Chapter Twenty: Mentors

The gym trainers guarding the Vermillion Gym gave Ash none of the bite and venom that they normally did. The smiles that they greeted him were uncharacteristic on their faces and unnerved him, but he just waved back hesitantly as he walked towards the gym's arena with a reluctant Misty.

Surge looked like he'd been waiting for a while. As soon as Ash and Misty pushed through the doors, his impatient scowl transformed into a cheery smirk.

Ash met Surge's grin with a smile. "Hiya, Surge."

"Hiya back, kiddo." Surge's eyes flicked to Misty, who looked like she wanted to be anywhere but here. "What's up, Squirt?"

Misty simply glared back, not rising to the bait. Surge cackled boisterously.

"So, Champ." Surge rubbed his palms together. "Ready to give me a fight? I haven't had a good challenge in months." He glanced at Misty in particular when he said that.

"Blastoise would say differently," Misty muttered, finally caving in to Surge's insufferable taunts.

The giant crossed his arms arrogantly, his thin smile dangerous. "Let's see how well you do when you don't surprise me with an evolution mid-battle. I'm dying to have some turtle soup, anyway."

Ash rolled his eyes. He was antsy and eager to fight Surge. While the back-and-forth between the two gym leaders was amusing, they were getting off-track. "We're wasting time."

"Right we are!" Surge boomed. "Get your ass to the sidelines, Squirt. Don't want you to get fried now, do we?"

Surge only laughed when Misty flipped him off and walked to the bleachers, where she took a seat to watch the match. Ash and Surge walked off to the opposite ends of the battlefield, their fingers itching to tap the release on their pokéballs.

Two Mr Mime teleported into the massive chamber, constructing psychic barriers in seconds with a wave of their hands. As the walls boxing the arena turned invisible, Ash called over to Surge. "What are the rules?"

"Three-on-three," Surge yelled back, grinning. "Give me a good fight, Champ! I've been dying for a hard-earned win."

Ash simply smiled back, and watched as the Lightning Kantonian enlarged a pokéball and hurled it in the air. From it burst a creature Ash had never seen - an zebra-like being galloping proudly on its side as it materialised. Its black coat was marred with jagged white stripes that resembled lightning bolts from kids' paintings. Blue-white sparks fizzed around the spiked mane of white running along its back, beginning with two horn-like extensions jutting from its forehead and ending in a long, thin tailed tipped in a starburst.

Surge smiled at his look of befuddlement. "This is a Zebstrika, native to Unova," he educated. "A certain…friend of mine-" he smirked slyly as he emphasised that single word, "-who's also a gym leader, conveniently, gave him to me as a gift when I last visited her a few months ago."

His smile transformed into the fierce grin that remained a constant in his life. "He's not yet ready to join my main team, but what he's ready for is opening a can of whoop-ass."

The Zebstrika neighed proudly, staring at him from across the field with a hint of disdain. Ash would be glad to wipe that look off its smug face.

Ash regarded the creature carefully. Its legs looked like it could take off like a bullet train, although he could tell it was fragile. A glass cannon. He smiled.

Saur roared upon being released, his fronds fluttering. Zebstrika eyed the massive flower on his back, and raised its head higher, nostrils flaring. Saur betrayed no emotion as he locked himself in a staring contest.

Sure beamed with pride. "Your Ivysaur evolved! No matter. Zebstrika, use Thunderbolt."

Lightning crackled at the tip of its horns before exploding outwards into a singular bolt of electricity, its white stripes glowing blue in sync. Saur winced as it struck into his side, but his thick, forest scales weathered the blow like it nothing but an annoyance.

Saur let a couplet of his grassy tentacle slips out from his back, twitching to lash out and wrap his enemy. "Vine Whip," Ash muttered, wanting to test how powerful Zebstrika actually was.

Surge didn't bother barking an order as Saur's vines raced forward like vipers. Zebstrika blurred away in a burst of Agility, then it galloped its way towards the Venusaur as fire cocooned its form. Ash narrowed his eyes as the added boost of speed from the Flame Charge made Zebstrika much faster. "Seed Bomb! Aim at its feet."

A barrage of green, glowing seeds burst from the center of Saur's flower and exploded as they made contact with the ground. Zebstrika yelped in pain as the blinding explosions tripped it over, the cloak of flames dissipating. Although it avoided any direct hits, the seeds were still close enough to send it sprawling.

Vines wrapped around its ankles, holding the Zebstrika down as it tried to push itself up. "Toxic Shock!" Ash yelled, far too excited.

The Venusaur roared, spitting a stream of sickeningly green liquid at his sprawled opponent. Thick poison splattered onto Zebstrika's fur and glowed eerily and it screamed in pain as Toxic seeped into its bloodstream and Venoshock intensified the poison tenfold.

Surge gritted his teeth, but his terrifying glower held a smidgen of grudging respect.

"Burn the vines," the gym leader practically screamed, and flames roared to life around Zebstrika, roasting the tip of Saur's tentacles to a crisp. They receded back to the Venusaur, but Ash didn't give them much thought - as Surge called for Zebstrika to electrocute Saur, he could see the vines already growing back.

"Sunny Day!" Ash yelled quickly. As Saur took the blast of powerful electricity with a grimace of pain, burning light collected within the center of his flower before shooting into the sky like a miniature sun.

Harsh heat and sunlight flooded the field, making Ash recoil as the already well-lit chamber turned even brighter. As sweat dotted his skin, Ash smiled; the effects of sunlight was clear on Saur. His fronds lifted, his body stood higher, and his eyes intensified with burning excitement as adrenaline gushed through his veins.

Surge frowned. "You're on a time limit, Zeb. Agility, Double Team; get in close."

Ash whispered a command loud enough for Saur's sharp ears to catch it. "Sweet Scent."

A dozen Zebstrika rushed forward like a wave, neighing angrily as debilitating poison coursed through its blood, but it persevered. Pale, pink steam gushed from Saur's flower with a cloying scent as Zebstrika closed in-

Surge snapped. "Overheat!"

White stripes glowed as embers flickered over its fur; the next second, Zebstrika screamed out a cone of spiralling white fire. Saur leapt away instinctively, his powerful legs launching him away, but bellowed in pain as the fire seared into his right and rendered his flank charred.

Intense burns over forest scales left the Venusaur grimacing as Zebstrika breathed heavily, chest rising and falling. Saur glared at his enemy with hateful eyes, roaring as he lashed out with a Power Whip that cracked into Zebstrika's windpipe and left it choking, until a second, fiercer vine put it out of its misery.

Surge recalled his pokémon before it could crumple to the ground, ignoring Misty's wild cheers. "Your Venusaur's a cunning bastard, I'll give you that," he muttered, "but I'm done playing. Manectric, fry them."

A large canine snarled through the flash of white light, and landed nimbly on the ground as it poised to strike. Short, blue fur covered its body, contrasting with a spiky mane of blond, and tufts of yellow on its haunches and around its front feet. Standing more than five feet tall, its eyes gleamed with the same scarlet that Saur's did as it bared rows of sharp fangs, spike-like tail wagging eagerly. Ash noticed that its tail was bent at a sharp angle.

"My ace, right up with Electivire," Surge praised with clear pride, smiling as the Manectric barked in agreement. Misty certainly didn't seem to like the creature, from the stare of utter displeasure she sent its way.

Ash had to be careful. From what Misty had told him, Manectric had swept her entire team the first few times she'd challenged Surge. While he was not too far behind the water-type gym leader, he had to agree that Manectric would be a formidable opponent.

He looked away when Manectric met his gaze with intelligent, dangerous eyes. "Saur, be careful. Attack it from a distance - Energy Ball, Vine Whip and Razor Leaf. Spore Burst when it comes close, and hit it with Leech Seed when you can."

Saur nodded with a wince, shifting his weight onto his left legs. Those burns would slow him down a lot.

"Set up," was all that Surge drawled, and Manectric barked obediently. It danced around a nest of vines that grabbed at it, and took on a massive sphere of emerald like it was nothing before burning a school of razor-sharp leaves with a jet of fire. It wasted no time before its fur exploded with electricity that swarmed outwards like a tidal wave crashing on and beach and saturated the battlefield in a golden hue.

A second after the Electric Terrain, the yellow fur on Manectric's body flickered with golden sparks as it charged up an immense amount of electricity waiting to be released. Ash scowled, yelling for Saur to move as a positively gigantic bolt of lightning tore the ozone-charged air. The Venusaur, grunted, leaping away to the right with a push of his legs and support from additional vines.

The psychic barriers flared to life as it withstood Manectric's Thunderbolt, but it was just getting started. Blue light surrounded its tough form once more as it blurred towards Saur in a cloak of yellow. "Toxic Shock!" Ash ordered once again. The dense mixture of dangerous venom streamed towards the barreling electric-type with a hiss through the air, but Manectric cut through with an Iron Tail that negated the poison instantly.

Ash blinked, momentarily surprised by the manoeuvre. He'd never thought about using steel-type attacks to completely nullify poison moves. It was pure genius on Manectric's part.

He winced as Manectric slammed into Saur head-on, the collision stunning them both for a brief second. Thankfully, Saur recovered quicker than expected, and fired a Leech Seed right then.

The brown pellet embedded itself into Manectric's fur the second it made contact, hanging onto the canine like it was a lifeline. Ash grinned at the grimace of pain forming on Manectric's face as it leapt around another pit of Saur's Vine Whips. The parasitic seed let its roots seep through Manectric's fur and pierced into its flesh, beginning to suck the very life force out of its host.

A slight frown creased Surge's forehead, but he looked otherwise unaffected. "Quit playing, Manectric," he called out, yawning. "Take it out!"

Manectric barked, breathing fire at tentacles that dared to come close. With an uncharacteristic howl, it surged forward in another blur of speed. Ash smirked. Surge quite liked his speedsters.

"Here it comes," Ash murmured. "Distract it with Power Whip when it closes in, and drown it in your spores."

Manectric jumped from the sparking field and into the air before forming a sphere of concentrated energy that erupted outwards in a golden beam, and Ash realised all too late. "Move-"

It was too fast for even Saur and the Hyper Beam smote him in the face. The impact jerked Saur's head sharply, and he slumped unconscious with a warbled bellow. Manectric landed nimbly on the golden ground, barely affected by the amount of energy it had expended in the form of Hyper Beam, and yipped happily as Saur returned to his pokéball in a crimson light.

"You did great, Saur. I'm proud of you," he murmured to the pokéball before clipping it back to his belt.

Surge yawned dramatically. "C'mon, Ketchum. Fork over number two so Manectric can get it over with."

Ash scowled. "Screecher, you're up."

The Mismagius provided the only darkness over the golden arena, ghostly appendages billowing with an unseen wind. She drawled a croon to meet Manectric's bark of excitement as it pawed at the ground, scraping sharp claws into the crackling terrain.

"Crunch," Surge said simply, and Manectric's sharp fangs gleamed black.

It lunged with the same, surprising speed even as Screecher fired a Shadow Ball. It bit it in half with contemptuous ease, the shadow ball exploding in grey lightning. A snarl gurgled through Manectric's curled lips as its powerful hind legs launched it forth in a trail of white that only made the electrical field shine.

Screecher laughed lazily, blasting the canine with a trio of Power Gems that burst into the Manectric's fur. It howled as it fell to the ground, paws twisting as it tumbled awkwardly. The air hissed with the glow of Manectric's fur before an unrestrained discharge of electricity crackled through the air like lightning bolts.

Screecher zigzagged through the jagged streaks of lightning that made a terrible noise as they struck the field. Spheres of unsightly black formed around her, then blazed forward, forcing Manectric to cut off its electric assault and blitz away until a Shadow Ball struck its feet. As it yelped, sprawling across the floor, an unrefined wave of psychic energy slammed into it with a terrifying thud.

Manectric yowled, but awkwardly flipped onto its feet before charging of sphere of focused electricity. It blazed with a corrupt golden before colliding with Screecher's Shadow Ball. A cloud of smoke erupted, although it was more transparent that anything due to the light beaming from the Electric Terrain.

Surge frowned. "Shock Wave."

A short burst of lightning, faster than Ash could even comprehend, exploded from Manectric's mane and consumed Screecher whole. She screeched, convulsing as he form was electrocuted for the briefest of seconds and Manectric lunged. Sharp fangs, glowing black, sank into her cloak, making her writhe as spit flew from the canine's tightening jaws that only dug deeper with each passing second.

"Power Gem, Payback," Ash roared, tightening his fists as a beam of scarlet flew from the center jewel and bent at an angle to pin Manectric in the back. Jaws unclasped and sharp fangs slid out of the Mismagius before she crashed into Manectric with such devastating force that it collided all the way against a psychic barrier.

An iridescent beam of psychic power struck the large electric-type before it could scurry away in time, and sent it sprawling against once more. As its legs flailed, Screecher smiled.

"Mean Look!"

A ring of pure obsidian swallowed Manectric whole before the shadowy aura shifted into a circle of writhing purple. Manectric yelped, partly out of horror and surprise, as what looked like a vague eyeball blinked to life under its paws, locking the single red dot on its target.

"Attack it," Ash ordered simply, smiling. He watched as Manectric sped away to avoid the flurry of Shadow Balls chasing it, but the flattened ghostly eye under its feet never left. The spheres exploded against Manectric in displays of grey lightning. Another Power Gem exploded into Manectric's temple, and it fell harshly on its side.

Manectric howled, electricity pulsing around its feet before it blurred towards Screecher in a cloak of yellow. A ripple of blue energy waved outwards from Screecher, exploding viciously into the charging electric-type.

The impact was enough to leave a furrow in the ground, and Manectric yowled as it rose back up, claws digging into the field. Electricity sparked around its fur as it rushed, firing another quick burst of electricity that was too fast for Screecher to avoid. As she convulsed, Manectric lunged.

Black fangs burned into her form in an instant, making her writhe in pain and anger from the bite. Manectric roared through closed jaws, and then Ash saw a hint of electricity forming in the back of his throat. His eyes widened. "Curse!"

The sacrificial energy made the pair of them convulse just as the close ranged Electro Ball tore through her ghostly body in a messy explosion of electricity and a tatter of dissolving ectoplasm. Ash stared, mortified at the gaping hole in her chest that was already reforming quickly, but she was very clearly unconscious.

He recalled her in a quick fumble for he pokéball. Fortunately, there was no way her injuries could be lethal - ghosts could only be killed by other ghosts, and that was if they were really trying. A quick fix at the pokécenter would heal her up and she would be back to giggling in no time.

Regardless, he couldn't help but glare at Manectric, even as its energy was sapped by Saur's Leech Seed and Screecher's Curse. With a scowl, he sent the only one who could actually resist Manectric's electricity.

Zeus formed on the field, rejuvenated by the Electric Terrain sparking under his feet. His black eyes glimmered under the golden hue with excitement. "You're the last one, Zeus!" Ash called, receiving a bleat of acknowledgement as the Ampharos tensed, electricity cracking between his horns.

Surge's eyes gleamed, even through his shades. "Isn't he pretty," he murmured, a grin of excitement splitting his face.

"He's strong, too," Ash called back. "Thunderbolt!"

"Take it," Surge drawled, hardly surprised at Ash's order, but proud at the massive surge of lightning that cracked through the air. Manectric yipped, paws pressing into the ground as the blue bolt slammed into him. Despite being pushed back several feet, it showed no sign of weakness apart from clenching teeth.

Surge snorted. "Impressive, but not good enough."

A Shock Wave erupted with a bark from Manectric. Electricity surged through Zeus as he took it with a grimace, not wanting to appear weak by moving out of its way.

"Power Gem!" Ash roared, even as fire crackled in Manectric's maws. Red energy burned into the spot where the canine once was, dissipating in a spray of scarlet just as fire roared in Zeus' side. He yelled, exploding with a burst of electricity, but it only made Manectric's burning fangs press harder, until a Mega Punch to the back of its head knocked it away.

An Iron Tail cracked into its neck as it tried to rise up. Manectric yowled, paws flailing from the sudden jolt of pain. Zeus grinned and kept it pressed under his weight. Manectric squirmed and flailed, bursting with electricity as Mega Punches impacted every inch of its body.

Zeus moved the tail orb and pressed it right against Manectric's snout before exploding in a spray of red. The raw strength behind the Power Gem blasted Manectric so far away that it was rolling for five entire seconds.

Manectric rose, blood dripping from its nose, legs shaking and eyes heavy. The toll of Curse and Leech Seed was finally showing, and Ash was sure that a few more hits would take it out. Surge seemed to realise this as well, and with a deep frown he snapped his fingers.

"Megavolt."

"Agility!" Ash yelled, sensing danger. He didn't have the faintest idea what Megavolt was, even though a memory tugged at the back of his head, but it sounded hazardous. He really didn't want Zeus to be-

The golden mane burned white even as Manectric roared, and then the air charged with ozone as an impossibly massive lance of lighting, bright enough to blind Ash, ripped through the air with a deafening crack!

A magnificent display of light and heat consumed the entirety of Zeus, who had been too slow to react the second Manectric had released. A burst of brightness swallowed him instantly. For the briefest of seconds, Ash's head tingled as the air became dangerously ionised…

Manectric crumpled like a sack of rocks, sapped of the last of its energy. Surge returned his pokémon before it could hit the ground, but stared in utter disbelief as Zeus, covered in electrical burns, stood standing on all trembling fours. Even though he was barely hanging on by a thread, Ash realised that even a soft breeze would make him fall.

Zeus seemed to relished being taken by the ray of scarlet emerging from Ash's pokéball. Ash observed the place where the Ampharos had stood, which was charred now that the Electric Terrain had vanished.

"You were amazing," Ash whispered, receiving a twitch from the pokéball before Zeus went into stasis.

He lost his footing when a powerful hand slapped his back. "That was one hell of a battle," Surge remarked, ignoring Ash as he rubbed his back. "Mind you, Manectric was still holding back. But you still packed a punch, Champ!"

"Is that what you tell everyone who beats you?" Misty muttered. Surge pretended not to hear her.

"Thanks," Ash replied happily, but his smile settled in an instant. "What's Megavolt? That thing destroyed Zeus."

Surge puffed proudly. "Course it did. You should see it in action when Manectric's fighting fit. This was nothing."

Surge was probably exaggerating, but Ash nodded, numb. He imagined what Zeus could do with that technique in his hands. He was already one of his strongest, but with that kind of power…He shuddered in awe. "Could you teach me?"

Surge grinned madly. "I was wondering when you'd beg for my help," he said, laughing. "Course I'll help you out, kid! I've been dying for a change, anyway. It gets boring here, even with crushing newbies."

Ash's eyes widened. "Wait, really?"

"Megavolt ain't that hard as long as you got the juice to back it up. Your Ampharos is strong, but his technique is pathetic. Don't give me that look," he added, grinning at Ash's scowl. "Anyway, a few days with me, and I'll whip him into shape. What d'you say?"

A grin graced his face, wider than ever before. "Hell yes."

XxXxX

"Right," Misty began, uncharacteristically enthusiastic as she beamed down at the group of attentive listeners sitting on the grass. "Let's get started."

Ash listened, smiling dumbly. After getting over the high of winning the tournament, he'd come to a painful realisation: despite the rigorous training he and his team underwent each day for the past several months, he hadn't thought about coverage. Saur had nothing to counter fire-types, Zeus was a sitting duck for ground-types, and Monferno's move-pool was smaller than a Caterpie's. He really needed to work on varying his team's skills and shape them to be able to take on nearly anything that was thrown at them.

The double-battle in the water field only proved his point. Hydrus had been abysmal in the water, severely outclassed by Seadra until he'd gotten it out of the water. He was powerful, sure, but he really needed to be able to be the best in his own element.

This was where Misty came in. It took parting ways with the dive-balls for her to teach him, but he couldn't care less about that. They were of no use to him and they'd be in better hands with Misty. He was just glad he was getting an expert to help Hydrus overcome this problem.

He felt a bit odd sitting next to Misty's team, however. He only recognized a few out of the handful - Misty had been working hard since her return home. He instantly recognised Starmie and Slowbro, who were on either side of Misty's as she stood near the water's edge. Buizel returned his gaze with a playful bark as it floated in the water, steering away from the path of Misty's unusually angry Seadra. Her Kingler clicked its claws every now and then, the only noise, along with Huntail's growls, breaking through the whispering breeze.

It looked like Misty had made good use of a water stone, because in place of her Poliwhirl was a hulking Poliwrath, muscles bulging and wise eyes crossed as it took shade under the tree that Politoed was hanging from. The only hint of Lombre's presence was the lily-pad on its head bobbing in the water.

And of course there was Blastoise, who Misty had boasted about ever since the massive creature had been let out. It didn't appear too used to its body, from the constant shifting and the disgruntled glares it sent at its shell. Ash briefly wondered if Gary's Wartortle had evolved as well.

"So…Hydrus," she said, looking pointedly at the Golduck. He looked at her, embarrassed at having been caught falling asleep. "Today we're going to teach you underwater combat, something Ash told me you suck at."

She laughed at Hydrus' annoyed quack. Ash was surprised when his friend didn't act out any further, but it was most likely due to Starmie's gemstone glowing with warning.

Misty smiled. "By the time my team and I are done with you, you're going to be the fastest Golduck in Kanto. How does that sound?"

Hydrus' irritation abated, and he actually smiled. Misty giggled.

"Before we begin, let's take some time to understand Golduck as pokémon," she said, slipping into a demeanor that reminded him too much of Professor Oak. "Golduck are, without exaggeration, the fastest swimmers out of all known aquatic pokémon, even beating the records of Floatzel and Greninja. Their powerful tail, webbed hands and feet and streamlined limbs allow them to tear through even the roughest of waters. The fact that your Gold— Hydrus has Swift Swim makes it even better. Once we teach him mastery over his ability, he's going to be blinding in water, and even rainy conditions."

Ash nodded, smiling wide.

"Apart from the amazing swimming abilities, Golduck can efficiently harness their psychic powers unlike Psyduck, which only obtain them during their outbursts. With Slowbro's help, you're going to practice Zen Headbutt till you destroy metal without breaking a sweat. Maybe we'll throw in Wonder Room if we have enough time."

Misty beamed, placing her hands on her waist. "Right! We're going to be training until you can't swim any more. I don't care how many times Seadra and Buizel beat your ass, we're not going to stop until you're a beast in the water, dammit! Are you ready?"

Hydrus returned Misty's roar with a yell of his own, eyes gleaming with manic glee. With the way his tail was thrashing, he looked ready to take the water-type expert's words literally.

Misty clapped her hands, grinning. "Great!" she remarked, looking to her team for a response. When they cried out in excitement, she smirked. "Let's get to work."

Her team chorused and set off to different parts of the grassland, a few of them slipping into the lake where Seadra was gurgling angrily. Misty smiled fondly at her team, but then she blinked when her eyes found Ash.

"What're you still doing here?" She sounded confused.

Ash frowned. "What d'you mean?" He was equally puzzled.

"You told me to train Hydrus, didn't you?" she said, rolling her eyes. "Go…fight some trainers, or whatever. Do your thing."

Ash scowled. He was hoping he'd get to watch Misty in action, but she'd told him to scram just like Surge had. He couldn't blame them for keeping their techniques secret, but he was a little miffed.

Sighing, he stood from the ground and walked away. Misty's echoing roars faded until only the crunching grass hissed in his ears.

Perhaps he could train the rest of his team, now that Zeus and Hydrus would be sweating blood for the next week.

XxXxX

Eevee, the evolution pokémon. Thanks to its unstable genetic makeup, this special pokémon conceals many different possible evolutions. Eevee's genes are the key to solving the mysteries of pokémon evolution. There are only a few alive.

This Eevee is female and knows the moves: Helping Hand, Refresh, Quick Attack, Detect, Swift, Bite, Iron Tail, Baby-Doll Eyes, Hyper Voice and Take Down. Its ability is Adaptability, which doubles the power of STAB moves.

A soft chitter tugged him away from his reverie. Ash looked up from his pokédex, focused frown twisting into a gentle smile as Eevee sniffed his wrist. Her every moment seemed to entrance him, and his head inclined as she pressed her nose into his open palm.

He'd spent the past few days getting to know her and introduce her to his friends, and this was the first time he'd actually scanned Eevee and read up on her techniques and skill. From the impressive list of moves, she didn't appear too far behind his team, despite her deceivingly adorable stature.

"Eevee? Eevee!" He snapped his fingers, wincing at the harshness in his voice. Eevee's head snapped up, unbothered by his sharp tone as her large brown eyes looking at him questioningly.

He ruffled his hand through her fur, making her squeal. "How about we check out your moves, huh?"

She tilted her head, frowning. He elaborated.

"I just need to know how strong you are so we can get right to training."

Eevee chirped happily, tail swishing as she walked over and stared in concentration at the boulder Ash was pointing at.

"Alright, are you ready?" he asked. Eevee barked cutely in response, poising to strike as a growl bubbled in her throat. It was more adorable than menacing, but Ash admired her effort. "Let's begin with…Swift!"

Star-shaped rays of glowing energy flew in a single cry, curving in a smooth motion and exploding upon impact. Dust and smoke swallowed the large rock, and as Delphi cleared it with a powerful flap of her wings, it showed a spiderweb of cracks from the epicenter.

Ash grinned. "Awesome," he muttered. He glossed over Bite and Helping Hand. Quick Attack seemed standard, as was Take Down…

Hyper Voice intrigued him. "Okay, Eevee." He took a step back, eyeing the rock far ahead. "Hyper Voice!"

Eevee screamed, with such intensity that it startled even Saur, who rumbled in surprise as he woke up at the sound. Ash's hand clamped his ears shut, but didn't take his eyes off the focused stream of blue energy rings that swallowed the boulder whole. The air hummed and the cracks widened until Eevee cut it off.

She looked at him with pride in her face, and Ash glanced back hesitantly. "That was great," he said, wincing at the sound of his own voice. It felt oddly muffled. "Alright, now how about Iron Tail?"

Eevee nodded. She blurred off, slender legs dancing over the ground as her tail shone silver, and she spun. The force behind the Iron Tail shattered the already-weathered rock into rubble. Dust trickles all over the grassy ground, which made Eevee paw the ground in disgruntlement.

"Okay, that was great!" Ash dropped to a squat, holding out a hand for Eevee to nuzzle against as she ran towards him. His laugh was full of mirth as she let him scratch under her jaw.

He let one hand idly caress Eevee and inspected the pokédex once again. He hadn't seen Detect in action yet, but that was because he had no idea what it was. The pokédex was detailed in its description, but he wouldn't have a complete understanding until he saw Eevee using it in combat.

He decided to leave it alone, and try it out when Eevee battled for real. For now, he'd let her enjoy relaxing until they started training.

You're already beginning to spoil her, Delphi sang in his mind, voice laced with amusement.

Ash rolled his eyes, smiling wryly at her. "You'd get face rubs if you were adorable too, you know," he teased.

Delphi scowled.

XxXxX

Ash smiled happily as the TM case finally whirred to a stop, losing the green glow that suffused Saur's pokéball. It was time to master Solarbeam.

He'd been thinking about using it ever since Erika had given him the TM upon winning the Rainbow Badge, as all League-sponsored gyms did. Now that the Venusaur had accomplished his goal of evolving, nothing held Ash back from giving his friend the ability to learn what was one of the strongest grass moves in the known world.

Using Solarbeam in conjunction with Sunny Day would be devastating. Ash grinned madly at the thought of Saur tearing through the Indigo Conference with endless Solarbeams that would leave most of the competition in the dust.

It was a fair bit past noon, so there was no reason for Saur to use Sunny Day to help speed things up. Besides, Ash wasn't particularly in the mood to sweat.

"Alright, Saur." Ash stepped back a safe distance, eyeing his friend carefully as they stared at a massive boulder far ahead. "When you're ready."

Saur grunted, red eyes alight with excitement. With a low gurgle that never left his maw, he closed his eyes.

Ash could feel the massive flower absorbing sunlight. It was slower than he'd expected, but he only watched, fascinated as the massive petals shone incandescent with burning power, brighter than anything he'd ever laid his eyes on. It went on for a good ten seconds, until Saur unleashed the stored sunlight in a brilliant beam of pure white.

Saur's excited bellow matched the heat exploding from the focused blast of concentrated energy that absolutely pulverised the boulder he'd targeted. Ash had to squint as he tried to discern the massive rock as it was engulfed by the Solarbeam, but by the time Saur was done he'd obliterated his target. A pile of crumbling dust and rubble stood where it had once been, hissing softly from the intense heat of the Solarbeam.

Ash rushed forward and hugged Saur's head, laughing as his friend rumbled happily under his touch. "That was awesome, buddy! Good job!" he said, a silly grin on his face.

Saur smiled, fronds rustling as he nuzzled Ash. "Alright, Saur - let's work on your time. We can't expect our opponents to wait for you to attack them," Ash said wryly.

The Venusaur acknowledged him with a growl, and waited until Ash was a safe distance away before once again absorbing sunlight.

The flower glowed once again with blinding intensity and another beam, no less fierce than the one before, ripped through the air and destroyed another target. They'd have to find a lot more boulders.

XxXxX

The ear-shattering crack of thunder made Ash recoil in surprise. He blinked the spots out of his eyes, leaning against the doors of the gym's battlefield. He'd hoped for a better welcome.

There was another crackle of lightning, this time quieter, but Ash was prepared for it. He grinned at the sight of Surge's Manectric taking blasts of electricity released by Zeus, who looked close to passing out.

Surge didn't seem to notice him walk over until his Raichu nudged him with its tail, cutting the gym leader's barking orders short. Surge spotted him through dark shades and grinned, taking a quick puff of his cigar, and then yelled for his pokémon to continue their electrical exercises while he marched on ahead.

"Ketchum!" Surge boomed, his Raichu following him slowly. "Good to see ya, Champ. What's up?"

"How's everything with Zeus?" Ash asked, smiling despite the smokiness emanating from Surge.

He grinned. "He's wonderful. He's made amazing progress in just four days." He pressed the cigar to his lips again, careful to exhale away from Ash. "'Course, he's got a long way to go. He's got the technique down perfectly; he just needs the power to back it up without knocking himself out, and the control to keep it from blowing in his face."

It was as if Surge's words were the harbinger of Zeus' failure, because his umpteenth attempt of unleashing Megavolt exploded right as he focused it between his horns and instantly knocked him out cold.

Ash grimaced as his friend was blown a few meters off his feet, landing on the mostly vacant battlefield like a rag doll.

"I've got a revive," Ash said immediately, a bit angry with Surge's lack of a reaction.

Surge snorted. "Don't bother," he dismissed. "Electivire! Get the runt back on his feet."

The massive creature, which Ash hadn't noticed, grunted in acknowledgement as it lurked out of the shadows. In one smooth motion, its bulbous antennae crackled with blue electricity, which it released in a focused ray, which instantly woke Zeus up. He looked dazed, but Electivire tossed him a few sitrus berries, which made things better.

"See? As good as new," Surge said happily. Ash didn't bother arguing.

He looked away as Electivire and Manectric barked for Zeus to continue his intense training. "Has he been working on any other techniques?"

Surge nodded. "You told me he's got no coverage against ground-types, eh? Frankly, I'm surprised you haven't worked on that, Ketchum," he said, frowning.

Ash looked away. He didn't like having his shortcomings brought up, even if Surge was right. He should have trained Zeus to counter ground-types, which were the only threat to electric-types. It could very easily cost him an important battle.

"Anyway, we've been working Magnet Rise, which he figured out quick enough. That should be pretty useful against shit like Earthquake and Bulldoze. Apart from that, Electivire gave him a basic rundown on Light Screen. That should take around a week or two, same with Signal Beam…"

Surge scratched his cheek, brows furrowed in concentration. "He surprised us by trying Dragon Pulse. It can't do shit for now, but he's got the blueprint down - God knows how - and so Eelektross will be helping him out with that once he learns Megavolt."

Ash grinned. He hadn't even considered asking Surge for help with Dragon Pulse - which wasn't his fault, as he had no idea the giant could help him in that aspect. Zeus had been working on it ever since they'd returned to Pallet Town but, even after weeks of focused determination, they'd barely progressed. Dragonite was no doubt a good teacher, but learning under another electric-type would make things far easier for the Ampharos.

"That's awesome!" he exclaimed, his grin wider than ever before. "Thanks a lot, Surge." He meant it.

Surge smirked, taking another whiff of his cigar. "Think nothing of it, Champ. You can always repay me with lunch," he added, wearing an innocent smile that did not suit the man at all.

Ash gulped.

XxXxX

Atlas shivered happily from inside his cocoon as Ash placed him in his lap. Despite the gritty appearance of the pupa, the smoothness of it almost made it slip out of Ash's hands. It held none of the grainy roughness Ash had expected his palms to feel; now that it was tightly and protectively wound by the special silk produced by the Trapinch, it felt incredibly smooth and softer than Delphi's feathers.

A hushed twittering from within the sandy pupa made Ash smile as Atlas nestled in his crossed legs. He missed seeing his friend, having him follow Delphi and Screecher every time they were let out for training. It hadn't been like Atlas had disappeared, but he couldn't wait for his to evolve and actually be part of the team once again.

Still, it was better than nothing to have him out right now. The cocoon twitched every now and then, the only sign of his presence amongst the rest of the team, which had taken to a long, hard-earned rest after an entire week of constant training.

The past several days had been immensely fruitful. From the brief updates Surge and Misty gave him, both Zeus and Hydrus were progressing immensely. He still wasn't allowed to oversee their training, much to his displeasure, but he was just glad that his friends were getting stronger.

Saur had progressed as well. His Solarbeams charged faster and were as devastating as they could be. While the few days spent with Red's Venusaur had given them insight into powerful techniques - Leaf Storm, Petal Dance and Giga Drain, to name a few - Ash had no idea how to advance Saur's mastery over them. It was frustrating, to say the least.

Delphi was still struggling with Sky Attack, although the many hours spent with Surge's Fearow had made it easier. It was no where near as perfect as the gym leader's raptor (Ash still couldn't get over how effortlessly it had utterly destroyed a massive rock), but he was glad to see that she was getting there.

His smile stretched further as he eyed Snorlax, who was unsurprisingly resting at the edge of the pond, uncaring as his resting form was approached by a curious Goldeen. The past few days had helped him relax and open up, however slowly. Ash figured it was ever since Red and Somnus had declared their presence in Pallet, but it was a boon to have Snorlax far less antagonistic than he usually was. They had been getting along very well ever since, and there was even an instance where Snorlax had been accepting of Ash resting against his belly.

He considered the most progress to have been made by Monferno. Oak's warnings nagged his mind every now and then, but he pushed them aside and chose to focus on the sheer determination his friend had shown ever since he'd opened up in Pallet Town. it was saddening to see the everstone hanging from his neck, but he would respect his friend's path to growing stronger.

Blaine and his Infernape wouldn't know what hit them.

He felt soft fur wedge through his arm and giggled at the sight of Eevee weaseling her way onto his belly, sniffing Atlas' cocoon curiously as she curled into a nap. He shifted against the tree trunk, shuddering as a cold breeze brushed past, and sighed. He hadn't spent time like this with his friends in a long while. It felt good.

XxXxX

Ash stepped back as Hydrus neared the edge of the lake, avoiding the large splash the Golduck made with a flick of his tail. Starmie blocked any water coming Misty's way with a flash of its gem.

"Hey, buddy." He crept closer, scratching the spikes on Hydrus' head. "How are we doing?"

The Golduck nodded and quacked loudly, making Ash wince despite his grin.

"Alright, Hydrus!" Misty exclaimed, grinning when Hydrus quacked loudly. The rest of Misty's team watched with feigned disinterest. "Let's see how good you've gotten. Zen Headbutt!"

Hydrus smiled, head disappearing under the lake as his jewel blinked scarlet. With a twist of his body he was off, cutting through the water like it was butter with speed Ash had never seen in him. There was barely any resistance as he sliced cleanly through, tail sweeping skillfully to propel him even faster. The icy glow around his skull seemed to blend in with the azure lake as he neared one of the smaller rocks jutting out-

The impact was devastating. The knock-back sent Hydrus tumbling away, but Ash was more focused on the rubble and fragments of rock flying into the lake from the resulting shockwave, disturbing the otherwise placid waters. Magikarp flailed as chunks of stone rained down. It was only when the ripples ceased and the lake returned to its tranquility that Ash breathed out a sigh of relief.

Hydrus swam closer, slower than before, but quick enough to reach the land within moments. He looked barely affected by the impact - or maybe he was just forcing the smugness to cover his pain, Ash didn't know. He bobbed in the water, red eyes looking up expectantly at his trainer.

"That was awesome!" Ash yelled, pumping a fist in the air. Hydrus cracked his beak open and screamed proudly. Misty's Blastoise rolled its eyes at the display, grunting.

He looked to Misty, who looked equally proud. "Thanks a lot, Misty."

"No worries," she dismissed, although she puffed up at his words. "Those dive-balls will help a lot, anyway."

Ash rolled his eyes as Hydrus floated on his back, one eye lazily open to leer at Misty's annoyed Seadra. He figured Hydrus deserved his arrogance, from the magnificent display of sheer power and skill he'd put on not moments ago.

A nudge from Misty snapped him out of thought, and he looked curiously at the blue record in her hand - a TM, he realised. "What's that?" he asked, confused.

She smiled. "I figured you've earned this. It's Surf," she explained, tapping the transparent case holding the TM protectively. "With this, you can kick up waves of water that can drown your opponent. It also enhances a pokémon's swimming abilities - it'll make Hydrus even stronger in the water."

He took the TM gingerly and stared at it for a few seconds, ogling at the record with disbelieving eyes. "Thank you," he murmured, taking great care as his fingers clasped around it.

"'Make sure you don't lose it - it's really hard to get your hands on a reusable version!" she cautioned as she crossed her arms.

Ash nodded, smiling gratefully. "I'll take good care of it."

Misty snorted. "How about a battle? Let's see if Hydrus can keep up with one of my fighters now that he's able to actually swim."

A grin split across Ash's face. "Let's."

XxXxX

He had mixed feelings when they finally reached Celadon.

On one hand, it was a refreshing change from the snowy wilderness they'd covered for the past week. It had taken longer than expected to get from Vermillion to Celadon - the roads had been crawling with trainers for reasons Ash wasn't privy to, and he couldn't exactly turn down the offer of a good battle. It had taken forever, but the trees had begun to thin and the gates of Celadon finally shone through the snow-laden trees of route eight.

His dread didn't vanish as he'd hoped when he stepped through the gates. Celadon was…peaceful. He wouldn't have given it a second thought if it wasn't for the raid that had reigned in the streets all those months ago. The roads weren't cracked and shattered, nor did debris pepper square. The memory of a Steelix lost in bloodlust appeared at the front of his mind as he glanced ahead at the Celadon Departmental Store, which was rebuilt and showed no sign of the destruction that had defiled it with the roars of Petrel's iron snake.

The pokécenter had recovered as well, and it looked better than ever. He feared the yells of Rocket grunts as the doors slid open, but there was only the cheerful chatter of trainers taking up the lounge area of the center's lobby. His heart slowed, but he was still anxious as he walked up to the reception with Misty.

"Hi!" The cheerful voice of Nurse Joy greeted him, a genuine smile on her face. "How may I help you two today?"

The flare of a bullet drilling through the previous nurse echoed in his ears. Ash briefly wondered if the current Nurse Joy ever thought about the death of her sister.

Her frown of worry and a tap on his shoulder from Misty broke him from those vivid memories. "Is something the matter?" Joy asked, head tilted.

"N-No. Just a room for each of us," Ash stammered out, placing his belt of pokéballs on the desk. Nurse Joy hesitated, but she didn't press any further.

"What was that?" Misty whispered once they walked down the hallway to their rooms. She peered over at him, worried at his resolute walk to his room.

"Nothing," he murmured, looking ahead. Misty chewed her lip nervously, but didn't push it as he swiped his key-card.

He spent an hour resting in his room before making a move. There was a lot to do before he would leave for Saffron - he had to train and train and train. Hitting the famed departmental store was on the top of his list - he had no doubt that his shopping basket would be filled to the brim by the end of his visit. The tournament, along with Surge and Misty's advice, had given him a lot to think about proceeding with future training sessions with his team.

He let Eevee walk with him as they headed for the store, more for support than anything else. It felt uneasy, walking amidst the streets that had faced nothing short of a water mere months ago. He was disturbed by cheerful citizens, eager trainers and busy workers preparing for the celebration of the Winter Solstice. It was as if they had forgotten the Rocket Raid entirely.

Despite that, Eevee's curiosity cheered him up. There were several instances of her scurrying over to construction workers and sniffing peculiarly, and despite him running after her it was quite the change from the solitary walks he'd had before. Pedestrians were enamoured by her - while not incredibly rare, Eevee were few and far between - and she loved the attention.

His smile widened at the look of awe and wonderment on Eevee's face as they walked through the entrance of the Celadon departmental store. He let her take in the overwhelming input of chirping voices and colours before he led her up the elevator, all the way up to the fifth floor. He had half a mind to stop at the third floor and check out the vitamins, but he stuck with his plan to scout the TMs littering the fifth floor.

The prize money from the tournament alleviated most of his worry as his eyes scanned the myriad of coloured records, but Ash was still careful in his selection of TMs. Sure, eight thousand was a lot, but TMs were fairly expensive, and he did have to buy some trainer supplies later.

For Saur, he immediately snagged a TM for Earth Power. The only counter for fire-types was Venoshock - while the technique was undoubtedly potent, he needed a bit more variety under his belt. He wanted to pick the Earthquake TM, as well, but he chose not too - his wallet was going to take enough of a beating as it was, and he didn't want to worsen it any more. Besides, the Sludge Bomb TM he'd won from Koga would add to his list of poisons.

Hydrus would be receiving Focus Blast, Rain Dance and Shadow Claw. Focus Blast would give him coverage against a ton of opponents - ice, dark, rock and steel, for example - while Shadow Claw would help him disrupt any psychics he would face. Psychics were common in the conference, with a large chunk of them being Kadabra and Alakazam. He needed every edge he could get.

Rain Dance was chosen upon Misty's suggestion, and he wasn't really going to dismiss a water-type expert's advice.

Eevee climbed up his shoulder as he added Delphi's TMs to his basket - Heat Wave and Dazzling Gleam. He was being a bit generous with the latter, but a nagging voice in the back of him mind urged him to purchase it for her, and so he did.

Snorlax was a physical beast, but Ash had slowly been realising that brute force wasn't all that. He had only recently learnt mastery over the elements with Ice, Fire and Thunder Punch, but he needed a wider arsenal than that. He would be learning Ice Beam and Flamethrower, both of which would be invaluable in battle.

Ash was dead-set on teaching Monferno Bulk Up, which would pump his muscles full of natural hormones that would make them swell up and harden, as well as give a boost of adrenaline. It would enhance his physical power in battle, while also making him tough enough to take a fair bit more damage - that was all good, but he struggled to select another TM for the fire-type to learn.

In the end, he decided to go for a move he'd never expected to choose - Poison Jab. It was a bit of a risk on his end, but it was an interesting technique for Monferno to have. Moreover, he knew that Blaine would never expect something like this the next time they battled.

Kratos was a bit of a dilemma for Ash. He lingered for a bit around the row of Metal Coats in the evolution section of the floor, but that was way out of his budget - at a whopping fifty-thousand pokédollars, he'd be in debt more than anything. While evolving into a Scizor would allow Kratos to access steel-type techniques, it felt too soon. Besides, he didn't even know how his friend felt about evolving - but that was a conversation for later.

He frowned and decided to take Brick Break. He really needed to work on training Kratos - it felt like he'd done nothing but practise old techniques since forever.

Screecher would be learning Thunder Wave to harass her foes even more, and nothing else. Ash already had plans to teach her Mystical Fire, which was complicated enough, and he didn't want to make things harder for her with another move to be learned. Magical Leaf was also on that list, as well as Phantom Force - which the pokédex had few notes on, surprisingly. He figured she would learn it naturally.

He wouldn't be teaching Zeus anything for now, considering he had a lot on his plate at the moment. Megavolt had taken up a huge chunk of his time while training under Surge, and now it was up to Ash to pick up where the gym leader had left off with the rest of the techniques.

Likewise, Eevee and Atlas wouldn't be learning any new techniques either - Eevee because she was new to the team and he had no way to specialise her training until she evolved, and Atlas was in no state of training, at least for another month and a half. Once he evolved, he'd be able to participate for real, instead of twitching every now and then during mealtimes.

With that, he shouldered the basket with a sigh and headed for the counter. His wallet was begging for mercy and he half-expected he'd be having gruel for the next few weeks.

Eevee led him away from the cashier when she scampered off in a completely different direction. He sighed, holding the basket of TMs tighter as he gave chase, only to find her pawing excitedly at a counter of exotic, glowing gemstones.

Ash groaned, but couldn't help but smile at her fervour as she chattered happily at the gemstones nestled carefully in pillows of velvet. Fire, thunder, leaf - they had an entire selection of evolutionary stones at their disposal Ash had only seen on his last visit.

Eevee yipped and looked back at him, pressing one soft paw against the panels of glass separating them from the stones. He laughed sheepishly at her expectant eyes. "Maybe another time," he muttered, trying his best not to meet the jeweller's eyes. He couldn't even afford looking at the stones.

Despite the jeweller's frantic persuasions, Ash declined and led a reluctant Eevee back to the cashier. That was embarrassing.

By the time he was done paying for his TMs his wallet was severely drained, with only a few thousand left. Maybe if Misty was generous enough, she would help him with supplies for the next month or so.

He'd been meaning to head back to the pokécenter as quickly as possible, but a poster for the newly-refurbished rooftop led him climbing up the escalator. It looked absolutely splendid - tiny cafes took up space along the sides of the rooftop. The floor was mostly neatly-groomed grass and patches of flowers that were split only by concrete pathways splitting off every now and then. Soft music hummed in the cold wind that was slowly picking up. It wasn't completely occupied, and so Ash took his time to find a nice seat for Eevee and himself.

"What do you think about training for the next few days?" Ash asked Eevee, who was rolling over on her stomach. "We can work on some new techniques, and maybe you can spar with some of the others."

Eevee let out a lazy yip. She didn't seem to have any objections, although it was perhaps due to the daffodil she was sniffing curiously.

Ash smiled and leaned back into his chair, sipping from his can of lemonade. The battle with Sabrina was nearing by the day, and he couldn't wait to fight her crew of psychics. Before that, however, there was a lot to do.

He was confident in his friends' abilities - they had grown far stronger since Cinnabar Island, and he had no doubt in his mind that he could take Blaine now - but they would be spending the next week or so forming strategies and game plans that would help them in the Saffron gym battle. Sabrina was a tricky opponent, and he wasn't going to underestimate her, not like he'd done with Blaine. There were the TMs he needed to work on with his team, as well - that would take up most of his time in Celadon.

Meeting Erika was also an interesting prospect Ash was considering. He hadn't heard from her in a while, apart from the few texts she'd sent the week after the raid. Perhaps he could fit in a battle with the gym leader and, if she was willing, have Saur train under his army of grass-types.

That settled it. He would face Erika in the next few days, and see where he stood after six months of training. It would be good practice for Monferno, at the very least.

Eevee curled up around his foot, having relieved the daffodil of its petal. Ash picked her up by the scruff of her neck, chuckling at her yelp of surprise, but she calmed the instant he brushed her fur with his fingers. Ash snorted with laughter at the utter look of bliss on her face.

XxXxX

His team greeted him with a cacophony of excitement, although Ash had to brace himself when Eevee bounded for him like a Gyarados was on her heels. The training ground behind the pokécenter was fortunately empty, which gave him enough space to test out the new TMs without worrying for surrounding pokémon.

Saur rumbled as he was released, tapping Ash carefully with vine as he made himself known. Kratos didn't seem to excited, hovering as he looked at his trainer expectantly, same as Delphi. The rest of them were eager as Ash called for them to listen.

"Alright, let's get started!" Ash said, grinning as he rubbed his hands. "Monferno, could you bring up some targets with Stone Edge?"

A line of jagged rocks punched out of the ground with a light stomp and bark from Monferno. Ash considered the targets with pride. It was hard to believe that Monferno had come so far in a little over a month.

"Good job," Ash praised, smirking as Monferno puffed proudly. Hydrus sneered, spitting a spray of water at Monferno's feet with an angry quack.

Ash frowned. "Stop it," he warned, before the two of them could start brawling. Monferno looked away, still disgruntled. Hydrus looked infuriatingly cheerful despite the scolding, much to Monferno's chagrin.

"Saur, try Earth Power. Aim at that rock," he called, pointing at the first spire of stone out of the many that Monferno had pulled out. His starter nodded and waited for Ash and the rest of the team to back away as he took a battle stance, fronds splaying and flower flowing with life.

He roared and stomped. A tendril of gold slithered its way over to his target in a flash, exploding with refined power the second the zigzagging crack struck the rock. The earth caved and a cylinder of energy burst out like a geyser, shattering the jagged boulder into shards of stone.

Ash inspected the perfect hole in the ground where the Stone Edge had once been, and grinned with unrestrained joy. "That's awesome, Saur!" He wished he had enough funds to get the Earthquake TM - alongside Earth Power, the two would be insane - but he was content with the devastating effect of Earth Power alone.

Saur growled happily, bumping Ash's fist with a vine. Ash grinned.

"Delphi, you're up next. Let's see Heat Wave," he said, letting her take the stage.

She chirped softly, taking to the air almost instantly. She circled for a bit, her keen eyes leering down at the row of rocks, and shrieked as red fire crackled to life around her wings, white feathered unburned as flames writhed with life. A torrent of fire and wind gushed forth with a powerful flap of her wings.

It consumed the rock entirely, making it grow red-hot as the air warped around it, and charring the thin grass near. Delphi shrieked with satisfaction, lazily circling above as Ash cheered from below. Heat Wave would be potent enough to deal massive damage, with a bit more practice.

"Alright!" He whistled and she drew nearer, slowing her descent with her telekinesis. "Let's see Dazzling Gleam, girl. Same target!"

Her almond eyes flashed with understanding as she took to the sky once again. Her whole body shone with a rainbow of iridescence as she flew; a second later, beams of burning light exploded outwards and converged onto the rocks with a fearsome crunch, producing a nest of cracks.

Delphi crooned with pride, teleporting to Ash's side a moment later. The lustrous glow around her had faded and she stared at her trainer expectantly. Ash grinned, pride blooming within as he stroked her red crest.

"That was great." She nodded, satisfied with his praise, and let Monferno take the stage. "You know what to do. Poison Jab."

Venom coalesced around Monferno's tight fist in a glow of purple as he blitzed forth at one of the rocks he'd pulled up. A thunderous thud rang out as he punched out, completely shattering the rock that Delphi had previously struck.

Monferno stepped out of the billowing dust and crumbling pebbles with a victorious grin, examining the fading toxins covering his hand. Eevee eyed a few drops falling to the ground, hissing softly as it melted through the grass.

Ash nodded. "Good job," he said, satisfied. "Now, let's see Bulk Up."

It took a few seconds of concentration, but the results were immediate. A faint crimson glow, almost imperceptible if one focus, flared around Monferno as his muscles visibly thickened with a flex. Even his tail flame grew in size, blazing wildly with hot embers. Pupils dilated with the rush of hormones that made Monferno pound his chest in challenge.

Ash observed with a content smile. Practice would make Poison Jab as potent as it could be and give Monferno a better handle over the flood of hormones and adrenaline with the use of Bulk Up.

A frown marred his face as he briefly thought about a bulked-up Monferno under the effects of Blaze, but that thought quickly vanished. There was work already at hand, and he could worry about that later.

Hydrus didn't bother waiting for an order, and walked with unrestrained arrogance as he picked the largest rock out of them all. Ash rolled his eyes, but stepped back and let the Golduck have his fun.

A sphere of flickering blue formed between his webbed claws, growing until it was the size of a Water Pulse. Hydrus held the Focus Blast for a moment, relishing in his control, before firing it in a thrust of his hands.

The boulder shattered violently upon impact and sent pebbles and rocks flying in every direction. Hydrus quacked victoriously, uncaring as a few minuscule stones peppered his skin from the explosion that made Snorlax rumble in annoyance.

A second later, Hydrus squeezed his eyes shut and a malevolent miasma of black and purple flared to life around his tightened claws. This time, he didn't attack; his scarlet eyes grew curious as he raised the shadowy claw close, and even dared to touch his inert gem.

That action made him recoil in a mixture of shock and disgust, and the Shadow Claw dissipated. Hydrus' retch of surprise made Ash guffaw and he stumbled to the ground, quacking with anger as his gem shone wildly.

"Now you know better than to do that," Ash said sagely, smirking at his friend's annoyance. Hydrus ignored him. He didn't meet anyone's eye as he got back in line - he was too embarrassed by what had just happened.

There was no attempt at Rain Dance - while it wasn't a simple technique by any means, he'd much rather prefer to have it done indoors.

Ash looked to Kratos, who had been looking at the proceedings silently. "Your turn, Kratos. Brick Break!"

The Scyther grunted a confirmation and blazed forward. Ash could see swirling orange encompassed his scythes before they were brought down onto the stony spire with blinding speed, pulverising it instantly. Kratos winced as rubble pounded his thick carapace, but he was more pleased with his result to care about the mild annoyance.

He stepped out of the pile of pebbles as he examined his scythes in awe. The power behind Brick Break would allow him to gain near even footing against those dreaded rock-types. Normally his scythes would do close to nothing, but the sheer strength and focus behind Brick Break would be enough to hurt even the most armoured creatures.

Kratos' use of Brick Break was nowhere near as good as Monferno's, but Ash figured comparing the two was unfair - harnessing fighting energy was as easy as breathing for fighting-types. However, Ash couldn't help but be impressed. "That was great, Kratos."

The Scyther grinned, baring small fangs as he returned to the ground, although he made sure to sneer as he flew past Hydrus. An angry quack bubbled in the Golduck's throat, but Ash stopped him with a glare before it could devolve into anything worse.

Hydrus' temper was untreatable. He'd mellowed since the meeting with Luna, but he still seemed to carry a fair bit of resentment towards Kratos, who returned it in kind, not out of hate but necessity. He wasn't exactly going to take any of Hydrus' taunts lightly.

Ash hoped his team would grow to be as close as he was with each of them, but that wish was slowly vanishing. He dreamed that they could be polite, at the very least.

He returned to the matter at hand. "Screecher, let's see Thunder Wave!" Ash laughed as she sidled up to him and nuzzled for a few seconds, trilling in that melodious voice of hers before taking the stage. Her gait was almost lazy as she carried out the paralyzing blow.

A thin lance of lightning plowed into the ground and crackled before fizzing into nothingness. Ash wasn't expecting anything more; it would do no real damage other than harass opponents, and that's what Screecher loved to do.

She was absolutely delighted by the result and cooed over the burnt blades of glass, before slipping back into Ash's shadow. He had no idea why she liked spending all her time in his shade, but it didn't really bother him. She'd grown particularly lazy after her evolution, so it wasn't really a surprise.

"Snorlax, you're up. Let's try out Ice Beam and Flamethrower."

A grunt acknowledged his words as Snorlax rose to his feet, rolling his shoulders as he blearily focused onto the remaining few rocks. He tensed, grinning as the temperature around him dropped several degrees and pale, thin mist hissed around him.

A roar echoed as a crack of frost and ice split the sky. A jagged bolt of icy blue arced forward and slammed into the rock with a smattering thud, encasing it in a shell of clear ice. Snorlax bellowed victoriously into the sky, firing another Ice Beam in happiness and engulfing the boulder in another round of frost.

Ash actually had to stop Snorlax from blasting the targets with any more ice. Snorlax seemed disgruntled, but he shrugged it off and leered at the targets again.

Snorlax rumbled, opening his fanged mouth. A stream of fire consumed the air, nowhere near as steady as Monferno's, but equally impressive. It roared forwards and swallowed the rock whole, leaving burning grass, melting ice and glowing stone.

Ash motioned for Hydrus to put the fire out. A weak Hydro Pump drown the patch of fiery grass and put it out before it could spread any further, leaving only wet earth and soggy ashes.

"Alright! That was brilliant," Ash praised, smiling as his friends returned with happy growls and squawks and quacks. Screecher emerged from his shadow, sensing the beginning of their training. "Okay, let's get started. We've got a long day ahead of us, and we'll be challenging the Celadon Gym the day after."

Hydrus, Delphi and Monferno blinked with recognition. He remembered his battle with Erika as clear as ever, although he bristled at the memories of the raid that followed. "Saur, I want you to work on Earth Power. Don't keep destroying everything - keep it all contained, alright?"

Saur growled in understanding, closing his eyes as Ash petted him. He continued.

"Kratos, Monferno - pair up. Same exercises as before, but practise your new moves this time." He made sure to warn Monferno from working on Bulk Up - persistent surges of hormones and adrenaline could result in damaged blood vessels and elevated blood pressure, to name a few.

"Delphi, keep practising Sky Attack," he said, receiving a short nod before the Xatu flew over to a secluded spot of the field. "Snorlax, Hydrus - target practise, but don't go blowing up each other."

Hydrus quacked as if offended and turned to glare at his training partner, but Snorlax simply ignored him. Ash was rather pleased as Snorlax acknowledged him with not a single trace of animosity as he lumbered off with Hydrus, who pretended to disregard the behemoth's existence.

Screecher, Eevee, Zeus…You'll be with me." Screecher emerged from his shadow with a trill of dismay, as if annoyed at the prospect of training. Ash sighed.

He needed to keep a close eye on those three. Screecher was proficient in her use of Will-o-Wisp, but they needed to take it to the next level - that's where Mystical Fire came in. So far, Screecher relied too much on harassing and wearing down her opponents with an arsenal of moves dedicated to her style of fighting - she was very good at it, but he wanted to widen her range.

Eevee wasn't ready to battle yet. She was strong, but she was nowhere near as powerful the rest of his team. Besides, he didn't really know how to train her until she chose to evolve - into what, Ash had no idea since it would be her choice. Perhaps he could ask Red for help…?

Zeus needed the most of his attention. Surge had laid the foundations for a myriad of techniques that the Ampharos only had a grasp on, and now they had to work on mastering them. It would be quite some time before Zeus could truly live up to his name.

They found a large enough area - not too far away from the rest of the team as they trained - and stopped at the massive tree he had set his sights on. Screecher instantly flew to bask under the shade and trilled with delight, blending into the darkness. Eevee had decided to stick by Ash's side.

He stopped once Zeus had caught up and asked them to sit as he did so. Zeus brought himself to the ground, taking a moment to stretch his limbs, while Screecher stuck to her downpour of shade, although her amber eyes watched with undivided attention. Eevee, however, chose to curl up in Ash's lap - which he didn't mind, from the way he was scratching behind her ears with a smile.

"We're going to work on you three a lot from now on," he began, now stroking Eevee's fur. She cooed softly, eyes closed, but her ears were upright as she listened with devotion. "Screecher, you're going to be our ace against Sabrina. You're already pretty good at keeping Spectral Zone, but we're going to begin working on a some new moves for you. Magical Leaf, Mystical Fire - something outside of your typing. Not to mention Phantom Force…" His brow furrowed. "We'll work on that later, though."

Screecher became more visible under the tree's shadow, eyes twinkling at his words. She didn't outwardly react beyond that, but Ash knew he'd caught her interest with the prospect of learning new techniques.

"Eevee, we'll begin training seriously from today." The cub whined, but his continued pets relaxed her soon enough. "When you're strong enough, you'll be ready to evolve. How does that sound?"

Her head snapped up at those words. She rolled around in his lap and looked up with excitement. Ash laughed.

Then he looked at Zeus. "You're going to need to most work, buddy," he admitted. Zeus did a double-take and blinked, offended at his trainer's statement. "You've got your work cut out for you - it's going to be really difficult trying to juggle Magnet Rise, Signal Beam, Light Screen and Dragon Pulse. You'll have to work much harder than the rest of them, bud."

Not to mention that the idea of mega evolution was going to simply pile up. Ash had no idea what the scale was for measuring his bond with the Ampharos, but he figured his best bet right now was to simply be around Zeus as much as possible.

Zeus scowled, annoyed at the criticism, but he didn't act out on it. He looked eager to begin, however, and his tail orb was already pulsing a bright red. Eevee glanced at it idly before returning to bask under Ash's pets.

"Okay, then!" Ash rubbed his palms together as he grinned. "Let's get started."

XxXxX

When Ash was done observing Eevee dance around Screecher's Thunder Waves with Detect, he padded back over to Zeus, dodging a frozen patch of grass from a stray Icy Wind. He found a wide enough spot for Zeus to comfortably train without any disturbance and placed his bag down against a flat rock as he sat on it.

"Okay." Ash took a deep breath. "Let's start with Light Screen."

Zeus stepped back, closing his eyes in focus.

For a moment, there was nothing as he thrust his hands out. Then a wall of translucent yellow shimmered to life around him, large enough to protect his entire body. it thrummed with energy, but Ash noticed that it was a bit too thin, and would only withstand so much before shattering into nothing. He let Zeus maintain the fortified barrier of energy for a few more moments, until he was finally exhausted and it vanished with a whoosh.

"Alright, that's good," he commented, "but we'll have to work on that some more. You'll need to be able to keep it up subconsciously, and long enough until your opponents destroy it."

Zeus nodded. He looked down, a bit disappointed with the result, but cheered up as Ash smiled at him encouragingly.

"Let's see…Try Signal Beam."

A beam of sickly pink exploded from his forehead without missing a beat. Grass hissed as the energy ray grazed tantalizingly close, splashing fiercely against the stump of a chopped tree.

"Great job!" Zeus puffed up at Ash's smile, swinging his tail from side to side in excitement.

They glossed over Dragon Pulse which, despite help from Surge's Eelektross, was still too difficult for him to maintain. He was progressing, but ever so slowly. It was quite frustrating; it wasn't supposed to be this hard!

A muted yelp from away made Ash glance at his right in worry. He blinked when he saw Eevee wincing in pain with every step she took as Screecher's necklace of gems ceased to flicker with electricity. It seemed that Screecher had managed to sneak a Thunder Wave through Eevee's impressive show of Detect.

Ash sat back down on the drab stone, turning his hat around to get a better look at Zeus' next, and last technique. "Magnet Rise."

Yellow flickered around Zeus, arcs of thin electricity crackling to life around him. The gemstones on his forehead and tail pulsed in sync as the Ampharos generated an electromagnetic field within a second.

Electricity splayed from around him and threaded to the ground like spiderwebs as he was suddenly propelled a few feet into the air. Trails of blue, barely discernible, phased in and out of existence with every movement of the Ampharos. Zeus wavered, a bit off balance, and spread his arms out to regain control of his levitation as more electricity poured out of him until he was floating in the air with no visible effort.

Zeus bleated, his tail swinging as he willed the electromagnetic field to float him around Ash in circles. Ash laughed, silently marveling the technique at display.

It was only when Zeus finally let up that Ash noticed the small ring of pebble and stones levitating around him in streams, although he barely had a second to observe before they fell to the ground with the disappearance of the magnetic field. Ash blinked, inspiration striking him. The gears in his head were slowly turning, but he had to make sure.

"Hey, Zeus?" The Ampharos glanced up at his trainer, cocking his head in confusion at the slow grin on his face. "Can you use Magnet Rise again? Don't move this time, though."

Zeus blinked but nodded. His ears twitched, curious at Ash's thoughts, and complied instantly. Another electromagnetic field hissed to life, saturating the ground under him with electricity as he launched himself off the ground once again.

The rocks around him rose shakily this time as well, and the gears in his head began to pick momentum. "Can you try to move those rocks with your electromagnetic field?"

Zeus grunted and instantly coiled lances of blue around the tiny rocks afloat around him. He focused, forehead gem glowing brightly as he willed the chosen rock higher and higher until it was right between his eyes, although he destroyed it a moment later with a casual Power Gem that made Ash flinch.

A wild grin slowly formed across Ash's face as an idea flared to life within his mind. "Alright, Zeus. I know what we're going to work today."

XxXxX

The Celadon Gym was a breath of fresh air - quite literally. Ash remembered how cloyingly sweet it had been the last time, enough to make him sick; maybe Erika had finally taken up the advice of the hundred complaining trainers and shifted her army of Gloom elsewhere.

Still, he and Misty stepped through the jade glass doors and entered the makeshift greenhouse. It looked like Celadon had renovated. Under his feet, on either side of the stone pathway, were carpets of perfectly trimmed grass, every blade as even as they could be. The front desk was a bit further ahead, but Ash marvelled at the row of small trees sporting berries he'd never laid his eyes on before approaching the bored receptionist.

He took one last massive gulp of the painfully fresh air before meeting the receptionist's lazy grin with a hesitant smile. "Hi," he said, clearing his throat. "I'm here for a gym battle."

The receptionist - Cherie, he gleaned from her name tag - leaned away, twirling a lock of brown hair between thin fingers. "Name?" she asked, her voice surprisingly raspy.

"Ash Ketchum," he said, humming a tune as she tapped away on the computer.

The receptionist yawned. "Go right ahead," she told him, pointing down the hallway. "It's been a slow day, so you'll have to wake Leader Verdant when you reach the battlefield."

He nodded, heading straight for the roomy hallway. It was now that the sugary scent was getting a fair bit stronger, pushing away the lemony aroma that had claimed the gym's lobby. Misty had a few comments to share, but their walk to the stadium was otherwise silent. They didn't really have much to talk about.

They soon found the door to the battlefield - a rectangle of grass and shrubs in the centre of a fairly large stadium. On the far side of the arena, nestled against a short tree, rested the gym leader he was looking for.

Erika was dressed in her usual garb - golden kimono tied off expertly with a wide red ribbon, and a crimson band around her forehead. A gaggle of grass-types surrounded her - a Tangela, Sunflora, and Skiploom, to name a few - but what captivated Ash the most was a massive goat lurking in the shadows behind the tree.

The Tangela tittered and prodded a sleepy Erika with one of its many vines. Erika flinched, eyes fluttering open as she looked about in panic, but calmed when the Tangela gestured gently towards Ash and Misty.

A dreamy smile fluttered across Erika's face, half-lidded eyes twinkling wildly as she slowly rose up with Tangela's help. "Ash, Misty!" Erika exclaimed, her voice a stage whisper as she rushed up to them with the crowd of grass-types following her. The large goat remained silent behind the tree, scarlet eyes glaring at Ash cautiously. "You're in Celadon!"

Ash grinned, but balked when she pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. It reminded him too much of his mother's embraces, and he had to actually squirm his way out until Erika let up before she attacked Misty, who seemed to enjoy the hug. Ash blinked.

"It's so good to see you two!" remarked Erika, beaming. "How long has it been? Weeks? Months?"

"A few," Ash said, smirking. Erika laughed.

"So, what're you two here for?"

"Ash came here for a battle," Misty told her, rolling her eyes. "But I'm here to see you!"

"How sweet." Erika snorted. She let the Skiploom fly onto her shoulder, buckling slightly. "Is that all you came here for, Ash? Not even a 'how are you', huh?"

Ash scoffed. "Whatever," he murmured. "Can we quit stalling, or are you too scared to fight me?"

"Oooh, little Ashy's grown some fangs," she mocked, though not unkindly. "Fine. We can chat in a while, after I'm done pounding you into fertiliser for my gardens."

Ash snorted at the steel in her voice, and allowed Erika to lead him to the battlefield. The Tangela bobbed cheerfully, wrapping a gentle vine around Erika's dainty hand as they walked over to their side of the arena. Misty was happy enough to have the Sunflora accompany her to the stands, where they sat and watched the proceedings with growing interest.

Protective barriers shimmered to existence as Ash and Erika took to their trainer boxes, flickering briefly before shifting invisible. "How do you want to play this?" Erika asked, brandishing a pokéball. "Two pokémon, or three?"

"A three on three," Ash replied, as he unfastened a pokéball of his own. He was itching for a real fight, and he wanted as many of his friends to get a chance at battling.

Erika nodded, maximising the pokéball. Her face of soothing joy transformed into something more menacing, a challenge roaring to life in her green eyes. "Get ready, Ash!" she boomed, winding her arm as she prepared to toss. "Exeggutor, come on-"

A deep baa interrupted her, and the large goat hiding behind the tree galloped out and turned to glare at Ash. Now that it was out in the open, he got a better look - shaggy brown fur and a mane of leafy green hung from the creature. Its red eyes leered at Ash, imperious. The pair of horns, blacker than night, curved to its back. It smirked at Ash and stomped at the ground.

It was stiff and haughty as it observed Ash, movements lazy and uncaring. Erika groaned at its appearance, and pocketed the enlarged pokéball. She seemed exasperated, but not at all surprised, as if this had occurred one too many times. "Do you always have to do this?"

The creature ignored her. It continued its unwavering gaze until it unnerved Ash enough for him to look away. Instead, he chose to focus on Erika. "What's that?" he asked, pointing dumbly at the goat.

"That's Gogoat." It baaed at its name, pawing the grass once more. "A pure grass-type from Kalos. She'll make a worthy adversary in this battle!"

Gogoat smirked at Ash, raising her head higher; the mane of leaf and grass seemed to flutter under the sunlight.

"We haven't got all day!" Erika yelled, impatient.

Ash nodded. Twirling the pokéball in his hand, he tapped the release. White light flooded his vision for a second before shifting into the sleepy form of Snorlax. An encouraging shout from Ash roused him up, rumbling eagerly as he rolled to his feet.

Gogoat pedalled back at the sight of him, but never lost her arrogant sneer, even as Snorlax growled menacingly. Erika narrowed her eyes, a frown creasing her forehead, but schooled her emotions into a mask of cool. "He's big, but no matter! Gogoat and I will show you the true strength of Celadon!"

Ash snorted at her cackle. She had the tendency to be quite dramatic during battle, and at times it was certainly amusing. "We'll see," he retorted simply, crossing his arms as his pulse began to race. "First move's yours."

Erika nodded. She brandished a finger at Snorlax, the Skiploom on her shoulder jumping as it was startled. "Seed Bomb, Gogoat!"

"Flamethrower," Ash muttered, frowning as Gogoat spat a barrage of massive seeds in a menacing roar.

Bright fire weaved across the field with a crackle. The stream of orange swallowed the battery of glowing seeds, triggering an explosion that consumed the center of the field in a cloud of smoke. Seconds later, a volley of curved leaves, as sharp as Kratos' scythes, slipped through the cloudy veil.

Snorlax grunted and braced himself as the Razor Leaf cut into him, too fast for him to leap around. A few were left lodged between his thick fur, which he brushed off with a wince. A baa from the other side of the field drew his attention, and he focused on the battle-

Gogoat shot through the dissipating smoke, a brown blur streaking towards Snorlax. With a sharp bellow she slammed head-first, curved horns buffeting Snorlax several feet away. Ash scowled as Snorlax fell on his back, shaking his head in surprise as Gogoat raced back to Erika's side of the field, smirking.

"Aerial Ace, again!" Erika screamed. Ash frowned - so that's how it had achieved such blinding speed.

"Defense Curl!" Ash retorted. There was no way Snorlax would be able to get out of the way - the best option was to blunt the blow however little they could.

Snorlax reacted faster that Ash would've expected, tightening up as a silvery aura wreathed him just when Gogoat collided. Snorlax skidded, clawed feet digging into the ground as he slowed to a halt, and lashed out with a Fire Punch as he uncurled not a moment later.

Gogoat yelped, rearing back as burning embers barely brushed past her face. Another Fire Punch flew out, forcing Gogoat to backpedal even further as Snorlax quickly jumped up to his feet, flames rippling to life in his maw.

"Bulldoze, trip it up!" Erika shouted, green eyes frantic at the bubbling Flamethrower. Any fire attack at such close range would wreck the grass-type, no matter how powerful it was.

Gogoat baaed. Orange hooves impacted the ground, triggering a bulldozing swell as powerful as Atlas' ground waves. It slammed into Snorlax's feet, propelling him forward. He faltered and stumbled to the ground, the growing Flamethrower sputtering out as he fell.

"Bounce!" Erika cried, a massive grin spreading across her face.

Gogoat leapt.

One moment she was on the ground; the next, she had launched herself nearly twenty feet into the sky with a push from her powerful legs. A trail of silvery streaks coiled around Gogoat as she pierced downwards like an asteroid hell-bent on crushing Snorlax under her hooves. It was only Ash's yell that warned Snorlax of the impending attack, and he rolled away just in time to evade Gogoat's weight by mere inches.

The force behind the blow was enough to leave deep furrows in the ground. Gogoat rumbled in disgruntlement, but had no time to continue voicing its annoyance. Snorlax rose, eyes narrowed and fist clenched as he rushed at Gogoat with fists of cold.

The first missed by a mile, but the second Ice Punch slammed into the side of Gogoat's face, knocking her to the right. Frost and cold exploded in a soft burst from the impact as she was sent skidding on her side. A ray of icy energy exploded from within Snorlax's jaws, trapping Gogoat's flank in a thick shell of craggy ice.

"Good!" Ash pumped a fist. "Now, Body Slam!"

Snorlax nodded. He launched himself into the sky, grinning down as his massive shadow swallowed Gogoat entirely. He roared, flattening his foe with an impact that made the ground shake, muffling his enemy's pained shriek as she was crushed under his weight. A heartbeat later, Snorlax rose from his prone position, smiling with calm confidence.

But Gogoat wasn't down for the count. She twisted and pushed herself up, bruises and welts making themselves known through thick brown fur. One leg wavered as she stood, but hid any sign of weakness with a tremendous roar.

"Rock Slide," Erika muttered tersely, eyes narrowed. She sounded more serious now. "Bulk Up and keep moving. Don't let it get close!"

Orbs of burning white grew rose to the sky in a deafening baa. With the sound of crunching rocks they shifted into jagged rocks of drab slate, suffused in blue auras. Ash eyed them dangerously as they hovered, motionless like chandeliers. "Destroy them with Hammer Arm!" he yelled.

Gogoat shook the ground with a stomp and let the rocks rain down, thin crimson enveloping her as she forced the flood gates of power-boosting hormones to open. Snorlax roared, dancing around, and swung his glowing arms as one rock came too close. It shattered into a thousand shards that flew outwards like a supernova.

Snorlax sprinted, destroying yet another boulder that dared to pin him to the ground. It crumbled under the force of his might, dull slate peppering the earth in seconds. Gogoat baaed and crouched, ready to spring as a blade of thrumming green sprouted from her head, right between her horns.

Snorlax was undeterred as Gogoat charged him with a Leaf Blade. Icy energy swirled to life in his open mouth, hissing and producing mist as it collected into a cyan sphere. It exploded outwards in jagged bolts of cold, but Gogoat was fast. She evaded the Ice Beams and sprinted for Snorlax, lowering her head to aim the Leaf Blade right at his chest. Snorlax snarled. Cut off the Ice Beam, bracing himself as Gogoat approached.

Flames burst from his maw and the point-blank Flamethrower consumed Gogoat entirely, but she screamed through the burns and stabbed at Snorlax with her Leaf Blade. He roared, the fire shutting off as pain thundered from the cut in his belly. His fat had blunted most of the damage, but the faintest hints of blood told Ash it hurt more than he'd expected.

A Thunder Punch swung out on reflex and Gogoat caught it with her horns, the lightning wreathed fist lodging between the curved spikes. There was a struggle as Snorlax pulled and Gogoat twisted, until fire burned around his claws and forced Gogoat to pull away with a startle.

Another stream of flames leapt from Snorlax. Fire seared Gogoat's mane, a shriek making her agony pronounced. A feeble wave of dirt rolled out from a reflexive stomp, but strong enough to trip Snorlax once more.

Erika whistled for Gogoat to return to her side. With a burst of energy it did, nipping at the burnt leaves on its mane at it leveled a glare at Snorlax. The two trainers stared each other down, their pokémon silent and ready to move at the slightest of commands.

"You're good." Erika brushed a few strands of hair from her face. "But not good enough. Razor Leaf!" she yelled at Gogoat, fist clenched.

Gogoat swung her head, releasing a flurry of grassy scythes from her thick mane of leaves at the space Snorlax had occupied. Snorlax leapt, evading the first wave of leaves, and charred the next with a well-timed Flamethrower that reduced them to thin ash. His right fist coiled icy energy around it, the other wreathed in blazing fire. They hissed in tandem as he approached, arms wound back as he prepared to strike Gogoat at a moments notice.

Snorlax's Ice and Fire Punches cleaved through nothing as Gogoat jumped into the sky. He rumbled, turning his head up just to see Gogoat lunge down with the speed of a rocket and leapt away, landing in a roll. An earthy glow cocooned around him as he continued into a Rollout, slowly picking momentum as he arced around the corners of the battlefield and rolled straight for Gogoat in a blur.

"Earthquake!" screamed Erika, and the earth heaved, shockwaves rippled out and cracks slithered from Gogoat's powerful stomps, disrupting Snorlax's Rollout and knocking him into the sky.

Ash winced as Snorlax hit the ground, hard enough to leave a furrow. His heart palpitated as Snorlax groaned, but sighed when his friend rose up, angrier than ever. Claws stretched outwards and he heaved with every furious breath he took.

"Snorlax, we've got this," Ash murmured, calming down ever so slightly with his words. Snorlax glanced back, grunting as his trainer nodded at him. "Go for a Mega Punch!"

"Continuous Bulldozes, Gogoat!"

Thick wedges of earth rippled out with each of Gogoat's stomps, as fast as a Gyarados in the waters. Snorlax was faster - he took massive jumped with each continued step, successfully leaping over every Bulldoze that tried to reach for his ankles. White light, as bright as a miniature sun, thrummed in his closed fists as he came closer. Gogoat snarled.

Erika frowned. "Leech Seed!"

A battery of brown seeds rocketed out with a deep baa. Snorlax grumbled, his right hand switching to a Fire Punch as he batted a fleet of them away, but one managed to lodge deep into his fur. A wince flickered across his face as she Leech Seed sprouted and dug its roots into his flesh, and he almost tripped over a sudden Bulldoze that Gogoat kicked up.

Gogoat leapt away as Snorlax punched. His meaty fist pumped through thin air, but he swung outwards and managed to strike Gogoat in the back of her head. Fur burned as the Fire Punch made contact, bright embers searing through a mess of brown.

That solitary second of Gogoat's surprise was all that Snorlax needed. He roared, arms glowing with brilliant white, and slammed them madly straight into Gogoat's hindquarters, her hind legs crumpling under the force as she fell to the ground. Another Hammer Arm. And another, and another.

Gogoat roared, legs flailing wildly as she tried to scurry away, but it was in vain. Snorlax attacked like it was one of Monferno's Stone Edges that he had to pulverise, bellowing with each consecutive strike. Gogoat was at his mercy, but he was not forgiving.

Electricity crackled to life in a feeble attempt to fend off Snorlax; it made him jump as he struck once more, flinching and faltering. Gogoat rose upwards, on her last legs and baaed proudly as Erika screamed desperately. "Horn Leech!"

Sparkling green coated Gogoat's curved horns, a brilliant glow under Snorlax's shadow as she jabbed them up at her enemy, sinking through thick fur and making Snorlax roar in pain. Her horns thrummed, whirring oddly and glowing even brighter as Snorlax's strength was slowly sapped away. Blood trickled down Gogoat's horns.

Snorlax slammed a Fire Punch in Gogoat's underside. Her eyes bugged out, a feeble baa being choked out as he crushed an Ice Punch into the goat's throat. Gogoat crumpled.

Snorlax roared as Gogoat disappeared in a beam of red light a heartbeat later. Erika was scowling, but he noticed a hint of pride in her eyes from across the battlefield. "He's a bit brutish, isn't he?" She sniffed, her face scrunched like she'd bit into a wedge of lemon.

Ash grinned. "Yeah, but he get's the job done," he retorted. Snorlax bellowed in agreement, brushing at the cuts in his belly with overzealous annoyance.

"I can tell," Erika said wryly. Gogoat's ultra-ball was switched for a blue capture device - a great-ball, worn all over with countless scratches. "Let's see if you can prevail against this one! Breloom, come on out!"

The pokémon that coalesced on the field bounced on its clawed feet, bearing the appearance of an overgrown mushroom. It was rather short - a little over four feet tall - mostly green, but its tail and head and neck were a dull beige. Red knobs protruded from the rim of its mushroom-like cap, ready to spray spores from the holes in them.

It bounced on the balls of its feet, large red claws stretching forth as it struck out. A cluster of green seeds circled the end of its tail, heavy with toxic spores. The frills on its neck fluttered with each movement.

Ash briefly remembered Natalie's Shroomish - so this was what it would evolve into. He wondered how she was doing - even Jack. They hadn't crossed his mind in months, now that he thought about it. A mental note to call them later stowed itself in the back of his mind as he returned to the field once more. There were important things at hand.

He eyed the eager Breloom warily. "Let's do this, Snorlax!" he called out. Snorlax grunted a confirmation, arms flexing as he prepared himself for the next fight. "Keep it at a distance - you know the drill."

"Let's get this over with!" Erika said. "Mach Punch!"

It blazed forth with unprecedented speed, leaving a trail of white in its wake as it weaved around Snorlax's Flamethrower and slammed its red claws into the normal-type's feet; he skidded back and began to breathe dirt. He pushed himself up, grumbling in anger as Breloom bounced a few feet away, chirping. "Drain Punch, Breloom!"

Breloom sprung, knocking Snorlax to the ground once again as its glowing claws pressed into his neck. He thrashed for escape, but Breloom's grip was surprisingly firm, pushing Snorlax even further into the ground.

Ash felt his teeth grind as he watched Snorlax flail angrily, desperately trying to rise again and again despite Breloom's pressing force keeping him down. At this rate, Erika's Breloom would drain whatever reserves of energy he still possessed.

"Flamethrower!" His voice was a scream, frantic and enraged. "Burn the ground, burn it!"

Flames exploded point-blank into the field, charring grass and earth as fire spilled outwards and razed everything under Snorlax. Breloom balked, the growing heat making the air around distort. Snorlax's fur and flesh burned from the fire, but he kept it going until it was enough to make Breloom finally let go.

The flames cut off and he rolled away, breathing heavily as he collected himself. The front of his body was singed and soot hung heavy, but Snorlax was simply happy that he'd got his enemy off him. Even though there was no longer an immense force draining his energy, the Leech Seed lodged someone on his belly continued to sap away with no mercy.

Ash exhaled. "Ice Beam," he said calmly. "Freeze it solid."

He received no acknowledgement of his words other that a freezing ray of jagged ice. It arced over to Breloom, who leapt nearly ten feet away. Snorlax kept his pursuit. Blue rays of icy energy forked through the air and converged on Breloom as it leapt at Snorlax with another Drain Punch. Ice exploded as it impacted, beautiful and deadly shards of frost encasing Breloom in a thick armor over its chest.

High-pitched shrieks, muffled but loud, rang through the stadium as Breloom rolled through the dirt. Red claws punched into the icy shell on its front, shattering it into a million tiny crystals as it rose, shivering but steadfast. Snorlax met its beady eyes with a glare, raising his head despite the pain.

Breloom punched its red claws, hopping from side to side as it awaited an order. "Mach Punch!" Erika said.

Ash tensed. "Get on the defensive," he muttered, eliciting a growl. "Beat it with Hammer Arm."

The wind whistled as Breloom moved. It weaved around Flamethrowers that carved into the arena and stabbed at Snorlax. He twisted from the Mach Punch, bending backwards, but a second Mach Punch sank into his calf. Snorlax howled in agony, crumpling to one knee, and blocked a third Mach Punch with a Hammer Arm; a shockwave exploded as they collided, both pokémon straining as the fought for dominance.

Breloom regrouped, using Snorlax's raised arm as a launchpad as it back-flipped away from his reach. Snorlax roared, the burning glow of blinding white fading from his arms as his lips curled up in a snarl. Breloom hopped on the balls of its feet, eyes narrowed as it waited to strike.

A manic gleam and a wild grin rose to Erika's face. "Haze, Force Palm!"

A cluster of explosive seeds shot out from the red protrusions on its protective cap; they detonated with a rush, not at Snorlax, but instead halfway and erupted in smoke, cloaking Breloom from view. Snorlax was silent as he waited for his foe to appear, eyeing the dark haze. Then-

A dozen Breloom lunged from the haze, fists reared and glowing as they echoed battle-cries. Dazzling bolts of ice rushed from Snorlax, destroying a multitude of clones in a swathe of hissing cold. Three Breloom remained; two converged from Snorlax's either side, while the third rushed directly in the middle.

"Flamethrower, Hammer Arm when it comes close!" Ash ordered. A river of red rushed out in a sweeping motion, pulverising the remaining two Breloom clones. The real one scowled, jumping over a second Flamethrower, hissing as embers clipped its shoulder.

Breloom zigzagged. Snorlax turned, snarling as he charged his arms with energy, and swung his arms down at the space Breloom had occupied mere seconds ago. Earth crumbled and rubble parted as his arms struck the ground, missing Breloom by mere inches as it skidded to a halt.

Erika was grinning as her Breloom reacted quickly - it used Snorlax's arms as a platform, scurrying faster than he could register before leaping over him as he clawed to frantically grab it. It somersaulted, twisting in midair with inhuman agility and screamed, a sphere of golden light humming to life in its open palm. Energy flickered as it thrust its claws hands directly into the back of Snorlax's head.

Brilliant yellow exploded in a blinding flare; Ash raised his arms over his face as he briefly saw Snorlax blasted by the resulting bang of energy, and heard a roar of pain. As he blinked the spots out of his eyes, he saw Snorlax lying face-first in the ground, groaning as his shaky arms slowly pushed himself up.

Snorlax swung to the side as he stood up. He pulled up his arms, taunting Breloom with a tired growl. Breloom smirked, bringing its claws up in a boxing stance as it continued to bounce.

"Hyper Beam!" Ash called out, desperate for a sacrificial blow. With the leech seed still sapping away at his energy, and Breloom's superior footwork, he would fall very soon.

Bright gold collected in his open maw, fusing into a single spectacular sphere. Erika frowned, eyeing it with worry as it grew to massive proportions - large enough to obliterate anything in its path. If it wouldn't take Breloom down, it would cause some serious damage. "All-Out Assault!" she yelled.

A red aura, that of a Superpower, sparkled around Breloom as it lunged. White-blue tipped its claws as it rushed, leaping away from the focused beam of raw energy even as Snorlax swept his head to follow it. It winced as the Hyper Beam grazed its soft tail, but continued its charge nevertheless.

Breloom dropped to its feet and kicked at Snorlax's ankles; the massive normal-type tripped, toppling over as he grunted, only to be met with a uppercut to the face as he fell. He slammed into the ground with a clanging thud, motionless and heaving slowly as he finally collapsed.

Ash returned Snorlax, face marred by a scowl. Breloom's persisting cheeriness infuriated him as he switched for a second pokéball, muttering a thanks to Snorlax before he did so. His grip tightened. Tapped the release, watching the energy released coalesce into Monferno.

Monferno yipped, grinning back at Ash before he turned to growl at Breloom. The grass-type didn't stop bouncing, but he saw its eyes harden as it bumped its claws together again. Wind whistled as it punched the air, fierce and fast.

A ghost of a smirk formed on Ash's face amidst his calm confidence. Breloom was fast, he'd give it that - and he had to begrudgingly admit that it packed a punch - but Monferno was faster, stronger. Better. He was the stronger fighting-type.

"Let's win this, buddy!" He pumped a fist, cracking a grin as Monferno pounded his chest, everstone swinging wildly.

Erika frowned. "A fire-type - how predictable," she drawled. "Breloom, Leech Seed!"

"Burn them!" He grinned in the bright crackle of fire, admiring the way Monferno expertly reduced the parasitic seeds to mere cinders. Erika seemed disappointed, but not surprised.

Her nose wrinkled in distaste, the gym leader frowning deeper. "Knock it down, dear Breloom. Force Palm."

"Stone Edge."

A valley of sharp stones punched out from the ground, destroying the field. Breloom scowled, leaping from side to side as its run was forcefully directed by continuous rock blades that threatened to score a hit. Silver wreathed its tail, casually smashing a Stone Edge that came too close for its liking - Iron Tail.

"Fire Spin," Ash muttered, forehead creasing as Breloom Iron Tailed its way out of Monferno's directed path. Monferno was fast, but Breloom was no slouch. His best bet would be trapping it long enough for Monferno to lunge in for the kill.

Fire spiralled from Monferno in a single breath. It converged right as Breloom landed, a trail of orange flames quickly encircling the grass-type. A fiery vortex swirled, a prison of fire licking and hissing and flitting at Breloom as it twitched to get away from the heat as far as possible.

"Blow them out!" Erika cried, chewing her lip nervously. "Force Palm!"

A shockwave of energy rippled outwards as Breloom thrust a palm, but the fire rose as quick as it was blown out, this time taller and more menacing. Smoke and heat trapped Breloom in a quickly heating oven, its frantic cries drowned out by the menacing cackle of the flames.

"Yes!" Ash pumped a fist. There was no way Breloom could escape this; the failure of Force Palm was a testament to this. As long as the Fire Spin howled, Breloom would be a sitting duck.

Monferno screamed, pounding his chest again. His grin was savage, black eyes glimmering with a fire that burned brighter than the flame on his tail.

"Bulk Up, and Flame Wheel!" Ash called.

Monferno tensed, channelling a rush of adrenaline in his veins. Muscles thickened and hardened, and his body thrummed with newfound strength. He roared, tail thrashing, and leapt into a roll, wreathing himself in flames. Breloom could do nothing but brace itself as Monferno slammed into it, spinning flames burning through its skin. It crumpled and skidded away from the force, rolling in the dirt in a dusty heap.

The Fire Spin dissipated with no prisoner to torment as Monferno stopped his roll and landed nimbly on his feet, the cloak of fire vanishing. Burns scored Breloom's body, but it levelled itself with its clawed feet, a fresh scowl on its face. It raised its claws to its face just as Monferno did the same, only with fiery fists.

"Flame Charge!" Ash yelled, just as Erika cried, "Force Palm!"

They charged each other with guttural screams, one cloaked in fire while the other focused golden light in its claws. The burst of speed Flame Charge provided let Monferno close in sooner than Erika expected; with a push of his powerful legs, Monferno rocketed forth like a missile ready to crash into Breloom with explosive flames-

"Force Palm the field!" Erika snapped.

Breloom aimed the Force Palm at the ground, focused jewel of energy exploding in a powerful shockwave. Monferno's ablaze form skidded to a halt as he rushed harmlessly through empty air - Breloom had turned Force Palm into a springboard that sent it hurtling int the air.

It twisted to remain upright as it soared and screamed as it focused a massive sphere of crackling blue before tossing it down at a confused Monferno. The Focus Blast was bigger than Hydrus' and much more potent - it exploded noisily as it struck Monferno with perfect aim. He hurtled, crashing into the ground in a pained yelp. Breloom landed on nimble feet and began to rush with a Force Palm as Monferno rolled to a halt.

"Stone Edge!" Ash yelled, heart racing. Monferno punched the ground even as he continued to roll, triggering a massive spire of sharp stone right in Breloom's way. A Force Palm obliterated easily, resulting shockwave sending chunks of rock flying in all directions as it charged Force Palm in both claws. A torrent of fire billowed from Monferno as he quickly jumped to his feet.

Breloom didn't dare come close to the Flamethrower, and let its Force Palms dissipate as it waited for an opening to strike. "Fire Spin!" Ash yelled; his pulse had slowed, but he was paranoid as he focused on every twitch Breloom made.

A trail of fire exploded in a spiral but Breloom had already leapt away. As it dissipated into fading embers, Breloom lunged, lightning crackling around one claw, and white swirls coiling around the other. Monferno met the Thunder Punch with his own; electricity burst as their fists clashed, incandescent sparks flying in their faces, but the Drain Punch struck him square in the gut.

Monferno screamed as Breloom absorbed his strength. Fire flared around him instinctively, and Breloom withdrew, grunting angrily. For a heartbeat they circled the field, before they resumed combat once more.

Mach Punches flew through the air, both pokémon ducking and twisting and backing away from each other as they struggled to score hits. A Thunder Punch rammed at Monferno, but he dropped to the ground; another came swinging down, aiming for the side of his head, but he blocked it with a raised arm and forced Breloom to back off as he stabbed at its feet with a Fire Punch.

They circled each other once again, waiting to strike crippling blows.

"Dynamic Punch, Breloom!"

Blinding orange swirled to life around Breloom's claws as it leapt, wisps of energy trailing behind as it moved.

"Stone Edge."

Monferno howled and stomped the earth. A massive blade of gray rock burst out, slamming directly into Breloom's side. It fell several feet away, losing its focus as it breathed soil.

Monferno's tail flared wildly as he leapt for the kill, twisting into a Flame Wheel as Breloom raised up a reflexive Force Palm. An explosion rocketed the field, bright gold fusing with fiery orange in a rippling shockwave; Monferno was sent hurtling away, while Breloom was driven further into its deepening furrow.

Erika grimaced. "Seed Bomb, Spore Cloud, Bullet Seed, Sky Uppercut, Drain Punch!" she yelled, breathless as she concluded the string on orders with a flourish of her hand.

Ash was actually surprised when Breloom carried them all out with no hesitation; he hadn't expected it to take in those long chains of commands so easily and execute them without uncertainty. He focused as a spray of spores clouded the explosive seeds that burst from Breloom's cap. "Flamethrower, keep moving with Flame Charge."

Fire made the spore cloud explode violently, along with the Seed Bombs. A spray of bullets peppered Monferno as he bounded away, but they were a mere annoyance as they ricocheted off his fiery veil. Breloom screamed, winding its fist back, but its uppercut passed through empty air as Monferno back-flipped with practised ease, his fiery cloak fading, but Breloom was nothing if not persistent.

Glowing claws pressed into his back the second Monferno's feet touched the field, knocking him down. Ash felt his teeth clench as Breloom kept its fist pressed even as Monferno summoned a shroud of fire around him, writhing to break free from Breloom's grasp; it disregarded its pain for its determination to win the fight.

Monferno's tail whipped and burned right in Breloom's face; it hissed, rearing back and finally letting go. A blade of stone jutted from the earth as Monferno stomped, striking full force into Breloom's underside. It was sent hurtling skywards.

"Fire Punch!" Ash said. His fingers trembled.

With a scream of primal rage, Monferno climbed up his Stone Edge and leapt. Fire danced around his fists as he leapt up, launching himself right above Breloom as it reached its peak. It was a beautiful sight; Breloom's frantic eyes dancing around in panic as it desperately collected golden flickers in its claws, even as Monferno smashed dual Fire Punches with every fibre of his soul.

A choking gasp escaped Breloom as it crashed violently into the stony blade below. There was the telltale sound of cracking bones, the grass-type lying limp as it slid off the rock. Ash winced. That had to hurt.

Monferno landed into a jarring crouch, the everstone on his chest rising and falling as he watched Erika recalled Breloom silently, shock painted over her face. He growled. A casual Brick Break destroyed his conjured boulder, kicking away a chunk of rock that had exploded at his feet.

"Monferno, you were awesome!" Ash sang, his grin matching Monferno's. Flames spewed out of his mouth in a display of his victory. He tossed his head at Erika, as if impatient at the lack of challengers. That broke her out of her stupor.

"You've progressed much more than I've expected," Erika allowed, a look of grudging respect on her face, "but I'm sorry - we're winning this! Magnus, take the stage!"

Blood drained from his face as the sight of a roaring Meganium flooded his vision. He'd seen it before, many times: recorded gym battles, the battle with Misty, and even the Rocket Raid told him the strength of Erika's Meganium. Magnus was part of Erika's League team - this would be one hell of a fight.

Magnus bellowed, his cracking roar menacing despite the cheery gleam in his eyes. Under the light and heat of the beaming sun his collar of petals expanded, as if given life as they twitched.

There was no doubt of Monferno losing this fight. He had the type advantage, sure, but he was too drained and tired to match Magnus' strength and endurance. It just wouldn't be enough.

Ash steeled himself, brushing the hair out of his face as he whistled at Monferno. "Give it everything you've got!" he told him.

Monferno nodded, pounding his chest at Magnus. The Meganium looked unimpressed - it snorted in disdain at Monferno's display, yellow antennae twitching.

"We'll give you the first move," Erika yelled out, calm confidence taking over. Magnus nodded, beaming at Ash as they waited for the fight to begin.

He didn't hesitate. "Keep it away with Stone Edge and Flamethrower. Counter Shield if it gets too close."

Monferno grunted. Rocks exploded from the ground as Magnus began his run, unnervingly nimble as he trotted away from Stone Edges with disgusting ease and used them as stepping stones to close into Monferno faster. Fire whistled through the air amidst the sprouting stones, but the Meganium circled around the Flamethrowers with equal dexterity, albeit with a little more care.

"Counter Shield!" Ash snapped, heart thumping as Magnus raced forth with the full force of his body. A cloak of orange burned around Monferno as he curled, releasing Flamethrowers that whipped through the air like lashes with his spins. Erika's eyes widened, and he smirked. He was proud of this technique, and it never failed to momentarily stun his foes.

But Erika recovered with swiftness, schooling her surprise into tight focus. "Screens!" she yelled quickly. Magnus roared; on a whim a Light Screen and Reflect shimmered in front of him, fusing in place just as a fiery whip struck.

The psychic screens blunted the fire whips, but Ash was glad that he'd stopped Magnus in his tracks. He knew it wasn't going to last long, however - the Counter Shields were only meant to block opposing attacks for a few moments before Monferno would tire out. Erika seemed to realise this - her frown of worry was slowly transforming into a hesitant smile as she called for Magnus to simply stall.

The fire cloak finally flickered out as Monferno crouched to the ground, panting. His flame tail burned weak for a mere second before blazing as bright as usual, just in time for Magnus to barrel into him with a laugh of a roar.

The impact of his brutal charge sent a boom echoing through the stadium; Monferno skidded back and crashed against the barriers. His arms trembled but he levelled himself to his feet, swaying slightly as he glared at Magnus.

The Meganium snorted, stalking from side to side as he stared down the fire-type with a raised head.

Ash changed tactics. "Approach for a Flame Charge, Monferno," he said carefully.

As Monferno wreathed himself in explosive fire once again, Erika wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Dragon Tail, Magnus!"

Wisps of mystic turquoise hissed around the Meganium's tail as he braced himself for Monferno's rush. He reacted quickly, even with the burst of speed Monferno received as he lunged - fire exploded in a ripple as he struck Monferno with a swing, smoke billowing outwards.

There was a blunt thud as Monferno hit the ground on his back. Ash winced, chewing his lips as Monferno pushed himself up, lips curled in a snarl.

"Flamethrower!"

"Solarbeam!"

Fire billowed to meet rippling white in the dead center of the arena. A storm of smoke rushed to consumed the air, but dissipated as a swirling funnel of pink, razor petals swept over the ground in a flutter of Magnus's pink ruff. Monferno frowned, erecting a Stone Edge in front of him to blunt the Petal Blizzard as he pedalled back, sprouting fire as he hastily incinerated the rest.

Magnus roared, rearing back on his hind legs and stomping with thrumming power, sending shockwaves just as Monferno recognised it as a building Earthquake. The ground shuddered and cracked, dirt spilling through the crevasses as they knocked Monferno into the air. A second tornado of petals leapt from the Meganium in a roar, riddling Monferno with their sharp edges.

"Fire Spin, Flame Wheel!" Ash hissed. Monferno howled and leapt for Magnus, flames shooting out to encircle his foe in a flick of his tail. Magnus grumbled; he back-pedalled immediately, rearing his head to keep his antennae away from the scorching heat as tongues of flame leapt higher and higher to lick him.

Monferno crushed into his opponent in a raging fireball. This time it was Magnus's turn to cry in pain, skidding back and crashing violently on his side. He blinked furiously, shaking his head, as he recovered from the minor concussion, but looked up only to have a fierce Fire Punch ram into his skull. His head jerked back so violently that Ash feared for a moment that his neck had snapped, until a furious roar abated his fears.

Magnus pulled up to his full height and snarled. He stomped, twin vines slithering from behind his ruff of massive petals. As fast as vipers they shot forth, one curving to whip Monferno while the other one reached for his arms. A gout of flames made the striking vine retreat; the second tentacle managed to twist tightly around his hand, but a surge of poison around Monferno's fingers had Magnus retracting it with a yelp.

Erika eyed the fading venom around Monferno's fist with surprise. "I see you've been visiting the departmental store," she observed. Her lips quirked. "It's been fun, but it's time to end this. Ancient Power!"

An eerie silver flickered, both beautiful and deadly. For a heartbeat it shifted before rushing forth to focus into brilliant spheres of pearl. They shone, for a mere moment; then, with the sound of whistling bullets, they burst outwards in a rippling wave and impacted the ground.

The earth shifted. It groaned and shook and creaked as chunks of mud and rock pulled themselves from the field, wreathed in translucent white. They rose into the air, swivelling as Ash admired them, in both fear and awe; he shook himself out of his sudden stupor and snapped for Monferno to move as Magnus hurled them with a flick of his antennae.

Monferno balked and darted just in time for a massive rock to impact the ground where he once stood. More and more flew at him, each just mere inches away from pinning the fire-type to the ground. His feet were nothing but blurs as they moved as fast as they could to weave and leap around the massive projectiles determined to crush him.

Magnus smirked as more orbs of lustrous silver circled him and pulled more pieces of sharp rock from the earth.

It came to a point where the Meganium was not only ravaging the field, but also using Monferno's own Stone Edges as projectiles. Ash cursed, blinking furiously as they were uprooted by Magnus' amused roars. His eyes gleamed with sadistic glee as Monferno was slowly pushed to the brink of exhausted.

A hurtling Stone Edge landed at Monferno's feet; it slowed him for only a split-second, but it was enough for Magnus to flatten him under a thrumming block of stone. His scream of pain made Ash's blood roar in anger, but, as Monferno squirmed to escape, he could only watch chunk after chunk of stone fell upon him in a boom of dirt and dust.

Hastily, he fumbled for Monferno's pokéball before he could be buried under stone, only for a muffled scream to stun him into silence.

There was a thrum in the air. The grass around the pile of stone shrivelled and charred as flames spilled and heat steamed forth. The haphazard pyramid of stone trembled; then, an boom shook the sky as they exploded out in a shower of superheated rubble. From the dirt and dust rose Monferno, his body glowing red hot as his tail blazed madder than ever.

Raging blue fire, bright and hot and nigh-incandescent, crossed over to the enemy Meganium in the form of a raging torrent. It was faster than anyone could have ever anticipated, and it swallowed Magnus' chest whole. He screamed, embers twisting around his neck and petals as the seemingly unending flames drenched him full; it concluded only for Monferno to climb out of his rocky prison with a scream for blood.

He beat his chest and roared, eyes burning with primal fury. Fire wreathed him in a millisecond and he lunged like a missile. It was only Ash's timely response that caught Monferno in a beam of red light halfway through his leap.

Ash realised his heart was beating too fast for his liking. His fingers tightened around Monferno's still pokéball, ignoring the bitter taste in his mouth as he felt both relief and worry wash over him. That had been too close.

He suppressed the sliver of disappointment that sparked in his chest, and traced his fingers across a third pokéball he'd plucked from his belt. There was no way he was losing - Magnus was a weapon but he was battered from his scuffle with Monferno. He would make sure that the sauropod would be crushed under Delphi's talons.

Delphi was stoic as ever as her claws dug into the the ravaged arena. Her scarlet crests flowed with an unseen force.

"You're the last one, Delphi," Ash muttered.

Her feathers ruffled as she spread her wings. She glanced back, her psychic presence entering his mind. No pressure, she quipped, voice smooth. Ash held back a snort.

"We'll be starting this round, if you don't mind!" Erika yelled. Her fists were clenched. "Magnus, use Sweet Scent!"

Pink burst in a smooth gale with a flap of Magnus' petals. Delphi squawked, as if offended. A stream of wind roared to life with a twist of her wings; in seconds it trapped the cloyingly sweet powder, blowing it back to Magnus in a sharp whistle. The Meganium simply sneered in the face of his own scent rushing in his face.

A wave of sparkling purple burst out moments later, racing over the field in a rush to consume the Xatu. It met a similar fate: the Poison Powder was blown whistling back in a focused beam of writhing air. Magnus flinched as toxic spores settled on his body, but he looked surprisingly unbothered.

Erika's next order explained why. "Aromatherapy," she drawled. As Magnus' antennae glowed gold, Ash could notice the unsightly spores fall off, or simply disintegrate into nothing. Magnus exhaled in relief. His golden eyes narrowed, antennae rising now that they'd stopped shining with a burning incandescence.

Ash frowned. There was no point in taking it slow - he decided go crank it up a notch. "Up!" He slashed his hand in the air, and Delphi followed without hesitating. Her otherwise stoic eyes screamed with determination as she banked through the air, going as high as she could with the glass roof above her. "Air Slash!"

She twirled around a Solarbeam and coiled her wings, releasing bursts of energy in twin swipes. Blades of energy, as blue as the glow suffusing her wings, raced and arced and spiralled in a twisting fashion, prepared to slice Magnus. A wedge of stone shot from the earth to hover in front of the Meganium; the Air Slashes slammed into the Ancient Power with explosive force, raining clods of dirt to the ground.

Delphi shrieked as she zoomed through the air. Glimmering blue flared around her wings once more as she swiped them in a relentless assault. Magnus actually looked wary of the Xatu - he erected another rocky shield in front of him as the Air Slashes streamed at him, and leapt away as the dozen blades of shining blue razed the spot where he'd once stood.

A couplet of vines struck out, snapping through the air as they yearned to grasp Delphi. White streaked from her as she slipped into an Aerial Ace, deftly flying away from the cracking tentacles. Then she twisted and spun as her beak shone and lengthened before piercing into Magnus' hindquarters with a deafening shriek.

The force behind her corkscrewing peck made Magnus roar. Ash couldn't help but grin as the monstrous Meganium stumbled to his knees, teeth gritted. His vines retracted and instantly whipped back to slam Delphi, but she had already teleported away.

"Ancient Power!" Erika yelled. "Bury it!"

Silver poured from Magnus in countless spheres, striking the earth with nothing but a soft pop. Ash didn't have to yell for Delphi to teleport as numerous chunks of crumbling stone ripped themselves from the ground and hurtled to the skies with the speed of an Aerodactyl.

The boulders flew right past her as she popped in and out of existence, no trace of her teleportation left behind. A few rocks slammed into the psychic barriers just shy of the glass roof, but Magnus gave up control of most when he realised they'd missed. They fell to the ground, shattering like glass, but the remaining few were resolute in their pursuit to pin the Xatu.

Whether it was perfect foresight or simply pure luck, Magnus aimed a jagged boulder right where Delphi had teleported. Her eyes widened - for a moment - as she crossed her wings in front of her, bright steel enveloping them as the boulder impacted. The blow was blunted, but it was powerful enough to knocked her out of the sky.

But she shrieked and twisted to right herself mid-fall, spreading her wings at the last possible second as she achieved flight once more. Blades of grass grazed against her underbelly as she swooped, wings flashing silver as her feathers became sharp as knives. Her screech did nothing to intimidate Magnus - he was resolute as he raised a cluster of rocks to surround him as he prepared to strike.

Boulders whizzed at her in quick succession like bullets. She spun around one, with disgusting ease, and crushed another with her steely wings. And third was slammed to the ground as a shell of psychic blue swallowed it. The fourth simply blitzed overhead in a desperate attempt to pin her.

A scream tore from the Meganium's throat as Delphi sliced into his knees. He buckled, deep cuts forming from where the Xatu had slashed into him with a Steel Wing. Vines lashed out in retaliation, but she had already imploded away. Reappeared high up in the sky, leering down as the sun poured down her back.

"Ominous Stream!" Ash yelled. He felt a hum of acknowledgement in his mind as she levitated in the sky, twisters of otherworldly energy roaring around her coiled wings. Her eyes narrowed at Magnus' scream - in an instant, he fluttered his ruff of petals to conjured a Petal Blizzard to match her ghostly winds.

A tornado of petals collided with the unworldly gale, wrestling for dominance. Pink overwhelmed an eerie purple for a brief moment before the razor petals were consumed Delphi's own cyclone.

Magnus rumbled. A fierce beam of wind razed him in a mix of alien energy and edged petals that scored his body with cuts and scratches, marking hits. As the howling hurricane fell to a mere breeze, he opened his eyes, only to have a Steel Wing drive into his back. He crumpled, but in a desperate attempt to strike back he coiled a pair of vines around Delphi's ankles as she fled.

The Xatu shrieked - unable to fly or teleport, she could only squawk as Magnus raised her and slammed her to the ground. Balking in alarm, she exploded with Air Slashes even as Magnus whipped her to the field yet again.

Ash's mind whirled. "Heat Wave!" he called.

Delphi wreathed her wings in hot flames. Gusts of fire and searing heat exploded with a powerful flap; too much for Magnus to handle; almost instinctively, his vines loosened, allowing Delphi to teleport away without hesitation.

Ash could see the relief in her eyes as she reappeared to his side of the field. The burning heat around her wings was fading, the last remnants of dying embers fading with soft hisses.

"Your TMs won't help you win this one, Ash!" Erika boomed. "Petal Dance, Magnus!"

Ash's blood froze. "Move!" he said, his voice a scream.

As Magnus began to move his feet, swinging his head madly, Ash could only feel dread. He watched, rigid in both awe and dread, as what looked like hundreds of small, pink, razor-sharp petals fell from underneath the large flower around the Meganium's neck, held afloat by a mesmerising gale of unseen wind.

Magnus was not the strongest of Erika's team. No, those spots were taken by her famed Venusaur, her Tangrowth, and even the dangerous Victreebel Ash had rarely seen. But what made her Meganium so dangerous and famed was his complete mastery over Petal Dance.

It was an incredibly powerful technique, but equally risky. To result in such devastating damage required a sacrifice - which involved putting the user under a hypnotic state that could vary from a couple minute to well until passing out. It was absurdly dangerous, but they pay-off was almost worth it.

Ash had seen very few users control Petal Dance without entering a severely hypnotic state. As far as he knew, even Red's Venusaur had incredible difficulty executing the technique without suffering severe confusion. Magnus was not the most powerful on Erika's team, but he was definitely the most skilled.

Which was why there was no way Delphi would survive this. Her only option would be to evade it as much as possible until either she or Magnus tired out. He was hoping all that endurance training would pay off in this battle. "Sonic!" Ash called, hoping the combination of Aerial Ace and Tailwind wouldn't strain her too much. "Don't bother blocking attacks!"

She didn't try responding mentally - as soon as Magnus concluded his menacing dance, she was off. An unnatural current of wind swirled around Magnus, twisting the hovering petals into a howling funnel. In the center of the vortex stomped the hypnotised Meganium, eyes glazed as he stomped and swung his head in his ethereal pirouette. It grew faster and faster until he was almost invisible in the revolving cylinder of razor petals.

Then his golden antennae flicked, and the hurricane of petals leapt at Delphi like a nest of Arbok, both beautiful and lethal.

Streaks of white trailed from her beak as Delphi dove away in a desperate attempt to avoid the massive funnel of petals. The tailwind around her, produced by the constant beating of her wings, tore apart a diverging stream of pink that threatened to riddle her body with cuts. Magnus roared, and the howling spiral of petals intensified.

The petals turned and twisted to follow her wherever she went. Seconds passed, and Ash felt his heart sink as he slowly realised Delphi was nearing the brink of exhaustion. She screeched, beating her wings to double the tailwind that sent her blazing forward. The river of petals moved to match her speed with a thunderous roar from Magnus.

A stream of petals clipped her wings; feathers tore as petals ripped into her wing like knives, disrupting her flight and making her wobble. All he heard was as squawk of surprise before it transformed abruptly into a piercing shriek as she was engulfed by a torrent of petals.

His ears roared. The sounds of her shrieks made his breath hitch and fists tighten until he was sure he'd drawn blood-

The swirling cocoon of pink exploded. Petals flew out in every direction, sinking to the ground as Magnus' Petal Dance ended. The Meganium roared, blinking furiously as he squashed his state of dazed hypnotism, and glared up at the sky - Delphi, cuts peppering her body, hovered angrily, consumed in a shell of psychic energy. She winced as she gently flapped her wings - ripped and scratched - but flew in defiance of Magnus' finishing blow.

Ash felt the fear in his throat replaced by a lance of pride and awe as blades of energy rippled from her glowing wings, striking a surprised Magnus on either flank. He roared and flailed in pain, only for a Shadow Ball to detonate in his face. Smoke and ghostly wisps seeped out as his head was send snapping back. He faltered.

Streaks of white flowed from her beak as she spiralled into a corkscrewing dive. A chunk of stone rose from the ground to stop her, but she pulverised it with a Steel Wing even as she spiralled. It crumbled to dust and Delphi barrelled into Magnus' chest with unrestrained force.

"Heat Wave!" Ash called, as Erika screamed for a Razor Leaf. Heat and fire billowed in a powerful gust, swallowing the bladed leaves and turning them into cinders. Magnus bellowed angrily. He scrambled back from the superheated winds, but that did nothing.

Delphi circled back to the sky, wobbly as she waited to strike. Every flap of her wings seemed to hurt her. Her pained gasp pricked Ash's mind, and he grit his teeth.

"Sky Attack!" he roared, realising she was on her last legs. This was it - there was nothing more she could do other than hope her last-ditch attempt at taking Magnus out would work.

It was in no way perfected - Red's Skarmory and Surge's Fearow had done all they could to mentor her during the short time they'd trainer with them, but she had miles to go. He just hoped it would be enough to knock Erika's Meganium out of the fight.

Shining with the radiance of the sun, Delphi screamed. Golden energy thrummed around her, slowly intensifying. Her crests were a burning white - they looked like spears of raw energy as she mustered all her strength into her final manoeuvre.

Erika gasped. "Frenzy Plant!" Ash felt his pulse race as Magnus boomed. He tried to look away from the Meganium as a shell of bright green flared into existence, but he couldn't.

The golden energy stopped worsening once Delphi realised there was no better time to strike than now. For a split-second, she was almost frozen as she reared back - and then she dove, just as the earth shuddered.

Thick spires of brown erupted like geysers - massive roots, each surrounded in their own rings of sharp thorns. they rose into the air like missiles, aiming to drill into Delphi as blazed down, an arrow of pure gold. Magnus roared, swaying, and the roots moved with him, flailing and twisting and turning like the arms of a Tentacruel.

Ash didn't know if it was Delphi's expertise, or just sheer dumb luck, but he felt his heart thump as she danced around every root with unbelievable graze. Even as they whipped, she circled and let them pierce through empty air. She danced around a couplet of roots before banking down all of a sudden, and pierced at Magnus like a blinding comet-

With no warning, a massive root curved and crushed into her back, a split-second before she could crush her foe. He heard her scream, then looked away as the golden aura around her burst to fill his vision with white. As he blinked the spots out of his eyes, Ash looked back to the field, angrily waiting for the dust to dissipate…

He felt his energy sapped away as his eyes caught the crumpled form of a Xatu, spread-eagled on the destroyed ground. On the other side of the field, Magnus rumbled - one last sound as he crumpled out of sheer exhaustion.

Ash sighed. He'd hoped for a win so bad, but a draw was better than nothing. It just meant he and his team would have to train harder - they had been exceptional lately, but they would have to surpass any gym leader by the time the Conference arrived.

Ash recalled Delphi to her pokéball as Erika did the same with her Meganium, and allowed a small smile on his face as he regarded the sphere. "You did amazing, Delphi. Take a good rest," he murmured.

He must've imagined the pokéball twitch, but he shook his head and clipped it back to his belt.

He felt Erika approach him before he saw her. "That was great!" She beamed. "You've grown a lot stronger since the last I saw you, Ashy."

Ash offered a grin. "Thanks," he said. "I didn't expect you to use Frenzy Plant in the end. Was it that close?"

She flicking his forehead playfully. "Don't forget it was a draw," Erika sang. "Still, Magnus hasn't had a fight like that in a long time! He's not going to hear the end of it from Venus."

Ash snorted. "I'm guessing he won't be too eager to meet Delphi, either," he said wryly.

Erika laughed. Footfalls interrupted her and they turned to find Misty skipping their way, with Erika's Sunflora waddling slowly behind. "Nice battle," she commented, throwing a grin their way. She smiled as Sunflora approached them, huffing heavily. "That Petal Dance was crazy."

Erika puffed up. "Of course!" she remarked. Her proud smile carried a hint of smugness. "Magnus has worked very hard to achieve those results. Even dear Venus struggles with it."

Ash perked up at the mention of her Venusaur. "Erika," he probed gently, twiddling his thumbs. "If you're not too busy…Could you help Saur with a few moves? I wouldn't ask anyone but the strongest grass master I know," he added, hoping she'd fall for his honeyed words.

Her smile turned devilish. "Let's see," she murmured, thoughtfully tapping her chin with a dainty finger. "Oh, I don't know, Ash. Your Venusaur might not be able to handle our training…"

Ash scowled. "Saur's stronger than you think," he challenged. He groaned in frustration, and Erika giggled.

"Kidding," she said. "Of course, Ash. I'd be more than happy to take you and your Venusaur under our wings!" She placed her hands on her hips, smirking. "It won't be all daisies and rainbows, though. We'll be pushing your Venusaur to his limits, and well beyond. Think you can handle that?"

He smiled. His fingers instinctively danced around Saur's scratched pokéball, envisioning his friend surrounded by a forest of writhing roots.

"I'm counting on it."

XxXxX

Trainer: Ash Ketchum

Pokémon in possession:

Saur – Venusaur

Delphi – Xatu

Zeus – Ampharos

Hydrus – Golduck

Monferno

Snorlax

Screecher – Mismagius

Kratos – Scyther

Trapinch – Atlas

Eevee

This is the longest chapter I've written in a while! It's a bit of filler before things start to get really intense, but I hope you guys enjoy this as much as I did. The next chapter will be kick-starting a lot of stuff, and I'm looking forward to it a bit too much, lol.

Until then, thank you for reading, and I hope to see you all in the next chapter. Stay safe!