章節 5: 11,12,13

"That's enough, Meowth," Jessie called.

Meowth didn't actually have a Pokéball, but it was sort of standard to let Pokémon withdraw by stepping back anyway, and Erika's Gloom was far too frustrated to try and press the issue as Meowth pulled back.

It wasn't like he'd been doing a lot of damage, because he hadn't. It wasn't like it was hard to hit him, either, because it wasn't.

It was just that the feline Pokémon had an incredible talent for having avoided just enough of an attack that it didn't actually do anything significant, or for turning out to actually be somewhere else and bouncing a coin off her head.

Really by this point Gloom was fairly sure Meowth should have been out of the battle about six times over, but he just had not quit.

Then Jessie sent out her other Pokémon for the battle, and Gloom turned grey.

"Growlie, Flare Blitz!" Jessie called, and her borrowed Pokémon went through Erika's team like a plasma lance.

The description has been removed on the grounds of taste.

"You have won," Erika announced. "Here is the Rainbowbadge."

She took a slip of paper from her assistants. "And here is the bill for repairs."

Jessie took the slip, and sighed.

"Really?" she asked. "Why do you even keep this many plants in your gym room? You've got to know they'll all be set on fire anyway."

"Most trainers display a bit more restraint than having a happy Arcanine running around Flare Blitzing everything vaguely green," Erika replied. "And, quite honestly, I don't think you can talk about how my gym looks."

"Excuse me?" Jessie said, hotly. "Team JATO's fashion sense is impeccable!"

"Yeah!" Meowth agreed, coming down from the ceiling on a length of fishing wire. "An' that's because we ain't around Flyin' types no more!"

Erika closed her eyes, counted to three, and opened them.

"The bill," she requested.

"Right, right," Jessie said. "Meowth, you sort it out!"

"I got it!" Meowth agreed, cutting his ninja wire, and landed in Jessie's shadow. There was a sort of clinking noise, and he leaned out. "You take cash, right?"

"Provisionally."

"Growlie!" James said, hugging the Pokémon who might technically have been his starter. "Oh, I missed you too, boy!"

"We were in there ten minutes, tops," Jessie replied. "Actually, why did you stay outside?"

"I heard the gym was full of women!" James answered. "And I remembered the Twerp had to dress up as a girl to get in!"

Jessie gave James an unimpressed look. "James, you've crossdressed more than I have. In fact that applies in either direction."

"But it's not a girl day," James shrugged. "That's why."

So, Abra said, now bored with that. Where next?

"Well, we've already done a lot of the gyms." Jessie began ticking them off on her fingers. "Pewter Gym, we did that one… wasn't that the one where that gym leader insisted we pay for the repairs after Abra's Future Sight missed and broke the sprinkler system?"

It's the best strategy in that gym, Abra defended himself.

"Then, Cerulean Gym… do you think it counts if they just give you the badge?" Jessie asked. "I think it counts. We should do Vermillion some time, too… didn't Meowth say Cubone was working on something involving that marble Abra mentioned?"

"Vermillion!" James snapped his fingers. "Of course! The St. Anne!"

Jessie stared at him.

"That ship nearly killed us, James."

"Oh, yeah, it did kind of sink… but I meant we could go buy a Magikarp again, only this time we actually take care of it!"

Jessie's mind filled with a medley of glorious images, mostly involving Gyarados.

"I'm sold!" she said immediately. "Then we leave before the Twerps sink the ship."

"Meowth, now, dat's a plan!" Meowth declared. "Wasn't it the S. though? Or is dat 'cause it's a sailing ship?"

"How is it a sailing ship?" Jessie asked.

James put his hand to his lip. "Actually, where are the Twerps?"

Probably a training montage or something, Abra suggested.

"I think I'd remember the name of the ship what nearly killed us!" Meowth insisted. "No, wait, I'm gettin' a different one now. Something about an airship?"

Abra fell asleep and teleported them to Vermillion, possibly in that order.

Meanwhile, Ash was staring at his hands, then at the notebook next to him. "Okay, I think that's pattern seventeen, and… modulate with pattern six…"

"How are you doing?"

Ash looked up at the speaker. "Slowly."

Riolu was watching Ash from overhead, mostly by standing upside down on a tree branch.

He'd already been taught a lot of the basic Aura techniques in the first timeline, while trying something like Aura Purge was just scary… so he'd instead started switching to working on utility techniques that could help other members of the team as well.

The ability to walk on water had come first, and he'd already put it to good use in the Cerulean Gym battle. That was to do with surface tension, while the second trick was something which he'd decided to call Airslip.

Like water walking, and like his new trick, it had mostly come from trying to do something with physics. Airslip was to do with making it easier for air and things in the air to flow over his body rather than affect him, and Riolu was working on making it so that it could give him a personal air supply, as well… but that was harder to test than his third trick, which used the forces that made things stick together.

Which brought him right back to why he was standing upside down.

"The annoying thing is telling if it's working," Ash admitted.

"I know that feeling," Riolu shrugged. "Like my personal air supply thing with Airslip, the best way to test if that's working is to hold it until I pass out."

Ash winced.

"Yeah, I get that," he said. "And, I'm kind of there, I think, but it takes a long time to get it started and it's too complicated for me to just compare it with the notes."

Riolu pushed off from the branch, flipped over, and landed next to Ash. "Is there someone you could test it on? I don't really know how it works exactly, I'm just guessing."

"The notes say it was designed to reach a Shadow Pokémon," Ash replied, picking up the notebook and flicking through. "And Sir Aaron told me a bit about how Shadow Pokémon work… the basic idea is, uh, complicated…"

Pages flicked back and forth as Ash looked for the bit he was thinking of. "And, uh… right… here! Sir Aaron said that Aura Purge was created to allow Aura wielders, especially members of the Chosen, to… solve the problem of Shadow Pokémon and other serious traumas the way they were best suited for."

"Which means?" Riolu checked.

"Mostly through punching," Ash clarified. "Well, it says traumas, so… I wonder if a phobia counts? Misty's afraid of Bug Types."

Riolu stared. "You're thinking of trying it on Misty? ...well, I'm not helping you ask."

Ash gave a winning smile. "Don't worry, I'll use tact!"

"You're doomed."

"Hey, Misty!" Ash said. "You know that problem you have with Bug types?"

Goldeen briefly had experience with flying.

"What was that, Ash?" Misty asked, picking up her Goldfish Pokémon and hefting her. "I didn't hear you."

"I was trying to help," Ash complained, from the ground.

Misty snorted. "I don't need your help, Ash! I'm not paranoid about all Bug types! I get on well with Butterfree! I don't mind Ledyba! Tracey's Venonat is nice! I don't even mind Pineco!"

"Forretress," Brock corrected. "And she doesn't look much like a Bug type anyway."

"Still!" Misty said firmly. "It's not a problem."

"So, you'd be okay if someone you were battling sent out Beedrill?" Ash asked.

"Beedrill? Where?!" Misty demanded, flailing, and tripped over.

Ash stood up, and helped Misty up. "I don't know if you need help, but you can't argue that help would help, Misty. Not liking Bug type Pokémon is okay, I guess, I don't get it myself, but like this it's… not good."

He shrugged. "I guess there's another option, if I can't try out my Aura technique on you."

Misty went hmph. "I'll take the other option."

"The other option is that Squirtle gets you over it!" Ash explained. "He said he could do it with 'sheer distilled awesome', and that it would involve 'ripping open dimensions', 'rock music' and 'punches'."

The Water-type specialist carefully reviewed her options.

"...Aura technique please."

Squirtle put his sunglasses away sadly.

"...sure you're okay with it?" Ash asked. "I know it was a sudden change, and that could matter here."

"I didn't want to be made to evolve, you're right," Ivysaur confirmed. "But it's happened now, and I'm… still getting used to it, but more because it's different than because I don't like how I am now. I am, however, not evolving again."

"If you're sure," Ash nodded. "Then it'd be good to have you along too. Riolu, you're about the only one who can keep watch on the outside and see what's going on… Pikachu, Charizard, you two are going to be really helpful. Butterfree, maybe not. Sorry."

"I'm a Bug type, I get it," Butterfree agreed.

"So… what's this exactly?" Pikachu checked.

Ash adjusted his gloves. "We're going into Misty's subconscious, and we're going to go and fight the problem… it's kind of like what happened with Larvitar and that Unown, remember that?"

Charizard held his arm up. "I don't remember that. What was that like? Was it like that thing with the Entei?"

"No, it was more like… going into Larvitar's mind and seeing how he saw us?" Ash tried to explain. "It's probably going to be easier to just do it, now I think of it."

He concentrated, and his hands lit up with blue energy. "It works by body contact, so let's go!"

Misty looked nervous. "Actually, maybe-"

Blue fire enveloped both of them, then Pikachu, Charizard and Ivysaur.

A moment later, as Riolu was sitting down against a tree to focus his Aura senses, there was the sound of running feet as Squirtle skidded into the clearing.

"That's no good! They forgot about me!"

Riolu's response was eloquent and considered. "Huh?"

"If they're going into Misty's mind, they should naturally bring along a Water type Pokémon!" Squirtle declared. "I'm the ideal point of familiarity! And I know just how to do therapy!"

Riolu shrugged. "Well, sure, you should be able to just touch one of them and go in…"

"We're professionals at this," Butterfree observed.

"At best we're amateurs," Riolu replied.

As the old hands at this, Ash and Pikachu took stock more-or-less the moment they arrived in Misty's mind.

Since they were Misty's images of them instead of how they were on the outside, there were a few changes. Pikachu's cheeks were their old shade of red, rather than the newer and angrier colour or the light-ball influenced Raichu orange, and Ash was a bit older than he was now – sort of like an average of how he'd been over the time he and Misty had been travelling together, or maybe a bit older.

He wasn't an expert at telling his own age.

Charizard, meanwhile, had longer and sharper claws and teeth than he should have had, and Ivysaur's own claws were about the same. And they were both bigger than they should have been?

"Okay, what's up with this?" Charizard demanded, then blinked. "Okay, it's weird hearing sounds like that come out of my mouth."

"I'm not an expert," Ash began.

"Top ten obvious statements," Pikachu sniggered.

"Hey!" Ash protested. "As I was saying, uh, I'm not an expert, but, I think it's because… Misty's got a bit of fear for Charizard because he was a bit aggressive after evolving, and for a long time we were together… and Ivysaur, she's sort of worried the same thing might happen? And the speaking is because she's now used to the idea we can communicate. It's not like we're actually speaking with actual mouths here."

"Did this happen last time?" Ivysaur asked.

"...no," Ash admitted. "But it's my best guess."

"Maybe it's part of this technique?" Pikachu suggested. "It's saturated in Aura."

Ash nodded. "I guess… so, where are we, anyway?"

Ivysaur looked around. "I… think that's Mount Moon, over there, and that's to the west, and… okay, we're near Cerulean, I think."

"I guess that makes sense," Ash replied, reaching for the notebook at the top of Sir Aaron's pouch. "The technique's supposed to give you a head start on finding the trauma by making it a relevant situation."

"Is that in your pocket?"

Ash looked at the book. "...I don't want to think about this too hard or it'll go away."

Pikachu pointed. "Look."

They turned, and saw a young orange-haired girl running away from an older girl, laughing.

"I think that's her," Ash said. "And that looks like one of her sisters, but I can't keep them straight."

As they followed Misty, Charizard did his best tree impression to try and avoid being spotted.

Since this mostly consisted of holding Ivysaur to his chest, it was probably for the best that what was happening was more of a memory than anything else.

Then Misty fell down a slope, scraping her knee, and landed in a gloomy hollow with a trio of Paras and a Parasect.

"Ah!" she shouted, trying to back away, then something changed subtly in the air.

"What was that?" Pikachu asked.

Misty looked back. "Who said that?"

"I guess this isn't a memory any more!" Ash realized. "Charge!"

Pikachu and Ivysaur hit all three Paras with Vine Whips and Thunderbolt, and Charizard hit the Parasect with his tail. Ash slid down into the hollow too, grabbing a potion from his bag, and sprayed it on child-Misty's leg.

She began to whimper.

"Calm down, Misty," he said. "You're safe now."

Misty shook her head vigorously. "I always think that when my sisters come, but I never get away from them… run, before they get you too!"

"What do you mean, they?" Ash asked, perplexed.

Misty pointed to the edge of the hollow, where a series of seemingly random movements of the grass revealed themselves to be the signs of a truly immense horde of Bug types. Everything Misty had ever seen on her travels that reminded her of this one terrible event had reinforced her fear, and now they were coming for her.

Ash glanced to both sides. "Ivysaur? Charizard? Pikachu?"

They all nodded.

Ash adjusted his hat. "Right then. Misty. None of them will get you. We won't let them." He raised his staff, and focused Aura into it, forming a glowing field of power around it.

Charizard roared, Ivysaur used Growth, and Pikachu summoned a Counter Shield.

The Bug army chittered in response.

And charged.

Misty crouched under the roots of a tree, unwilling to pay attention to the fighting not far away.

She couldn't get far with her leg hurting, but she couldn't think what else to do.

If I ignore it, they might go away… they might go away…

"Hey."

Misty looked up, almost without meaning to, and saw a Squirtle leaning against the nearest root.

Something about the Pokémon seemed familiar. Maybe it was the nonchalant attitude, or the pair of outrageously pointed shades, but she was sure she'd seen this Squirtle before.

Like the boy had been familiar, but she couldn't think where from.

"What are you doing down there, Misty?" Squirtle asked, and it made sense that he was asking the question.

She sniffed. "Hiding."

Squirtle jumped down into the same space as her. "You can't hide from your troubles forever, though."

"What else can I do?" Misty demanded. "I can't run far enough, I'm not strong enough to fight…"

Squirtle tutted. "Don't think that way. There's always a choice."

He pointed to her side, and Misty blinked a few times in confusion.

There was a plush toy Seel next to her… and, with it, a Pokéball.

"A choice?" she repeated, looking back and forth between the two objects and Squirtle.

The Water-type smiled. "People often come to crossroads in their lives. And the only thing to do at a crossroads is pick one of the roads you can take and give it your all! So, tell me, Misty. Do you want to hide away from the world, safely, or do you want to be a Pokémon trainer whose reputation echoes far and wide?"

Misty hesitated, and Squirtle waved her attention back to the objects. "Go ahead. Just don't be distracted by what-ifs, should-haves and if-onlys along the way."

She reached out a hand, hesitated, then made her decision.

Ash formed an Aura Sphere, crashed it into another, and focused. The energy in the combined spheres exploded outwards, but rather than dissipating it formed into a dozen smaller spheres that were all still independently controlled.

They shot off towards a Ninjask in a dozen slightly different directions, homed in around it, and smashed it out of the sky.

"You know, I really wish Misty hadn't heard of so many Bugs now!" he called. "Charizard!"

Ash ducked, and Charizard blasted at a trio of Nincada. He got a Shedinja, as well, dissolving the husk, then Pikachu used Shockwave in a kind of expanding burst and knocked another Ninjask from the sky.

"Right, that's an option too," Ash admitted.

"Why are there so many Bug types?" Ivysaur demanded, his vines lashing out and grabbing a Scyther's arms just below the blades. "Pikachu, little help?"

Pikachu promptly hit the Scyther with a Thunderbolt.

"I think it's because Misty's afraid of so many bugs!" Ash called back. "It's, symbolic or something, it's about how technically it's got worse every time?"

Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder. "Any progress?"

"Well, kind of?" Ash replied. "Remember those Genesect we met?"

"Oh, those guys!" Pikachu realized. "Yeah, I remember them. Why?"

"I mentioned them once, and, seems like Misty didn't like the sound of them!" Ash called back. "I saw one over there, and I guess it's, uh, symbolic again? It might be the core of her fear-"

There was a crash, as a Vibrava body-slammed into Charizard and knocked him over. He used Dragon Breath to blast it away, then flared his wings to complete the process, but then an Armaldo started attacking him.

Ash summoned another Aura Sphere. "Vibrava isn't even a bug!"

"Tell Misty that!" Pikachu advised. "What do we do?"

"We need to get Charizard over to fight that Genesect, but he's busy with all those Armaldo!" Ash replied. "Any ideas?"

Pikachu pointed. "We could just let them do it."

"Who's them?" Ash demanded. "I think my Aura's starting to ache, this is hard work and I still need training at it, who's them?"

"Just have a look," Pikachu advised.

Ash kicked a Galvantula into the air, followed that up by managing to knock an Accelgor out of the way, and looked.

"Okay, wow."

Misty was on the way. Their Misty, the one who Ash was in here to help, about as old as the last time Ash had seen her before they'd time travelled. And she was riding on her Gyarados, who in turn was riding on an enormous wave.

"Water Pulse!" Misty called, and Gyarados smashed the Armaldo aside. Charizard took off, and behind him almost the entire ground-bound horde of Bugs got smashed aside by what was something like a mix of Surf, Waterfall and probably Hydro Pump or something.

"Charizard, over here!" Ash called, waving.

"I see you, need a lift?" Charizard asked.

He landed next to them, and Ash grabbed on before swinging up onto his back.

Gripping hard with his knees so the takeoff wouldn't throw him, Ash kept talking as Charizard clawed for height. "We need to get that Genesect, Charizard! Problem is, it's got a Protect shield up – but I can handle that. Your job is to attack it, okay? Don't worry about me."

"But-"

"Don't," Ash insisted. "It'd take too long to explain."

"Fine," Charizard ground out.

"Okay, here goes-"

Load drive: Water.

Techno Blast.

A flash of blue energy came flashing up at Charizard from the Genesect, hitting him on the wingtip as he dodged. The impact was enough to spin him entirely around, Ash and Pikachu holding on tight as Charizard fought for control.

"I don't think that attack was that strong in New Tork, was it?" Pikachu asked. "Charizard, are you okay?"

"Fine, but I won't be if I take many more of those!" Charizard admitted.

Load drive: Electric.

Techno Blast.

This time Charizard did dodge it, then tilted his head to see what was going on as Ash adjusted his position. "Ash?"

"Pikachu, give Charizard some cover!" Ash called. "I'll give you an opening!"

He jumped off Charizard's back, one hand glowing, then Genesect's cannon lit up again. Techno Blast.

Electricity smashed into Ash, throwing him off course, and he hit the ground with a whud.

"Ash!" Pikachu and Charizard both called.

Battle co-ordination mode, Genesect stated implacably, summoning more bugs. Why bother trying to save the girl?

It wasn't like speech, not really. It was close, but there was something wrong about it.

"Because that's why we're here," Pikachu replied, as Charizard hit the ground not far from Genesect. "She's our friend."

"She's stronger than you," Charizard agreed, his gaze flicking to where Misty and Gyarados were busy rampaging through the horde of bugs – and where their friend Ivysaur had just swung up onto Gyarados's back to help. "I know what it means to face your own inadequacies."

"I think I can give a go at breaking that shield," Pikachu said.

"Charizard!" Ash called. "Blast Burn!"

He was swaying on his feet, but he was upright – and he slammed a palm into Genesect's shield, pulsing a needle-thin beam of Aura through it, then slashed to the side to pop the shield like a soap bubble.

How? Genesect demanded, as fire built in Charizard's throat.

"Better than you have tried," Ash replied.

Drive load: ALL

ERROR

Techno Blast

Charizard and Genesect fired at the same time.

A multicoloured beam of woven light reached out, and was smashed aside by Charizard's plasma bolt. It struck home, and Misty's manifest fear evaporated in an instant.

"Ash!" Misty called, jumping off Gyarados and running up as Ash collapsed to his knees. "Are you okay?"

Ash closed his eyes.

Riolu saw the blue fire around the group fade.

"Ash!" Misty shouted. "You didn't answer, are you-"

Ash sprang to his feet. "It works!"

Misty fell over.

"You gave me such a scare, you idiot!" she said, without any reduction in volume.

"Why?" Ash replied. "That was all mental, we never left the clearing. I was fine, we all were."

Pikachu, Ivysaur, Squirtle, Charizard and Misty glared at him, all at once, and he wilted a bit. Then a bit more, when Misty sent out Gyarados so he could do it too.

"Uh… I guess I forgot to mention it, then? It made sense to me…"

Misty crossed her arms. "How could that make sense?"

"It's an Aura technique meant to help people, not to get Aura adepts hurt trying to save their friends," Ash retorted. "The worst that happens is you get knocked out of their mind, I think… that's how it's meant to work."

He chuckled. "Ah, heh… I really should have told everyone else, right?"

"It'd have helped," Pikachu said, then hit him with a Thunderbolt just to make his point.

"And… ready, Dexter?" Ash asked.

Ready.

"Then let's go for it," Ash said. "Transfer!"

Butterfree's empty Pokéball vanished, then reappeared twenty feet away where Butterfree was perched on a tree trunk.

He returned himself, then the full Pokéball vanished again and reappeared in Ash's hand.

"Great!" Ash cheered. "It works!"

Composing grateful email to Professor Oak, the intelligent Pokédex said helpfully.

Ash sent out Butterfree again, and he fluttered over to where he'd been perched before and picked up the little recall beacon.

"Only one step left now," he said, and Ash clipped it carefully onto Butterfree's left foreleg.

"How's that?" Ash asked.

"It's fine, it doesn't get in the way," Butterfree replied. "I think it's tomorrow that we met the swarm, right?"

"Yeah, but… I think you can go now, if you want," Ash told him. "I'll miss having you around, Butterfree, but… it's your life."

"Stay in touch, okay?" Pikachu said.

Riolu put his palms together and bowed.

"Viridian Forest forever," Pidgeot chuckled.

"Good luck, guys," Butterfree said. "I'm just a call away… and Ash? Make sure to get me involved with the League. It sounds fun."

A few days later, and with Nastina answering some very pointed questions about her hotel development plan directly on top of a coral reef, Misty crouched down next to the dockside and the Horsea who'd given the warning. "So, this is going to sound weird, even by our standards, but… there was a time you were my Pokémon, and you don't remember it, but my friend Ash can help you remember. How does that sound?"

Horsea tilted his head, then nodded in assent.

"Okay, Ash!" Misty said, giving the go-ahead, and Ash crouched down too.

A flash of blue, and Horsea did a flip.

Then ducked under the water and began blowing out ink.

"Huh?" Misty asked, took a deep breath, and stuck her head underwater.

There was an ink image of a Kingdra, and a complicated pictogram which probably meant something like 'dragons are cool', and Horsea finished doing an arrow pointing to the Kingdra before swimming to the other end of the arrow.

Misty pulled her head back out from underwater.

"You want to evolve?" she asked, and got a nod. "Sure! I don't know where to get a Dragon Scale from, but we can definitely get you to Seadra and then work it out from there, okay?"

Horsea was right. Dragons were cool.

Meanwhile, some way to the south, James was enjoying himself.

"This is awesome!" he called, as Team Rocket shot through the waves at a speed somewhere between 'speedboat' and 'hydrofoil' on the back of a Gyarados.

Barely on the back of a Gyarados.

They'd done just as they'd planned, bought Magikarp on the S. S. Anne or St. Anne or whatever it was called, and then carefully trained the little fish until he became an incarnation of pure vibrant strength.

It had helped that he'd been extremely close to evolving anyway, but nevertheless. And now Team Rocket could get around while Abra was asleep!

Jessie and Meowth declined to comment, mostly because the wind was making them keep their mouths closed and partly because they wanted to avoid falling off.

"Where next?" James called.

Meowth tried to say something twice, gave up, and pulled out a coin. He scratched an image on it, and passed it to James.

"A volcano?" James said. "...oh! Cinnabar Gym! Hey, Gyarados?"

A muted roar came back.

"Can we head south and west? It'd be really helpful!"

I see. A Monk of Deja-Fu.

The Creator nodded. Good choice, Dialga. And you, Aaron? You said a Paladin, but a Paladin of what?

"Well, we are in the Orange Islands for this game," Aaron replied. "I thought maybe Kyogre?"

SMITE

Aaron looked down at where his character sheet had been. "Er… did Palkia do something?"

He looked closer. "...I think I can see it… did you just compress it into a ball the size of a grain of dust?"

I think Palkia has something against Kyogre, Arceus explained, prompting Palkia to huff and cross his arms. Type jealousy I think.

"Eesh…" Sir Aaron sighed. "Well, I guess he is still young… any objections to a priest of Manaphy?"

That seemed to be acceptable.

"Well, here goes," Ash said, looking at Saffron Gym. "I hope this goes better than before."

Misty nodded, wincing at the memories.

Saffron Gym had not been fun, at least the first time.

Ash adjusted his Aaron outfit, thankful that this time at least there hadn't been any appearances by the Sabrina projection, then passed a pair of blindfolds to Riolu and Pikachu. "Guys, here – you might need them. In case there's illusions and stuff."

"I get the idea, but what about you?" Pikachu asked.

"I'll just close my eyes!" Ash replied. "I'm not going to be battling, after all."

"If you say so…"

As Ash walked up to the gym, however, a bearded man interrupted him.

"You might not want to go in there, young man," he warned.

"Really?" Ash asked. "Why not? It's a Gym…"

"You'll need a Ghost-type to win in there," the man warned.

"I… don't think so?" Ash replied. "Bug types, Dark types and Steel types all have the advantage too, right? It's only really Fighting and Poison-types that have a disadvantage, and even then it depends on their moves."

Are you referring to the recent article in Kanto Pokémon Monthly? Dexter asked, and Ash pulled him out of his pocket. While this article does indeed refer to Ghost types as the most effective Pokémon to use against Psychic types, it is riddled with methodological flaws. Chief among these are improper normalization owing to the mis-categorization of Aggron as a tougher Pokémon than it actually is; the use of Xatu as a base Pokémon for Bug-type effectiveness tests, and the complete omission of consideration of Dark-types from the article. In addition, the example discussed in the article is a Girafarig, against whom Ghost attacks simply would not work and which spoils the entire premise.

A pause. Plus the Gastly line is half Poison anyway.

"I didn't know you read articles like that," Ash said.

I should probably be employed doing peer review for them, Dexter grumbled. That way they might end up better.

"Why is the gym so empty?" Misty asked.

Ash looked around, frowning, then closed his eyes. "Oh, there we go!"

"Well remembered," Pikachu sniggered, as Ash pushed on part of the wall and it opened.

One of the trainee psychics turned to him. "Why are you here in Saffron Gym?"

Riolu put his paws over his eyes. "Say that again, but more slowly."

"I'm here to challenge the gym!" Ash said. "It seems to be a weirdly difficult concept here… what are you all doing, then?"

The trainee gave him a haughty look. "I am training in the talents of my mind. Observe."

He lifted a spoon, and bent it slowly to a right angle.

"Oh, huh," Ash said. "...is that something I can try? I think I know how."

"You have the most invisibly atrocious psychic signature I have ever seen," the trainee replied. "I doubt you can achieve anything."

Ash shrugged, took the spoon, and held it in his hand.

Then formed an Aura Sphere in it.

The spoon exploded, making Pikachu yelp, and little bits of metal pattered down everywhere.

"I… don't know what to say about that," the trainee admitted.

"Don't assume you know everything!" Misty said.

"Yeah, and around Ash, don't assume the power of the mind is the only kind of power," Brock agreed.

"Thanks!" Ash said.

A few seconds later, his expression changed. "Hey!"

Entering the main gym chamber, Ash looked around.

Sabrina was sitting on her chair, not doing anything… and there wasn't anything or anyone else there.

"Hey!" he called. "I'm here to battle you!"

"Don't interrupt her!" Misty hissed. "You know that girl's her, right?"

"What girl?" Ash asked. "She's sitting on that chair, but she's not talking…"

Then the Saffron Gym Leader spoke.

"Interesting… I didn't know there was such a thing as a human with a Dark subtype. Since my projection cannot affect you, I will speak directly. You will fight me, you will lose, and…"

Her tone of voice altered. "You will become one of my toys! Won't that be fun!"

"So, who are you using first, Ash?" Misty asked. "Pidgeot? She's got Ominous Wind, right?"

"I sent her on an errand!" Ash replied.

"Are you sure that was a good idea?" Brock asked. "The only other Pokémon you have with good attacks is a Fighting-type."

Misty made the same point, but more forcefully.

"What are the rules?" Ash asked.

"I will use one Pokémon, you can use two," Sabrina replied, back to the emotionless voice. "One at a time."

Ash sort of wished that it was safe for psychologists to visit Sabrina in the first place.

Well, he was sort of one. More like a battlefield psychologist. And he'd got experience with being possessed, too… Pikachu had the same thing, actually. And…

Ash had one of those weird moments when you realized how weird your life was.

"Hee, I hope you're ready?" Sabrina asked, back to the giggling child persona.

"Yeah!" Ash agreed. "Pikachu!"

"Abra!" Sabrina ordered.

"Shockwave!" Ash ordered.

Pikachu pulsed out an expanding sphere of electricity, one aimed to cover the whole battlefield. There were several ways you could do Shock Wave, and he thought his was best for-

Abra teleported through the blast front into the safe zone the attack had already gone.

"Never miss technique my fuzzy yellow behind!" Pikachu yelped as he jumped away from the Abra. He slid to a stop as the wave crackled off a shield in front of Sabrina, and Ash simply took the wayward electricity without really noticing.

He'd been electrocuted far too often for that.

"Ouch!" Misty said, who hadn't. "We'll, uh, stand back a bit more…"

Pikachu winced, then replanned.

Abra wasn't actually attacking at the moment, but he knew the Psychic-type was just going to teleport all over the place unless Pikachu could stop him.

Thunder Wave? That would work, but hitting him would be just as much of a problem as it had been with Shock Wave.

Then an idea struck Pikachu.

Abra had dodged quick, so he was clearly relying on something besides his eyes, but was he reading Pikachu's mind?

Pikachu thought briefly about the time they'd seen Arceus bombarding Michina, before it had been prevented from happening at all, and when Abra didn't react decided the answer was probably not.

His cheeks sparked, as he built up an attack… using just his Light Ball… and fired off a Shockwave again. This time it was a bolt of lightning which homed in on Abra's position, and the Psychic-type flashed away in a teleport-

-only to appear directly in the path of a Thunderbolt Pikachu had launched behind him. The Light Ball's power was separate from Pikachu's normal reserves, and he could prepare two attacks at once… one to make Abra react, and the other to hit the only safe place Abra could go.

Then Abra evolved into Kadabra.

Ash said something he technically shouldn't know at that age.

"Please, not in front of the children," Sabrina requested.

"I'm the closest thing to a children here who could possibly repeat that!" Ash replied.

"Depends how good I get at Aura," Riolu said. "Then again, I've heard worse-"

"Little help?" Pikachu asked, as Kadabra opened fire with a Psybeam.

"Pikachu, back here!" Ash called. "Squirtle, you're up!"

"All right!" Squirtle said, sliding along the floor into the forming psychic maelstrom. "Let's do this!"

He took off his shades and threw them like a frisbee at Kadabra. Halfway there they flashed blue, expanded and duplicated into two huge identical copies of the originals, and cut through the whole psychic storm to slam into Kadabra.

The impact of the two Aura constructs knocked Kadabra back into the wall, pinning him there immobile as Squirtle began shouting something.

"Just who the hell do you think I am? I'm not some kind of two bit conventional Pokémon, who just uses the traditional moves they're supposed to. I go beyond, and in looking one step further I break through whatever veil is laid upon my opponents! This Lock On is my expression that no matter what, I will always find my goal!"

Brock stared at his friend's Pokémon, currently in the process of forming a gigantic drill out of water. "What. The hell."

Pikachu swallowed his Sitrus berry snack, and shrugged. "I just try to tune it out, myself."

"If there's a wall, I'll tear it down! If there's no path, I'll just make one myself! Horn! Drill! Break!"

An enormous drill-shaped construct of Aura-saturated water rocketed from one end of the underground arena to the other, and Ash heard Sabrina's voice through the chaos. "That's not fair," she sighed. "I just remodelled this place, too…"

At least it seemed like both parts of her personality were reacting the same way.

Then Kadabra disintegrated in a blaze of red light and an explosion of water that drenched the whole room, and when the mist cleared Squirtle was also nowhere to be seen.

"Is that move legal?" Misty asked.

Sabrina looked down at her Pokéball, which was full.

Up at the one Ash was holding, which was also full.

"Did your Squirtle just do a mutual forced knockout attack?" she asked. "That was… impressive."

Ash grinned, reaching down to grab Sir Aaron's hat again. "Not what I was expecting, but I guess I win? Now, uh, there's-"

Sabrina's eyes flashed, and she knocked Ash to the floor with a pulse of psychic energy. "I can touch you now, Ash Ketchum!"

"Ash!" Pikachu called. "It's the hat, Aaron's hat! I think it made you Dark-type or something!"

Sabrina gestured, and Pikachu and Riolu both went flying into the wall.

"You were being naughty," Sabrina said. "Naughty trainers don't get badges."

"Hey, what are you talking about?" Ash demanded. "You're the one reading everyone's minds and stuff! How many trainers got badges from this gym in the last year?"

"I'm supposed to stop people who aren't as good as me from getting badges," Sabrina insisted. "They're beneath me. I'm special, and they're not."

Ash huffed out a breath, focusing, then used Protect and shed the psychic force trying to pin him to the wall.

He dove for Aaron's hat, snatching it up on the way past, and managed to get it on. "Looks like I'm gonna have to be the inner babysitter!"

Sabrina blinked, thrown. "Did you steal that line from somewhere?"

"Hey, I can come up with stuff like that myself!" Ash replied, then lunged for Sabrina and managed to clip her with one blue-glowing hand.

Aaron's Heir – or, to use his more usual name, Ash Ketchum – picked himself up from the floor. "Oww… that was not as smooth as when we did it with Misty."

He shook his head. "Okay, uh… right, mindscape, Sabrina's mindscape, what's that going to be like?"

A first look around left Ash with the impression that it was just a normal house in the suburbs of a city.

A second look made him wonder why the furniture looked so weird.

And it wasn't until the third look that he spotted a twenty foot tall teddy bear marching towards the house.

"I really should have thought of that!" Ash criticized himself, spinning up an Aura Sphere and throwing it through the far wall, then diving through before the teddy demolished the house.

It wasn't like he hadn't seen the same thing already. Her toybox.

Ash had a few ideas about the symbolism, but his best guess was that it was to do with toys and playthings. She saw herself as superior to everyone else, because nobody else could do what she could do, and even as a child she hadn't had anyone to play with because her powers set her apart.

So she focused on things. Including everyone else.

Fortunately for Ash's nerves, his hat had come with him into the mindscape, and he glanced back to see where the teddy was before putting both palms together and growing an Aura Sphere.

This time he kept pushing more Aura into it, making a much larger one than normal, then threw it into the air.

That gave him time to unlimber the staff on his back, and he knocked the descending Aura Sphere at the teddy bear – which was knocked over by the impact, then the Aura Sphere detonated.

The explosion tore the stuffing out of it.

"One down," Ash said to himself, then closed his eyes and looked around with Aura Sight.

There didn't seem to be anything nearby…

"Hello," a voice said.

Ash jumped several feet into the air, managed to land without falling on his face, and whirled to see who'd spoken.

It was… Sabrina. But it took Ash a long moment to realize that, because she looked so different.

Unlike the Sabrina he'd been battling in the gym, or the little girl he remembered from last time, she had a kind of delicate poise and serenity.

"You're… Sabrina, right?" he asked.

"Correct," she said, with a smile. "Another Sabrina, that is. There's quite a few of me in here sometimes."

"I'm here to help with that," Ash said. "Or, to try to… so, uh, what's going on with that?"

"It was when I was younger," Sabrina answered. "Before I became really famous for my powers, but after they'd begun to manifest… I always felt happiest when visiting a shrine. It was so much easier to concentrate there, in a peaceful environment, and I sort of… imagined being a shrine maiden myself when I grew older. Or, even if I couldn't be one, trying to be one."

She waved a hand. "Calm and centred, and known for my kindness… or that's what I wanted to do. But as my powers developed further, and as they became better known… I, or, she and they, the other parts of me… became bitter, and jaded. Superior. Told we were better, so often and so many times… it became hard to think otherwise."

"But you didn't," Ash guessed.

"I didn't," Sabrina agreed. "I think it's because that kind of… superiority, is just different from how I'm supposed to be. It didn't fit. I just became the part of Sabrina that Sabrina knows she should listen to, but doesn't."

Ash put the butt of his staff on the ground with a clink. "So, uh… how could I fix that?"

Sabrina considered.

"I always thought that innocent enjoyment would help," she admitted. "Something that would remind Sabrina how to have fun, properly. Or someone with an innocent heart… even someone who could surprise her. And someone who could prove they didn't want to monopolize her, or put her on a pedestal, just… have fun, and give her fun by being there."

"I don't think I qualify," Ash admitted. "I get mad, and I've done too much stuff… even if I tried I feel like I'd screw it up somehow. Remembering Lugia's song or fighting for my friends, I can do something I think is being pure? Or righteous? But… I don't know."

Sabrina chuckled. "You're probably closer than you think. Ash, you're a truly remarkable person, and there's enough about you that I can tell things have changed. I won't ask how, or why, but you're out to make a difference in the world and you're doing it already."

"Yeah, but… I really think I screwed up," Ash replied. "I should have just… done what I knew would work."

"Context has always mattered for a joke," Sabrina replied. "Maybe Haunter would have worked, or maybe not."

"Huh?" Ash asked, then noticed that she was handing his hat back.

"It fell off when you jumped," she said. "You'll need it. Sabrina assumes the worst of everyone, and normally convinces herself that she was right. I hope you have a plan."

Before Ash could reply, a ball as big as a bungalow narrowly missed the two of them.

It bounced off thin air, returning to the person who'd thrown it – the young child version of Sabrina, but several storeys high, and bouncing the ball on the road.

"Play catch with me!" she demanded.

"Sure, I have a plan," Ash began. "Is 'Run' good enough for now?"

"So, that's the situation… she's in a bad way. We think the solitude's torn her up inside."

A smile, warm and pure, with just a hint of a giggle.

Of course! It sounds like fun!

"Phew," Ash panted. "Okay, I guess we have a minute or so… I'm not saying you should have, but have you tried to cleanse your own mind?"

"I'd be fighting myself, and worse," Sabrina answered sadly. "When a psychic like me goes bad, they literally go Dark. Her powers cut through my defences, and she ignores my own abilities."

Ash mused about that. "So not the little girl?"

Sabrina nodded, and Ash frowned. "…okay, that should mean I've got the advantage… where is she?"

Sabrina closed her eyes, concentrating. "I can't sense her, but I can sense the blind spot she leaves if I take the time…"

Ash looked around as well, and spotted a flicker of movement just before another Sabrina – this time looking just like the one he'd been battling in Saffron Gym – appeared, and sent out a bolt of dark energy which smashed Ash backwards.

"Ow," he mumbled, steadying himself, then blocked Sabrina's second Dark Pulse with crossed forearms. A moment later, she vanished, and hit Ash from behind with what seemed like a Sucker Punch.

"Another one out to 'cure' me, I see," Sabrina said, as Ash caught himself with both hands. "Well, tell whatever quack psychologist assigned you-"

She stopped.

"Something's wrong. You're blocking your presence. How are you blocking your presence and still projecting it?"

Her hand stretched out. "That's not shields… you're not there. What is that?"

"I'm not psychic," Ash answered, lifting himself up again. "I'm here another way."

"Well," Sabrina said. "You won't succeed in fixing me, and if you won't leave by yourself I'll make you."

Unfortunately for Ash, it turned out that being a powerful psychic translated in an entirely unfair way to being good at hand-to-hand combat inside your own mind. Sabrina teleported in and punched him in the chest, then vanished and appeared behind him to hit him in the side.

Spinning Sir Aaron's staff, Ash managed to block the next blow, but then Sabrina kicked him – and the impact released a kind of pitch-black shockwave which slammed into Ash and knocked him sprawling.

When Ash got up again, though, they weren't in the town any more. None of them were.

Ash, Dark Sabrina and the other Sabrina were all in a grassy paddock, behind a large building, set in acres of wild fields.

"What is this?" Sabrina asked. "It's… new. And different."

"What have you done, invader?" the malicious Sabrina added.

"I said I wasn't here psychically," Ash replied, rising to his feet with a strange lightness flowing through him. "I think I know what happened. You knocked me hard enough to knock me out of your mind, but I'm not a projection… and there was only one other place to go."

"Then how is she here?" the dark Sabrina demanded, pointing at her more demure self.

"She's part of you, she wanted to help," Ash replied, and grounded his staff before whistling.

There was a distant whinny in response, and Ash held out his staff to the maiden. "Here."

"What?" both Sabrinas asked, in confusion.

"Why?" the friendly one added. "Why are you giving it to me?"

"Because it's all you need," Ash replied. "You've wanted to overcome your darkness all this time, all you need is a weapon that will actually work… and the help you need is arriving now."

Dark Sabrina summoned dark power to her hands, but then something approached the other Sabrina.

A blur of motion resolved itself into the flowing gait of a small horse-like Pokémon, which cantered, then trotted to a stop in front of her. The strange Pokémon, one Sabrina had never seen before, was clearly a foal – but possessed of a rich red mane and blue tail, and a strange sort of peace.

"Keldeo," Ash explained. "One of the noblest Pokémon I ever met. He made mistakes, but overcame them thanks to his resolute heart and became the Pokémon he was truly meant to be. This is just an echo, my memory of him, but all you're fighting is a bundle of regrets and sadness screwed up enough to hurt."

He clapped her on the shoulder. "So accept his help, and save yourself!"

Keldeo nodded in agreement, and nuzzled her hand.

With a wash of mist and the smell of the sea, he dissolved – and the staff Sabrina was holding changed into a shimmering, watery longsword that glowed with golden light.

"Secret Sword," Ash explained. "It's the move Keldeo can use when he's in Resolute Form."

"Don't you see?" Dark Sabrina demanded, trembling with rage. "He's just going to try to use you! Everyone does, we can't trust anyone, the only way to never be hurt again is to stop anyone from having the chance!"

The other Sabrina closed her eyes in sorrow. "I know what you mean, but I'm not going to hide from the world any more. There's so many people out there who are nice and kind and good, and you're stopping us from meeting them. From seeing them, getting to know them… making friends. You drive away any friend we could have."

Dark Sabrina screamed, and charged, and the other Sabrina swept the sword up without opening her eyes. It struck true, and the darkness dissolved on the wind like a bad dream.

The sword fell from nerveless fingers, and Sabrina slumped with exhaustion.

"How do you do this?" she asked. "You seem like you have no idea what you're doing, and then suddenly something like this happens. You called up a memory and gave me the strength to vanquish my own doubts with a dream…"

"Honestly?" Ash grinned. "It's kind of… things just click?"

He picked up the staff. "I have no idea how I did that, but it made sense at the time? And it worked, so… I guess that's what matters?"

Sabrina nodded. "I… suppose you're right. But what now? What about my childish self?"

She looked worried. "Do we need to destroy her as well? There are things there that I feel it would be wrong to lose."

"Actually, about that," Ash replied. "I… we should probably go back to your mind now. Let's try this!"

Ash held out his hand, and when Sabrina took it he did the Aura Purge technique again. That worked, possibly because he expected it to, and when they arrived back in the suburbs of Sabrina's mental landscape the Gym Leader just stared.

Her younger self, now back to the size she should be, was happily playing with a floating pink Mew.

"So that's where Pidgeot was?" Misty asked.

"Yeah!" Ash replied. "I thought, well, Haunter might work, but what would work for a Psychic in need of friends? Well, there's this Mew not too far away, she's psychic, Sabrina's psychic… it made sense!"

"We have no right for this to keep working out," Brock said, as Sabrina led them up the stairs. "I don't even know if that was technically a plan."

Maurice was a Pokémon Trainer from Cianwood City, in Johto. He was a member of the Blackthorn Clan of Dragon Tamers, and within that clan he was middling – not at the top, like Lance and Clair, but not at the bottom either.

The main reason for that was his Altaria, Tyltalis. Not only was Tyl an Altaria, he was an unusually big one, and he could carry Maurice on long journeys to significant heights and for long periods of time.

And, because of all of that, Maurice and Tyl were flying north of Cerulean City, and Maurice was lying back on Tyl's cloudbank.

The Dragon-type hummed a snatch of music, and his trainer nodded.

"Yeah, I know," he allowed. "But, someone's got to run the patrols, and you've got to admit that you're better at endurance than when we started. It's all training, buddy."

A whistle, this time, prompting Maurice to snort. "Yeah, I guess, but it's training for you and I'm doing important intellectual work here. At least we've got lovely weather, right? Thanks to you."

That won him a squeaky purr, then suddenly Tyl swerved to the side – not a moment too soon, as a sudden blast of wind knocked them aside.

"What was that?" Maurice asked, looking around wildly. "I didn't imagine that, right?"

Tyl whistled a series of urgent notes, cutting off Maurice as he tried to ask how something could be invisible up here and make such a strong wind, then began to scream.

A grating Perish Song echoed through the cloud layer, and Maurice clapped his hands to his ears. Tyl couldn't get the same thing, so every note would be painful for him, but it was clearly having an effect – something shimmered and crackled in the air, then a massive shape made of metal and glass refracted into existence.

Maurice stared.

What the hell was that thing doing in the sky?

"Ma'am, we've been spotted. Outriders, I didn't see them in the clouds, we flew too close."

"Understood," J said curtly. "General quarters Bosun."

The intercom crackled. "Now hear this! All hands, general quarters!"

"Guns, ready five mark nine to fire at that pair to the rear. Stagger the launch."

"Aye, ma'am," the man responded, tapping on his controls. "Open fire in thirty."

J didn't answer, simply taking the information in and ready to act on it.

Thirty seconds was a little disappointing, but within what she considered acceptable.

"Auxiliary, prepare one of the smaller antigravity vehicles. I want the Pokémon – and the rider for a hostage."

"Damnit!" someone said. "Ma'am, they got off a signal, the jammer didn't come up in time."

J's head whipped round. "Explain."

The man in charge of sensors and communications blanched. "Er… the port jammer's down, and the starboard one had been running for three days. It was offline for cooldown."

J examined him, stalking closer. "And this didn't get brought to my attention… because?"

Sensors made a sort of mimblewimble noise, then J backhanded him.

"Executive officer," she said, turning away. "This failure is reassigned to ground duty. Assign his assistant, and don't let this happen again.

"Report understood, good work. Now get-"

The phone call hashed into static, and Maurice cursed.

"Figures. Okay, Tyl… one pass, and we break for it."

The Altaria hummed his agreement, charging up a green ball of light in his muzzle, but just as it reached firing size there was a puff of smoke as missiles launched from the airship.

Tyl fired his attack, shredding the first missile, then rolled left and used Safeguard. The roll and swerve gave him enough time to sing another note of Perish Song, making two more missiles explode.

There was one left, and Tyl rolled back in the other direction – raising his cloudy wing to shield both himself and his trainer. The missile exploded, something neither of them actually saw, but Tyl's Safeguard kept them both safe.

"Nice work!" Maurice whooped.

The fifth missile came in just as Safeguard wore off, and detonated in a starburst of yellow beams. One of them hit Tyl's flank, turning him instantly to stone, and the sudden loss of control sent Maurice tumbling free of his seat.

He had enough time to curse, fumbling for his belt to try and recall Tyltalis, but then an antigravity cutter swept in and there were two goons pointing weapons at him.

Being taken prisoner by Hunter J was probably a little better than falling to the ground.

"Uh…" Misty said, one morning. "Ash? Where's Primeape?"

She looked around. "After how long it took you to demonstrate you were serious yesterday, and finally get him reminded, I'm surprised he's just not here."

"Oh, right," Ash realized. "No, I sent him off with Pidgeot late last night. He wanted to go to the Saffron Dojo for a bit just to finish working something out, he was nearly there but then… you know, the world ended. He said it shouldn't take long."

"Well, if he's right, that should help," Brock said. "What kind of thing?"

He frowned at the food he'd made for Primeape, then shrugged and slid it over to Riolu. "I haven't done yours yet, but this is similar."

"Thanks," Riolu said.

"It's a whole martial art, but it was custom built for him," Ash explained. "So, you know how there's stuff like throws, and things like that?"

Riolu looked interested. "Right…"

"Well, it doesn't have those," his trainer shrugged. "It's just, punch things until they stop fighting back."

"Hmm," Riolu commented, thinking about that. "I'm going to guess Primeape has heard of counter, and therefore it's not just very easy to beat this style… might need to think about that one a bit."

"So, what's next?" Pikachu asked. "I know the Kanto Gyms, I just can't remember which came next."

Celadon City Gym. Leader: Erika.

"Oh, yeah, her," Ash remembered. "She banned me from the gym! I had to sneak in."

Misty grinned cheekily. "Trust me, Ashley, we all remember that."

"I don't," Riolu piped up, holding up his hand. "How do you get banned from a gym?"

"This should be fun," Pikachu said, sniggering.

"The gym sells perfume, I guess?" Ash replied. "At a perfume shop. And, I said I didn't like the perfume. So I got banned from the gym."

"You said that perfume turned boys into zombies," Misty supplied.

"Can you blame me?" Ash asked. "My main example was Brock!"

Misty raised her hand to retort, then thought about it. "Actually, no, I can't blame you for that one."

Brock groaned. "That's cold, Misty…"

"Anyway, hopefully you won't insult the perfume this time," Misty went on. "It's that or dress up as a girl again and sneak in that way."

"It's always weird when I have to do that," Ash complained. "It never fits as well as Jessie and James seem to when they wear disguises."

"...okay?" Misty replied. "I'm not sure how to react to that… anyway, no insulting the perfume."

"Got it," Ash nodded.

"And," Brock added. "Don't forget to include a Pokémon from each evolutionary stage. That's Erika's rule about nurturing your Pokémon, you need to include one from each evolutionary stage you have – last time Pikachu counted for your second, Charmander and Bulbasaur for your first and you didn't have a third."

"Right," Ash frowned. "So… Squirtle or Riolu, Ivysaur or Pikachu, Pidgeot or Charizard… well, I guess having the Flying-types along is a real help!"

He frowned. "I guess… well, I used both Ivysaur and Pikachu at Vermillion, and Pikachu again at Saffron… so Squirtle, Ivysaur and Charizard seems like a good choice."

"I get it," Riolu agreed. "I was at Vermillion too."

"Right," Ash confirmed. "So, use Squirtle, Ivysaur and Charizard… turn off nose… I'm ready!"

"Ash, trying to give you culture is like trying to teach a rock to swim."

Brock coughed. "Didn't you get a Corsola?"

"You know what I mean!"

Erika nodded to Ash. "It's nice to meet you, challenger. You will be the second one today, in case you're wondering."

"Oh, huh!" Ash replied. "So, who was the first?"

Erika made a dismissive gesture. "Some boy who forgot to read the rules. He thought he'd beat me with a Fearow, but then got annoyed when I insisted he use the right Pokémon… especially because that meant he had to use a Squirtle and a Golem. It was a close match – a good match – but he's got problems controlling that bird of his."

She frowned at Ash. "I take it you have read the rules?"

"Yeah!" Ash agreed.

"Took you about five years to get around to it, though," Pikachu said.

"I know, I know," Ash hissed back.

"Good," Erika said, stepping back to her side of the gym arena. "As a Grass type trainer, I emphasize being rooted in the terrain. Show me you can react fast enough when the entire forest is against you!"

She threw her first Pokéball. "Tangela!"

"Squirtle!" Ash countered.

Erika raised an eyebrow. "Starting with a Water-type? Daring."

For his part, Squirtle eyed Tangela contemplatively. "So, you're my opponent… I'll just have to tie you in knots!"

"Tangela, as we discussed," Erika instructed, and the Grass-type's vines extended to the side of the arena. He pulled himself over there, and began wrapping up a tree in them.

"Is that allowed?" Misty asked.

Erika smirked slightly. "Of course."

"Hydro Pump, Squirtle!" Ash called. "Soak the floor!"

"And that's the downside of a rule like that," Erika allowed. "This is going to make a mess…. Tangela, now!"

Tangela began pulling… and the entire tree erupted out of the ground, seeming to come to life and walk as Tangela yanked on the roots and branches to make the tree do what he wanted.

Ash stared, then clamped down on his shock. "Squirtle, watch out! That thing probably weighs several tonnes!"

"Working on it!" Squirtle replied, then took a good look at the faux-Ent lumbering towards him. "Wow, that is pretty big, yeah… good thing I have a plan."

The Tangela strode forwards, using Stun Spores, and Squirtle sneezed before diving into the muddy water he'd created to wash them off.

"There's not a chance such a roundabout way of fighting will work on me!" he declared, popping back up and sticking out his tongue. "I'm the badass- eep!"

Squirtle dove back under the water to avoid a shower of leaves.

Then a branch came down in a massive Wood Hammer, which would have been very painful if Squirtle had been underneath.

Erika rubbed her temples, looking at the mess on her gym floor, which was getting worse every moment. Partly the water was deepening, but mostly it was the efforts of her Tangela who kept throwing out Razor Leaves, Wood Hammers and simply taking steps. "Well, I suppose I could always try some more aquatic plants… just an idle thought."

"The funny thing is, she's doing most of the damage," Pikachu said.

"Yeah, uh… what kind of waterproofing does the gym have?" Ash asked. "I think that could matter a lot soon..."

"Adequate," Erika said. "Giga Drain, Tangela!"

Squirtle sprang out of the water, avoiding the green pulse of Giga Drain as it suffused the muddy water, and pointed. "Eat this, Hydro Cannon fodder!"

Ash sent out Pidgeot, swung onto her back, and took to the air in a single motion.

Squirtle inhaled massively, and then sent out a small jet of water… with a tiny blue sphere, striated with white lines, in the centre of the stream.

On impact with Tangela's tree it detonated into so much water that it drenched the whole floor surface. Erika's dais had a little wave lap over it, which made her look down with annoyance, while Misty got soaked up to mid-thigh but she was a Water type trainer so it was something she shouldn't have minded.

She did, but she shouldn't have.

Tangela's tree puppet had no chance, and went crashing back into the water with a sploosh that sent a further wave rippling out. Squirtle panted twice, then fired an Ice Beam which froze over the surface and made the tree splinter from frost-shatter.

"Come on back, Squirtle!" Ash called. "Ivysaur, your turn!"

Ivysaur came in hard, sliding across the ice and firing a cloud of Poisonpowder, before grinning in satisfaction as Tangela turned a distinctly unhealthy shade.

Erika thought hard. The ice stopped Tangela from using Ingrain, and a lot of his attacks wouldn't work well against another Grass type…

"Bind him!" she called, and Tangela shook himself out before lumbering in a sort of dazed way towards Ivysaur.

As his vines got close, though, Ivysaur grinned more widely – then used Venoshock and knocked Tangela out with a flash of purple light.

"Not bad at all, challenger," Erika allowed. "Now, it's time for you to face my Starter Pokémon. Gloom, come out!"

Ash had to admit, it was amazing how much Erika could change how her voice sounded from trying to sell perfume to trying to command Pokémon.

But, well, Gym Leaders earned their positions.

As he thought about that, Ivysaur squared his shoulders and crouched down low on the ice.

Gloom, meanwhile, set her stance and began using Sweet Scent.

The two stared at one another.

Then, Ivysaur scratched his head with his vine. "Can we actually hurt one another?"

"I… don't know?" Gloom said, puzzled.

Ivysaur bashed the ice with a foreleg. "Nope, too hard… what generally happens in this situation?"

"Usually, Leech Seed, but that's no good," Gloom admitted.

"Gloom!" Erika called. "Seed Bomb, blast the ice at Ivysaur!"

"Block it!" Ash retaliated. "Catch the Seed Bombs!"

Ivysaur used Vine Whip, batting the Seed Bombs out of the way before they could explode instead, then used Solarbeam.

Gloom used Solarbeam as well, and the two attacks blasted against one another with very little effect whatsoever.

"This is very good tea, Erica. You grow it yourself?"

The petite woman nodded gravely, passing the refilled cup to Misty. "Yes, I do. It's the Celadon special blend, with a hint of white leaves and just a touch of the fruits of the gym's Tropius."

Behind her Ash was slumped against the wall, reading a file on his Pokédex about the longest Pokémon match in history. He was starting to feel that he was going to be the new example.

Out on the field, Ivysaur and Gloom were huddled around a computer screen, going through the complete list of moves they could find and ticking off the ones they knew, trying to find something that would end the damn fight.

"Hmm…" Ivysaur said. "Grass Pledge?"

"No," Gloom replied. "You?"

"Nope," Ivysaur shook his head, hitting page-down. "Hmm, Energy Ball, I should pick that one up some time but I don't have it now… this is taking forever."

"Well, if you'd just stop healing yourself…"

Ivysaur used Synthesis, not for the first time, and healed the damage he'd taken in the last little while. "You stop first."

Gloom shook her head, using Sunny Day to re-intensify the sunlight, and used her own Synthesiss. "No thanks."

"Suit your… self," Ivysaur's voice trailed off, then he looked up. "I win. Fury Cutter."

Gloom brushed away the cut leaf. "I can't remember what that one does. Should I be impressed?"

"Fury Cutter," Ivysaur repeated, his leaves whipping across again, and Gloom frowned.

That one actually stung.

"Fury Cutter."

Ash looked around at the hiss of surprise, noticing that something was actually happening.

"Fury Cutter!"

Erika put down her teacup and stood up. "What?"

"Fury… CUTTER!"

The final blow sent Gloom flying, and she smashed into the greenhouse wall before sliding limply down.

Unconscious.

Erika hurried over and checked on the Grass-type, then returned her. "Well, the battle could have been shorter, but never mind. Now, for your final challenge here."

She sent out a Victreebel. "Weather Ball!"

The Grass-type formed and spun, facing towards Ivysaur and launching a miniature sun at the other Grass-type. Ivysaur dodged, and the explosion blew a hole in the already-melting ice cover.

"Dig! How does that weather ball move work again?" Ash asked Dexter, since the 'dex was already in his hands anyway.

Weather Ball is a move that varies depending on the ambient conditions. Fire in sunny weather, Water in rain and so on.

"Hail, Victreebel!" Erika commanded. "And Weather Ball the nearby ice! Now move onto one of the solid parts of the ice… and be ready for that Pidgeot of his. The conditions are harsh, but he has to try anyway."

"Oh, I get it!" Ash realized. "This Pokémon's able to stop Pidgeot, and Ivysaur, and they're ready to handle Squirtle, too, right?"

"Of course," Erika confirmed. "I had him ready anyway, but you're going to have trouble with him.

Ash nodded. "Ivysaur, back up where you came down, I'm calling you back!"

He held up Ivysaur's Pokéball, then threw another one. "Charizard, Flamethrower!"

Ivysaur did not return.

Instead, Ivysaur picked his trainer up by the ankles with Vine Whip.

"You forgot," he said. "About Charizard. In a Grass gym. Which required you to use him."

Ash tried to look put-upon, which was hard upside down and ten feet in the air.

Erika considered Ash's performance. "Well, I wasn't impressed with that part of it… but your actual Pokémon switches were pulled off well. And it's clear to me that you've built up your Pokémon regardless of their actual evolutionary level, which is exactly what I wanted to see."

She flipped him a Rainbow Badge. "You've earned it."

Ash reached to catch the badge, but instead went thump to the ground as Ivysaur caught the Rainbow Badge himself.

"Now, we're even," the Grass-type advised.

"Welcome to Cinnabar Island, challengers."

Blaine adjusted his glasses. "This is the Gym set into the heart of an active volcano, and like my element and this very mountain, my focus is on powerful attacks delivered without concern for defence." The Gym Leader paused, the shifting magma below causing patterns of light to play across his face. "So. You will face me in a conventional battle, but first one of your Pokémon must take on one of mine in a contest of raw power. No evasion, no defending, just pure raw power."

Team Rocket were only paying cursory attention, too focused on trying not to bake in the intense heat of the magma chamber.

"Why can't we just get Gyarados ta give da place a hose down?" Meowth asked, panting frantically.

Blaine heard him. "Don't… do that." He calmed down slightly. "For battles where water types or attacks may be present, we use the secondary battlefield further up and away from the chamber. Follow me there."

The team trooped after him, Jessie fanning herself extravagantly. "Phew… why not the main chamber, anyway?"

Blaine suddenly stopped, and spun on his heel to face the Rockets. "Have you ever heard of Sootopolis?"

James and Jessie looked at one another, and shrugged.

"We've been, but I don't see the relevance," Jessie said.

"Ooh, is this a field trip thing?" James checked.

The elderly Cinnabar leader looked a little disappointed, then started walking again, forging ahead at speeds that required the challengers to trot to keep up. "It was a volcanic island that was the base of power for Groudon in the region, once. Then he fought Kyogre, and she summoned a great tidal wave to sweep him away." Blaine then made an explosive gesture. "Sixty million tonnes of water. Rocks at eight hundred degrees C. Steam is twelve hundred times the size of water. Sootopolis is now an enormous crater, and no, it wasn't shaped that way before. That is the kind of explosion you can produce. Do not drop water on an active volcano."

"Er, wow. I guess you know about that sorta thing then?"

Blaine snorted. "I have to. Bad enough when some Totodile or Wooper is used, but anything larger and there's the risk of flash-frying the entire battle in seconds. A volcano is not a candle, and not to be snuffed so easily."

They were at the other arena now, and Jessie pondered for a second before taking one of James' Pokeballs. "Right, I think we're ready for the power contest now."

The labcoated Gym Leader took one of his own. "Let us begin then. Rapidash!"

Jessie threw her own ball. "Growlie!"

Blaine stared, then adjusted his glasses with a sigh. "You sent out an Arcanine?"

James nodded, smiling affectionately at his Pokémon. "Yep, that's Growlie alright!"

"And I suppose he has Flash Fire as well. Brilliant. Well, this is going to be a long, long fight." Blaine took the stairs into a little booth with what looked like glass windows set into the side.

They probably weren't glass windows.

"I recommend you get into your observation booth as well. This place is going to get hot."

The rest of Team Rocket made their way into their own booth, Meowth stopping to loop a small jar filled with an unidentifiable substance around Growlie's neck. After a few whispered instructions, he faded out with Faint Attack… then appeared right where he'd left off, and scrambled to get through the booth door.

Growlie sniggered, and Meowth made a rude feline gesture.

Blaine took a microphone. "Well, this is a total farce, but whatever. Match one: pure power. Begin!"

The Rapidash began by, well, rapidly dashing forward, cloaked in a Flame Charge. Growlie met it head on with one of his much-loved Flare Blitzes, the two fire attacks detonating with not much force but a great deal of raw heat. As the shimmer punched outwards, both Pokémon drank in the heat, their respective Flash Fire abilities causing their internal flames to burn hotter in imitation of the fire around them.

Meowth looked out of the strangely iridescent "glass" at the explosion, snapping his claws. "One…"

Growlie recovered first from the stunning force of the impact, shaking out his fur and exhaling a Heat wave, having absolutely no effect on Rapidash but driving Blaine to glance at a nearby thermometer. "This could get nasty…"

Rapidash shook Embers at Growlie. Growlie spun around to attack in a Flame Wheel. Both punched out an Inferno at once. The temperature in the room continued to rise, the walls developing a faint, ruddy glow.

"So, um…" Jessie began. "What exactly is this challenge supposed to prove?"

She touched the window, then winced and licked her finger. "Ouch!"

"How you cope with overwhelming strength," Blaine retorted. "And with the need for it. Normally I'd do riddles and this would mostly be curiosity, but since someone teleported directly into my lobby I made it mandatory."

Meowth continued to count under his breath. "Four, five…"

James turned curiously. "What are you counting for?"

"Six!" Meowth focused for a moment, and a Double Team illusion appeared in the firestorm outside for a brief instant, before dispersing in the heat. "Just keepin' track for the big guy, dat's all."

"Keeping track of what?" James asked, still watching his Pokémon.

Growlie had got the message, whatever message Meowth had intended to convey anyway, and was disengaging – though not without a little difficulty, as the floor itself was slightly tacky from heat.

Since it was solid rock, that was just another sign that the place was unhealthy to be in right now.

"Well, the jar I gave him has a meltin' point, and ya need ta use it at the right time," Meowth explained. "When it's just about to go soft. I put a load'a beads on the wire cord with different meltin' points, ta keep track. See, it's all dat, um, ninja thing. About bein' prepared."

"Is that a ninja thing?" Jessie asked. "I thought that was the Scouts."

"I was never into those," James mused. "Nice uniforms though."

Growlie bit on the wire to either side of the jar, his powerful teeth shredding the heat-proof cord, and spat it at the space above Rapidash.

Tracking the object as it flew, Meowth relaxed. "Got it dead on."

Growlie spat flame, and the jar, finally softening in the furnace heat, exploded about five feet short of Rapidash and two feet above his head.

The purplish substance within evaporated near instantly, clouding its target for a few seconds before dispersing.

Blaine's eyes narrowed. "What was that?"

Rapidash staggered slightly, but shook his head and drew himself back up to his full height again.

Growlie snarled a challenge, and his foe accepted, both scorching forward in Flare Blitzes.

But the moment the two hit one another, Rapidash abruptly collapsed to the floor in exhaustion. Growlie had apparently expected it, since he skidded to a halt before running Rapidash over and threw his head back in a victory roar.

"What was that?" Jessie asked curiously, as James threw up his arms in congratulation and the floor began to set once more into a glassy black material.

"Some of Arbok's Gastro Acid, it's interestin' stuff. Turned that Flash Fire right off. I'm impressed with how well dat worked, might be a good idea to do it more… if I remember, dat is."

"What about if you forget?"

"Eh, I don't think I'll remember to do it then so it must not be a good idea…"

The intercom in their booth buzzed to life. "Please leave by the back door, there's not much oxygen left in this arena. We'll need to use ancillary arena 2, and this one will take an age to properly become safe again."

Red beams of light returned both Pokémon from the arena to their respective 'balls, and Team Rocket followed the illuminated signs to their remaining matches in the volcano Gym.

"Very well. Begin!" Blaine called, tossing a Pokéball onto the cool floor of the arena they had moved into.

James replied by sending out his own Pokémon, and the two beams of white light coalesced into…

"James…" Jessie asked, staring at the enormous Rhydon that dwarfed its opponent, "Why have you sent out Weezing?"

James looked embarrassed. "Well, I thought it would be good for him to have a bit of fun now and then… you know how he gets, moping around if he doesn't get to do something."

"That's just his normal expression," Jessie retorted.

"A trainer can always tell," James replied mysteriously. "But what I want to know is why he gets a pass sending out a Rhydon? And, for that matter, how he gets a pass on that hairdo…"

Blaine stared. He couldn't tell if this was part of some incredibly elaborate stratagem or just complete idiocy. Who in their right mind sent out a Weezing in a Fire gym?

That said, this team were clearly more intelligent than they appeared – one only had to look at the way they had defeated Rapidash for that.

"Weezing! Use Smog and Haze!"

Okay, they were lucky idiots.

Rhydon stood there as the smog invaded his airspace, not flinching at the foul stuff, then smashed a foot down on the floor to use Bulldoze.

Fortunately for Weezing, he was still levitating and hence unaffected.

Blaine sighed. "Intermediate badge teams. Smack Down, Rhydon!"

The drill Pokémon obediently snapped off a piece of the arena floor and hurled it at Weezing… and it went wide. It seemed to take a twisted path in the air, curving crazily away from its target.

"What?" Blaine asked. "How did that- oh."

He nodded, almost despite himself. "Oh, that's clever."

James smiled deviously. "Isn't it? It's simple refraction. All the ice in the air from the Haze that Weezing used with the Smog… it's like that thing that happens when an inversion happens in clouds."

"What, we crash a balloon?" Jessie frowned. "I swear that's what happened last time."

Blaine got a considering look on his face. "So, it's a refractive effect, which means it's most effective at longer range, where there's greater depth for the light to bend, which also means that… Rhydon! Giga Impact!"

Rhydon snarled, took a low angled stance and rushed at his foe like a charging bull.

Weezing looked slightly vacant as the charge swept down on him, not moving out of the way as Rhydon angled in towards him.

James snapped his fingers. "Now!"

Weezing glowed red.

Blaine's jaw dropped. "What."

Rhydon hit Weezing with the force of a runaway train… and was blown backwards into the wall with the force of two runaway trains.

Blaine walked past his collapsed Rock type, tossing the Pokéball to return Rhydon over his shoulder without breaking stride. "You."

James blinked, Jessie in the background scooping up the concussed Weezing. "Me?"

"Yes. You." Blaine was actually quivering with rage. "How is it that you keep doing things like that? Weezing can't learn Counter."

Meowth shrugged. "Pokémon learn a lotta things they ain't supposed to, you know?"

The Gym Leader stared for a moment at the talking Meowth, then rubbed his temples with his forefinger and thumb. "Whatever. Next Pokémon."

Cubone stared down her opponent across the Gym floor.

That opponent, a Ninetales, did the same and flared his eyes into the green-blue of Detect.

Cubone considered. Let's see… if I first go left, then I can pull in a ribcage between my destination and him, then a pair of Bonemerangs on the top and below to prevent vertical escape, that allows me to box him in with a Bone Rush staff angled to land behind him. That and a quick move forward ensures his only ways out are forward, back or towards me. Forward or back I can deal with via a pair of Earth Powers as soon as I land, and then he's going to end up in range of my Bone Club and in the air from jumping the ribcage, unable to dodge…

Ninetales gave a high, barking laugh, then returned to his Pokéball.

Cubone blinked. "What just happened?"

Blaine shook his head. "He does this sometimes… if his Detect shows that an opponent is definitely going to get a hit in, the lazy guy just doesn't bother fighting."

"Um… okay?" James said. "I'm glad our Pokémon don't do that."

I think it makes total sense. In fact, why didn't I think of that idea first?

"Does that count as a win for Cubone?" Jessie asked, as James lamented his big mouth.

"Yes, it does," Blaine agreed. "But my final Pokémon will make things harder for you. Magmar!"

Blaine's Magmar appeared in a burst of white light, swinging a Mach Punch straight out of the Pokéball. Cubone blocked it with a quickly formed thigh bone, but was caught off guard by Magmar simply Rock Smashing it out of his way and volleying in a Dynamicpunch.

Cubone picked herself up from the small crater she'd made in the wall, and looked around woozily. She couldn't see anything… her skull helmet was misplaced, maybe?

Okay. First principles. I'm in a fight. I'm just a little concussed. Wow. Concussion. Con-cus-sion.

Focus.

Right, I'm not well at all. I need to fight. I can't be sure where my opponent even is. I don't know where I am. I must be concussed.

Can't defeat anyone like this. Can help set it up.

As Magmar charged down on her, Cubone's eyes flared a ruddy yellow-orange. She drove her club into the wall hard enough to shake the chamber slightly, causing the fire damage on the walls from previous gym battles to violently shake loose.

The effort was too much for her, and she passed out before Magmar even got there – but the blow itself seemed to cause the air to vibrate and swirl, the room ringing like a bell.

Jessie recalled Cubone from their side of the arena, and James sent in their last Pokémon allowed for the fight.

The flamboyant trainer didn't waste any time. "Gyarados, Twister!"

The swirling tornado that formed in the room gathered up all the tiny rock particles drifting in the air and began sandblasting everyone in the room.

Blaine wrapped a scarf round his face. "Sandstorm? Is this what that Cubone was doing?"

Jessie nodded. "I'm pretty sure, yes."

"But why?" Blaine asked, thinking. "Why set it up like this if it was only for a Pokémon as vulnerable as a Gyarados?"

James winked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Fine." Blaine shook his head. "Magmar, Thunderpunch!"

The Spitfire Pokémon charged forward, lightning gathered in his fist… only for the lightning to promptly fizzle out, dissipating in seconds.

"Dat's why!" Meowth called from the Rocket side of the arena. "All tha metal an' quartz in the rock sucks away electricity!"

"We're specialists at this!" Jessie said proudly.

Gyarados roared, then unleashed a huge wall of water from thin air and rode it towards Blaine's Pokémon.

Blaine sighed. "It's that thing with the blue Sandslash all over again…"

With a great hiss of steam, Magmar was hammered under by the wave, Blaine returning him after it was clear he'd lost.

The Gym Leader sloshed over to the Rockets through the new, three foot swimming pool, muttering darkly to himself about people too clever for their own good.

"You fought well. Here is the Volcanobadge. Now, get out of here before I have to get you involved in the repair work, it's going to be a nightmare getting rid of all this water."

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