I said as I squinted my eyes and smiled, much like a Cheshire Cat.
Hearing my words, however, I noticed the blush on her face actually lessened, a weird glint passing through her eyes, a mix of relief, disappointment, and confusion? Which internally confused me. Then, however, it once again vanished just as quickly as it came.
"I-I-I…. Gnuuuuuu~! Kai! You're teasing me, aren't you?!" She exclaimed.
"Hahaha, you got me there! You seemed like the type to get flustered easily that I just couldn't help myself! It's a good look, by the way!" I said with a wink.
She blushed again. However, this time, she took an intense breath before forcefully exhaling in a sigh.
"Haaaa… Mouuu, you're such a bully~!"
"Hahaha, sorry, sorry!" I laughed, placing my palms together and holding them in front of my forehead.
"Well, in all seriousness, I wish you luck, and you have my support."
"Huh?" She said, not understanding what I meant.
Without looking over at her, I elaborated.
"I haven't known Ash for very long, but something tells me he's the ultra-dense kind. So if you really wanna get your feelings across, you're gonna have to be pretty upfront about it and shove it straight in his face for him to realise. Otherwise, he's not gonna notice a thing."
Then, turning my eyes upwards, I continued,
"You'll just be another friend he'd made along the way towards his goal. In fact, I highly doubt you're the first girl to develop feelings for Ash while travelling with him, only to have it go nowhere 'cus he just never noticed."
Hearing my words, Serena turned to look at Ash with a complicated look in her eyes.
"Ultra-dense, huh…?" She said, before subtly looking back at me, mumbling,
"I think I'm beginning to understand what you mean…"
She'd said it so quietly that I actually didn't pick up on it. Instead, I just continued looking ahead, enjoying the walk.
…
..
.
Our little journey down Route 4 ended up being quite relaxing. We'd actually come across Didenne and Fletchling, much like the group had done in the Anime. However, Team Rocket never showed up.
Thus, we finally made it to Santalune City.
Currently, we were chasing after Ash as he ran ahead while Clemont lagged behind.
"Santalune Gym, you better look out! I'm gonna get my first Kalos Gym Badge from you!" Ash declared.
"C'mon, guys! Can't you slow down a little!" Clemont pleaded from behind, struggling to keep up.
Clemont suddenly lost his footing, causing him to fall face-first into the ground.
Hearing the thudding sound from behind me, I turned around and saw a sight that nearly had me bursting out with laughter.
"Hey, Clemont, you good?" I asked as I jogged over, helping him to his feet.
"Yeah, I'm okay."
"Hey, Kai, Clemont! Let's hurry it up!" Ash shouted from ahead.
"Umm, Ash, one thing, and it's kind of important. Do you even know where the Santalune Gym might be located?" Clemont asked.
"No clue! Of course, I don't!" Ash announced, sounding proud about what he'd just said.
"Huh?!?" The group replied, sans me, of course. I had fully expected this.
With a leap, Ash stood upon the ledge of a water fountain we were passing by, pointing forward in a 'Heroic' stance, announcing,
"I figure out stuff best when I run! Keep moving ahead, and you can't go wrong! That's the way we roll!"
"Pikachu~!"
After his statement, the water fountain, which had been previously inactive, sprung to life, generating a picture-perfect background behind Ash.
Click~!
"Huh?" Ash said, looking over towards where the clicking sound emanated from.
"Thanks so much for the great pic!" A lady called out. She was carrying one of those expensive DSLR cameras.
Arriving at Ash's side, with Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont, I looked over at the woman who I recognised.
She was around 167 cm (5'6) and had cream-coloured skin, dark green eyes and short sandy-blonde hair. She wore a sleeveless white top that ended halfway down her abdomen, revealing three or so inches of skin, forest green cargo pants that covered her belly button and ended just above her ankles, and brown hiking boots.
She also had a forest green neoprene wristband and camera bag.
"The two of you seem to have the makings of a great team!" She said as she approached Ash.
"Hey, thanks! Pikachu's my partner!" Ash replied.
"M-hm-hm. F.Y.I, if you're heading to the Santalune Gym, make a right at that corner." She chuckled before pointing down the street we were on.
"Yeah? Thanks a lot for the info!" Ash said before he looked towards us, saying,
"I told you we can't go wrong! Let's go, Pikachu!" Ash said as he ran off once again.
"Pika~!"
"Ah, Ash! Not so fast!" Clemont called out before running after Ash.
"Wait up!" Bonnie said, running off as well with Serena in tow.
I just stared at them running off before shaking my head.
"He really hasn't done a single piece of research, has he," I said before turning towards the camera lady.
"If he had, he'd realise he'd been talking to Santalune City's Gym Leader this whole time."
"Hahaha, you caught me! So from what you've said, I take it you've done your research, huh?" She replied.
"Mhm, in order to minimise the amount of suffering my Pokémon might have to go through in the event of a Gym Battle, I make sure to learn all I can."
Hearing my rather bold statement, she raised her eyebrow at me.
"Oh? That's an interesting way of putting it. Most Pokémon tend to really enjoy battles; what makes you think they're suffering?" She asked curiously.
"While I have no doubt that my Pokémon absolutely adore battling, it is my responsibility as their Trainer to come up with viable strategies to use in order to win said battles," I said while looking at her. I then turned my head, looking to where my friends had run off to, continuing,
"If I happen to go so far as to come up with strategies which lessen the amount of damage they take in each battle, to end it as quickly and as efficiently as possible, purely for my own selfish desires in not wanting to see them hurt, then I like to believe I have that right as their Trainer."
"Well, Battles tend to be pretty unpredictable. So it's hard to always develop ways to do what you're trying." She said, probably questioning me to see how deep my resolve ran.
"Mm, you're not wrong. I'm not omniscient; I can't always predict what will happen. But that doesn't stop me from trying my hardest to make things easier for them. After all, if they're willing to put their bodies on the line for my ambitions, the least I could do is try my best to make sure they don't come out battered and bruised."
Hearing my words, her eyebrows shot up in surprise before she furrowed them, placing a hand on her chin and looking down in contemplation.
During this moment of silence, two bursts of multicoloured light erupted from my bag, forming into Luca and Luci.
"Caaar~!" They announced as they rushed forward and hugged me from both sides.
"Haha, hey, you two! You have a good rest?" I asked.
"Caaar~!" With them nodding in response, I smiled brightly, petting their heads.
The lady finally looked up from her contemplation, seeing the beautiful scene of us having fun.
She reached for her camera before,
Click~!
She snapped a photo. She looked down to see the result and couldn't help but smile brightly.
"While I still think your endeavour is a tough one, I respect your resolve. Let me properly introduce myself. My name is Viola; I'm the Santalune City Gym Leader. It's a pleasure to meet you." She said, sticking out her hand for a handshake.
Replying in kind, I grasped her hand, saying,
"Nice to meet you, Viola. My name's Kai; these are my best friends Luca and Luci. We hope you'll indulge us in a Gym Battle whenever you're free."
…
..
.
章 8: Viola : Gym Battle
As Viola, Luca, Luci, and I approached her gym, we saw Ash and friends talking to a lady standing out front. I recognised the lady, and Ash's following words confirmed my suspicions,
"She's not the leader; see, Alexa's actually a Pokémon Journalist."
"That's right; the Gym Leader's my younger sister, Viola." Said Alexa.
Alexa was a slender young woman with fair skin and green eyes. Her light brown hair mainly was collected, though a few curly tufts protruded from her head. Clothing-wise, Alexa wore a very fashionable outfit that showed off her slender frame.
It consisted of a tight black and red shirt with a white collar and medium-length sleeves with white cuffs, along with skin-tight grey pants, a huge brown and silver belt, and very long brown boots with grey buckles. She also wore two yellow earrings and painted her nails red to express herself.
"Viola?" Bonnie asked.
"That's me!" Then, hearing a voice call out, the group turned around to see Viola, with me standing alongside her.
"Nice to see you again," Viola said teasingly.
"Ah! You mean you're Alexa's sister?" Ash asked.
"Pika~?"
"Oh, so I take it you've already met one another?" Alexa asked.
"Right! At the fountain, I took a picture of Pikachu and Ash before they ended up running off here. However, this young man, Kai, happened to recognise me, so we had a nice chat while on the way here."
"AH?!" My group exclaimed while looking at me.
"Kai, you knew who she was?!?" Ash asked.
"Mhm, I was gonna say something, but you all had already run off before I had the chance," I smirked.
"Oh… Haha, my bad!" Ash said while awkwardly scratching his head.
"So Ash, Alexa mentioned you wanted to challenge me while I was gone," Viola said.
"I still do! How 'bout it?" Ash exclaimed.
"Sure! But you see, Kai also asked if he could challenge me, as well."
Before anyone could say anything, I interjected, saying,
"Oh please, don't mind me, Viola. Ash here has had his mind set on this Battle for a while now. I couldn't possibly cut ahead. I'll have my Battle with you after."
"Is that right?" Viola said while narrowing her eyes at me.
"You just wanna watch me Battle Ash so you can learn my Battling style to secure yourself an advantage, don't you. After all, you've already explained the type of Trainer you are."
"Ehehe, guilty as charged!" I said, sticking out my tongue.
"I see how it is!" She said, smirking back at me, before continuing,
"Alright then, let's see if you really can make use of that advantage," She said in a challenging tone.
"Let's head on inside, then!" She said.
…
..
.
Inside the Entrance Hall of the Gym, the walls were lined with photographs of different Pokémon in multiple scenes.
"Wow, you took all of these pictures, Viola?" Ash asked.
"Uh-huh, although these are just a few of the pictures I've taken," Viola replied.
"She's got quite the talent for photographing [Bug] Types. She even helps me out with my reporting from time to time!" Said Alexa as she looked around.
"This is great work! It really captures the love you have for your subjects!" Clemont praised.
"Sure does; you can see how much you care about [Bug] Types!"
"Oh, this really makes me want to start photographing my Fennekin!" Serena called out.
"Ooo, Ooo, I know! Viola, you're a keeper!" Bonnie suddenly exclaimed as she turned around to face Viola and got down on one knee!
"I mean, please take care of my Brother!" she continued.
"Uhh…" Viola replied, seemingly stunned.
"We're a little bit… confused," Alexa mentioned.
Suddenly Clemont appeared next to Bonnie, shouting,
"Bonnie! I told you to stop this a million times!"
"You know you need somebody to take care of you!" Bonnie exclaimed back at him before turning to Viola and continuing,
"I think Viola would make you a nice Wife!"
"A nice Wife?!?" Viola exclaimed, looking utterly confused.
"AHHH, NOOO! This is so embarrassing! Activate Aipom Arm!" Clemont cried out as a mechanical arm extended from his backpack, clasping around the back of Bonnie's shirt and pulling her along with him as he walked away.
"Would you please just mind your own business!" Clemont chastised.
"Hahaha, I hope you'll think about it, Viola!" Bonnie cried as she was dragged away.
"Uhh…" Ash, Serena, and Viola all said, watching the spectacle.
"Such a unique little girl…." Alexa said, sounding slightly sarcastic.
"You can say that again…" I replied.
I had my hands covering my face out of embarrassment. Viola looked absolutely dumbfounded.
Snapping herself out of it, Viola turned to look at Ash, saying,
"So, shall we, Ash? How 'bout that Battle?"
"Great!"
"Pika~!"
…
..
.
"The Gym Battle between Ash, The Challenger, and Viola, The Santalune Gym Leader, will now begin!" The referee of the match announced.
Ash and Viola stood opposite each other, both looking raring to go!
I once again stood on the sidelines beside Alexa, Bonnie, Clemont, and Serena, who were on my right, while Luca and Luci were standing on my left.
"Each side will have the use of two Pokémon, and the Battle will be over when either Trainer's Pokémon are unable to continue! Only the Challenger may substitute Pokémon!"
"My lens is always focused on Victory, no matter what!" Viola cried out with a Pokéball in hand before exclaiming,
"Surskit, Go!"
With a burst of light, a Surskit appeared on the arena grounds. It looked like a blue pondskater with a circular body, four legs, and atop its head/body was a yellow cap and appendage that looked like a peculiar hairstyle.
"Surskit~!" it cried out in a high-pitched tone of voice.
With how much my actions had changed the timeline, I didn't want to rely on my prior knowledge. Thus, I began simulating different scenarios that could occur…
"So… Viola is going with a [Water/Bug] Type Pokémon, huh? Surskit is known for its high mobility; knowing that, I wonder which Pokémon Ash will send out. Depending on his choice, I can probably already predict how this match will go…." I muttered to myself.
I thought I had been quite enough, but it seems as though Clemont had overheard me, asking,
"You can do that?!"
His words naturally drew the other's attention.
Looking over, I sighed,
"Haaa, it depends. If I know which Pokémon are Battling, I can come up with predictions based on their Type Advantages, as well as the possible attacks they could theoretically use." I replied before continuing,
"Because Viola is a Gym Leader, you can do a bunch of research to find out what Pokémon she has, what moves they've been seen using, etc. If that isn't enough, just knowing which Pokémon she has allows you to scour through the Pokédex to gain an advantage. After all, the Pokédex has detailed listings of entire 'Movesets' for each Pokémon."
Hearing my words, the group began to furrow their brows in contemplation.
Bonnie, not really understanding what I was getting at, asked,
"So, how does all of this help?"
"Well, if I can predict which moves both Trainer's Pokémon know, I can simulate different Battles, all the way down to how they'd use each move, each of their reactions and counters, and finally, how a match would end, depending on these choices."
"So you're saying…" Serena began.
"Depending on which of his three Pokémon Ash sends out, I can already guess the result of this match."
Hearing my words, they furrowed their brows again, looking towards Ash, waiting for his choice.
"My first Kalos Gym battle! And I'm gonna start it off with Pikachu!"
"Pika~!"
"Ash is using Pikachu!" Bonnie cried out.
"That's because Pikachu has got a big advantage over Surskit, who's a [Bug/Water] Type!" Clemont replied.
"That's great, right?" Serena said, but then she turned to look over at me.
Right now, my brows were furrowed, and I'd let out a deep sigh.
Seeing my reaction, she looked back at Ash with a worried light in her eyes.
"Now, Battle Begin!" The referee called out.
"Pikachu! Let's start this with [Quick Attack]!" Ash called out.
Pikachu became covered with a luminescent white glow before it burst forward, dodging erratically, closing in on Surskit!
"Pi-Kachu~! Pi~! Pi~! Pi~!"
However, Viola seemed to be on top of things, quickly ordering,
"Quick, Surskit! Use [Protect]!"
A translucent disk suddenly appeared before Surskit, just in time to intercept Pikachu!
Pikachu impacted the disk with a loud bang before it suddenly erupted into an explosion that sent Pikachu barrelling through the air, back the way it came.
"Pika~?!?"
Before Pikachu landed, Ash ordered,
"Pikachu! Go around Surskit and use [Iron Tail]!"
As soon as Pikachu landed, it took off into a sprint, leaving behind a burst of dust, aiming to do precisely as Ash ordered.
However, this is where Surskit's higher mobility came into play. As soon as Pikachu approached, without even needing Viola to say anything, Surskit began taking evasive maneuvers, skating across the ground as if it were frictionless!
So as Pikachu swung its tail through the air to build up momentum, Skirskit had already vacated the impact area!
BOOOOM
A massive dust cloud rose up from where Pikachu's [Iron Tail] had landed!
As soon as it cleared, everyone bore witness to Surkit skating laps around Pikachu, constantly keeping its mobility at its peak!
"Focus, Pikachu! Use [Electro Ball] and stop Surskit!" Ash shouted out.
Pikachu lept into the air, spinning around as it built up energy, forming a massive sphere of electricity at its tail, before launching it in Surskit's direction!
"Piii, Kaaaaa, Chuuuuu~!"
As the sphere approached Surskit, Viola smirked, ordering,
"Surskit! Use [Ice Beam]!"
Thus, with a flash of bright blue light, a beam of Ice Elemental Energy was sent zooming towards Pikachu's oncoming attack!
Another massive explosion rocked the arena as the two energies collided!
…
"Ahh!" Clemont, Bonnie, and Serena exclaimed!
"My sister's very strong…." Alexa said, looking seriously at the Battle that was occurring.
"Huh?" Clemont replied.
"Defeating her is no easy task!" Alexa announced.
"You've got that right," I replied.
"S-So Kai, have you made your prediction?" Serena asked. Hearing what she asked, they all turned to look at me.
I was still looking at the battle with solemn eyes before I turned to look at them, saying,
"I have."
"So? What's the verdict?" Clemont asked, sounding somewhat nervous…
With a sad sigh, I said,
"Knowing what I do about which Pokémon Viola has, I can already tell that she's setting up the perfect Battlefield for herself. If it ends up going down how I think it will…."
"This is Viola's win…"
Hearing my words, their eyes all shot wide open before looking toward Ash and Pikachu with worried gazes.
…
"This is where it begins!" Viola shouted out before ordering,
"Use [Ice Beam] on the field!"
With a short charge-up, Surskit began releasing random beams of Ice Elemental Energy, which impacted different areas of the arena!
Pikachu began to dodge erratically, trying desperately not to get hit!
"Pika! Pi! Pi! Pi!"
However, it was all for naught as soon the ice closed in, encasing the entire ground.
"Woah! The Battlefield is frozen!" Bonnie cried out.
And its effects immediately began to show.
Pikachu began slipping, unable to get its balance and struggling to maintain an upright position!
"Our Ice Battlefield is Picture-Perfect! Surskit, let's go!"
Surskit then began to skate forward towards Pikachu at extremely high-speed, the ice on the ground only serving to elevate its already ridiculous mobility!
Pikachu could barely keep up as with each lap that Surskit completed around Pikachu, Pikachu would lose its balance while turning around to keep Surskit in view!
"Hang in there! Use [Iron Tail]!" Ash ordered, sounding rather desperate!
"Pika!" Pikachu replied, its tail glowing a fluorescent white!
Miraculously, most likely from overconfidence, Surskit had charged directly at Pikachu, allowing Pikachu to pivot around and slam its tail head on!
The impact sent Surskit spinning like a top back to its half of the arena!
However, Viola ordered,
"Pull it together, Surskit, and use [Ice Beam]!"
Surskit righted itself before releasing another light blue beam towards Pikachu!
"Now Pikachu, use [Thunderbolt]!" Ash ordered.
Pikachu quickly built up its energy before leaping up and releasing its attack, causing it to impact head-on with the incoming [Ice Beam]!
However, the two beams suddenly veered off course, impacting the ground directly in front of Pikachu, sending it blasting backwards towards Ash!
"Pikachu, no!" Ash cried out!
"Yes! Now use your Picture-Perfect [Signal Beam]!" Viola ordered without mercy!
Surskit launched into the air, charging up a massive amount of purplish-pink energy that was then sent directly towards the still prone Pikachu!
Pikachu only had enough time to sit up, staring at the approaching beam with worry and sadness before,
BOOOOOOOOM
An enormous explosion shook the entire building as a smoke cloud rose like a mushroom from the point of impact!
"Pikachu!!!" Ash cried out!
"Ah!" Bonnie, Clemont, and Serena cried out as well from the sidelines.
Pikachu came bouncing out of the smoke cloud, painfully impacting the ground along the way, before sliding to a stop at Ash's feet.
Its eyes were closed; its fur was scorched. Pikachu was unconscious.
"Pikachu is unable to battle; Surskit wins!" The referee announced!
Ash ran forward to pick up Pikachu and cradle it in his arms.
"Pikachu…"
"Pikachu,… you okay?" Ash asked, and amazingly, Pikachu opened its eyes to look up at him, saying,
"Pika… Pika, Pikachu~" with a sad smile.
"Haaa, you were great out there… Thanks, Buddy." Ash replied.
"You trained Pikachu quite well, but it still has a long way to go before it can beat my Surskit!" Viola called out.
I walked over to Ash's side; he looked up at me with Pikachu in his arms.
I smiled sadly at him before reaching out my arms, saying,
"Here, we'll look after Pikachu. You still have a Battle to fight."
"Thanks, Kai," he said, handing Pikachu to me.
I made my way back over to the sidelines with Pikachu laid in my arms like I was carrying an infant.
I reached into my bag, pulling out a tiny device that had the appearance of a spray bottle.
Releasing the blue mist over Pikachu's body, it visibly began to breathe less forcefully, seemingly finally able to relax.
"Was that a potion?" Clemont asked.
"Mhm, it's no substitute for a Pokémon Center, but it'll at least relieve Pikachu of its discomfort…." I said, smiling sadly at the pitiful Pokémon in my arms. I then passed Pikachu over to Clemont to hold.
"Look after it for me, will ya?" I asked.
With a nod, Clemont held onto Pikachu.
…
..
.
"Alright, I'll beat your Surskit this time!" Ash proclaimed, pulling out a Pokéball, calling out,
"Fletchling, let's go!"
Fletchling appeared within the arena with a burst of light, soaring through the skies on its tiny wings.
The little [Flying] Type Pokémon had the appearance of a robin, with red feathers covering its head, blue feathers on its body, blue feathered wings tipped in white, and black and white striped tail feathers.
"Wow, Fletchling will be great! It can attack from above, so the frozen ground won't do a thing!" Bonnie cried out!
"A [Flying] Type like Fletchling has an advantage over a [Bug] Type like Surskit, too!" Clemont exclaimed!
"Mmm, you're not wrong," I replied.
"Okay, Fletchling! [Peck], let's go!" Ash called out!
Fletchling then took to the skies before angling itself towards the ground, boosting forward with its wings and nose-diving towards Surskit, its beak glowing much like Pikachu's tail would during [Iron Tail]!
Surskit was already taking evasive maneuvers, so when Fletchling approached, it utilised its high mobility to dodge, with Fletchling's attack missing by millimetres!
Fletchling, having missed its target, swooped back into the air!
"Now, use [Ice Beam]!" Viola called out, with Surskit sending the familiar light-blue beam towards the sky at Fletchling!
Fletchling, being relatively small, had no hard time dodging the beam, swooping back and forth, performing barrel-rolls, showing off its aerial superiority!
Seeing her attack failing, Viola called out,
"[Sticky Web], go!"
"Fletchling, [Double Team]!" Ash responded!
As if straight out of a certain Ninja-Themed Anime, Fletchling began to make copies of itself, populating the air with convincing look-alikes!
Surskit began rapid-firing its [Sticky Web], appearing much like a certain friendly neighbourhood Super Hero!
Because of [Double Team], Fletchling could dodge every attack that came its way, causing the [Sticky Web] to coat the ceiling!
"It dodged everything!" Clemont cried out in excitement!
"Alright! Attack, Attack, Attack, Attack!" Bonnie cheered out!
"Now, Fletchling! Use [Razor Wing]!" Ash ordered, hoping to capitalise on this opportunity!
Fletchling's wings began to glow much like its beak had before it violently flapped, sending out glowing air blades that looked reminiscent of sword beams from a cliché Anime!
The blades raced through the air before impacting Surskit head-on and generating another smoke cloud from the explosion!
"Ah! No!" Viola cried out.
When the dust cleared, Surskit appeared much like Pikachu had, battered and bruised, lying unconscious on the Arena floor.
"Surskit is unable to battle; Fletchling wins!" the referee announced.
"Alright!" Ash cheered as Fletchling flew circles over his head.
Clemont, Bonnie, and Serena cried out as well!
"Did you see how amazingly Ash battled?!" Bonnie exclaimed towards Serena.
"Mhm! I sure did!" She replied.
"Now, both sides have one Pokémon left! Ash just might win this!" Clemont said.
I looked at the battlefield with a complicated look. I'd seen this scenario occur before, so I already knew what was coming next without the need for my ability to analyse and predict, which prevented me from joining in with my friends.
Alexa had noticed this, looking at me with interest.
I met her gaze and smiled sadly.
"You know, huh…" She said, more a statement rather than a question. Nevertheless, I answered.
"I do… After all, it's the most logical choice she could make now…"
"Haaaa…" We both sighed before looking back at the arena.
…
..
.
Viola pulled out Surskit's Pokéball, returning it and saying,
"Surskit, you were great. You deserve a good rest!"
"Time to beat your other Pokémon and get my hands on my first Kalos Gym Badge!" Ash declared!
"It's not gonna be that easy! My Gym Leader pride is on the line!" Viola replied.
"Let's do this! Vivillon!" She called out.
With a familiar burst of light, Vivillon appeared on the Battlefield!
"Vi, Vi, Llon!" It cried out as it rose into the air.
Vivillon had a butterfly-like appearance with wings that came in a large variety of patterns, coloured a mix of pinks and purples. It had a round, greyish head with large, black, pixelated eyes and a pair of skinny antennae.
The tips of the antennae each had an ovoid scale that was dark grey on the upper half and beige on the lower half. Vivillon's thorax was an ovoid divided into three segments; each was a different shade of grey.
Its legs were also oval-shaped and were dark grey on the lower half, beige on the upper half, and had a black band in the middle. It had two black, circular hands and no visible arms.
With both Vivillon and Fletchling facing each other in the air, the size disparity was evident, with Vivillon having a height of 1.2 meters (3'11) while Fletchling was a meagre 30 cm (1'0) long.
Undeterred by the difference in size, Ash ordered,
"Alright, Fletching, [Peck]!"
With its typical swooping motion and glowing beak, Fletchling soared above Vivillon before zooming directly at it!
"[Flying] Type moves are super-effective against Vivillon!" Clemont announced!
"Vivillon, use [Psychic]!" Viola ordered before Fletching could finish its attack.
With its eyes glowing a bright blue, Vivillion sent out an invisible pulse of mental energy that surrounded the oncoming Fletchling with a blue glow, not unlike the one coming from its eyes!
Fletchling suddenly paused mid-air, struggling in pain as the telekinetic power held it in place, slowly crushing it!
"Fletchling!!!!!!!!" It wailed!
"Ah, Fletchling! W-What happened?!" Ash cried out!
"Since I made an [Ice] Battlefield, I want you to experience what it's all about!" Viola announced as Fletchling was suddenly sent hurtling towards the ground.
BOOOOM
A large cloud of ice particles shot upwards from the impact, blocking the view.
"Fletchling, are you okay?! Can you still fly?!" Ash called out.
From the mist, Fletchling slowly rose, beating its wings heavily.
"Fletchling~!" It replied.
"Alright!" Ash cried out. However, before he could order his next move,
"Use [Gust]!" Viola called out, with Vivillon following through!
Vivillon beat its wings harshly, generating a frightening gale that sent Fletchling tumbling through the air towards the ceiling, directly into Surskit's [Sticky Web]!
Fletchling impacted the ceiling with its wings spread wide, coating its back entirely with the sticky substance!
Now, immobile and trapped, Fletchling could do nothing but struggle.
"Fletchling!" Ash cried out!
"Ah!" Bonnie and Serena cried out!
"It's stuck in that [Sticky Web]!" Clemont pointed out!
"Break free! You can do it, Fletchling!" Ash cried out!
Fletchling struggled, pulling as hard as possible, but it was all in vain…
Looking at this, I sighed once more, saying,
"All according to my prediction…."
Clemont, Bonnie, and Serena stood there wide-eyed, looking towards me in horror, beginning to understand what I'd talked about before the match even began.
…
"A Picture-Perfect opportunity!" Viola announced!
"Vivillon, [Solar Beam]!"
Particles of light began to gather towards Vivillon's antennae, growing and growing in size, creating a massive yellowish energy sphere!
Vivillon tilted its body back before lurching forward, directly launching a beam of over-charged sunlight at the immobile and helpless Fletchling!
Fletchling cried out in desperation at its approach but still could do nothing but accept its fate…
BOOOOOOOOOM
"Urgh! Oh no! Fletchling!" Ash shouted!
As the smoke cloud cleared, Fletchling was seen slowly falling towards the arena grounds, bouncing on impact and lying still.
"Fletchling!" Ash cried out!
"Ah!" Clemont and Bonnie said.
"Fletchling is unable to battle. Vivillion wins, which means the victor is Viola, The Gym Leader!" The referee announced, sounding the end to a hard-fought battle.
"Hmmm." Viola let out a satisfied sigh before pulling out a Pokéball and returning Vivillion.
"Thanks a lot, Vivillon!"
"Fletchling!" Ash once again cried out as he ran towards the motionless bird.
He bent down, gently picking it up and cradling it in his arms.
"Are you okay?" he asked desperately.
"L-Ling…" Fletchling tried to reply; however, it was too hurt and exhausted.
"Ash!" Bonnie called out as she ran over with Clemont, who still held Pikachu in his arms.
"We need to get them both to a Pokémon Center… I'm afraid that Battle put them through a lot…" Clemont said, handing Pikachu over to Ash.
He looked down at his injured Pokémon in horror, seemingly on the verge of tears.
Clenching his teeth and eyes, Ash turned around to face Viola.
"I know I lost… but I'll come back here stronger! And when I do, I hope you'll let me have a rematch."
Viola nodded with a smile, saying,
"I'll be looking forward to it. Come back anytime."
With a nod, Ash turned around and began walking out, saying,
"Let's go…"
…
..
.
As Ash left with Clemont, Bonnie, and Serena in tow, I walked over to Viola with Luca and Luci following me.
"That was an impressive battle. The way you used your Pokémon's moves to create an ideal Battlefield and leave potential traps was genuinely terrifying."
Hearing my words, Viola smirked at me, asking,
"So? You've seen how I battle now. Think you're up for the challenge?"
"Oh, absolutely. I'm looking forward to seeing what you'll do next time." I replied with a smirk of my own.
"Oho? Then come by tomorrow! I'll be happy to wipe that smug look off your face!" Viola said with a wide smile.
"Haha, you're on!"
With that, I began to make my way out of the gym. I made sure to look at a tree that was beside the entrance to the Arena. And as I expected, there was Ash's backpack, left behind in all his worry.
"Sigh…" I picked it up and then made my way after my friends.
…
..
.
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