80. Magikarp's First Battle
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"This kid actually had the nerve to look down on us, saying that Misty is more suited to be a Gym Trainer than we are." The three sisters were hidden in the shadows, eavesdropping on the conversation.
The second and third sisters were infuriated upon hearing this. Even though they didn't focus much on Pokémon battles and were more concerned with managing the gym, it still stung to be criticized so openly.
No one had ever said such things before, mostly because those who visited the gym in the past came to watch performances or were fans. Even challengers wouldn't voice such opinions.
That's because most trainers are too polite to say it out loud, though they might think it. But Ash, being familiar with Misty, was blunt enough to say it, "tearing off the previous facade."
"But that kid's aura just now was really intimidating. I didn't dare say anything," Lily admitted, still shaken.
Violet didn't say anything but silently agreed—she had been too scared to speak as well.
"Compared to us, who just hand over the Badge, Misty does a better job," Daisy, the eldest sister, said rationally.
No Gym Trainer would hand over a Badge without a battle, but Misty took her role more seriously than they did.
In truth, Ash's attitude clearly showed his disdain for the three of them. It was an unpleasant feeling, and Daisy didn't want to lose face in front of her younger sister, so she agreed to Ash's challenge.
Hearing Daisy's words, Violet and Lily fell silent. They both knew that outside of Cerulean City, their gym was often considered the weakest in the Kanto region.
They hadn't wanted it to be that way, which is why they were so happy when Misty decided to go out and train to become a stronger trainer.
The citizens of Cerulean City preferred their performances anyway, so it was easy for them to overlook the gym's shortcomings.
Ash's bluntness brought their weaknesses into sharp focus, and now they couldn't ignore it.
"Alright, let's get ready! No matter what, we need to take this seriously. We don't want to embarrass ourselves in front of our sister!"
With Daisy's words, the three sisters left to prepare. About an hour later...
The three Cerulean sisters returned with their Pokémon and headed back to the gym. Misty showed Ash and Brock around, then led them back to the arena.
The battlefield was actually the swimming pool where the sisters usually performed, now set up for the gym battle. It was about the size of two basketball courts, with several rectangular floating platforms in place.
This meant that the battle would take place in the pool, giving the Gym Trainers an advantage, which is often the challenge in gym battles.
Ash and the Cerulean sisters quickly took their positions, each standing on the farthest floating platform from the other. The trainers had to stand on these platforms too, which were unstable on the water, testing both the Pokémon and the trainers.
For the three sisters, this was easy. Ash and Pikachu jumped onto their platform and quickly found their balance.
"The battle will follow a three-on-three format. We three sisters will each use one Pokémon in turn. Whoever loses all their Pokémon first loses the match. The challenger is allowed to switch Pokémon during the battle, okay?" Daisy and Violet explained the rules to Ash from the shore. Lily stepped up as the first opponent.
"No problem!"
Lily stood opposite, glancing nervously at Ash's feet, and Ash glanced down instinctively.
"Don't worry! I won't use Pikachu!"
Ash glanced at Pikachu, then turned his gaze to the other side. It wasn't him who was unsteady, but rather the nervous look on the other side. Sensing her unease, he offered a reassuring smile.
"Ahem... Who... Who's scared?! You can use Pikachu if you want. Even if you do, I won't lose," Lily retorted, a bit embarrassed that Ash had picked up on her fear.
She secretly sighed in relief, all the while hoping that Ash wouldn't take her words too seriously.
"Go, Horsea!"
Lily sent out Horsea first. A blue Pokémon that resembled a seahorse appeared, its cute, large eyes and the wing-like fins on its back catching the light as it hovered above the water.
With a cylindrical snout...
…
"This is your first battle, so let's give it our all!" Ash said as he took out a Poké Ball. He glanced at it briefly before tossing it into the pool.
Boom!!!
With a splash, the Poké Ball opened, and a figure emerged in the water amidst a burst of blue light. As the light faded, a Pokémon with red scales and crown-like fins floated in the pool.
"Wait, is that... a Magikarp? You're battling with a Magikarp?! Are you underestimating me?" Lily exclaimed, recognizing the Pokémon. As a Water-type Gym Leader, she was all too familiar with Magikarp, one of the weakest Pokémon. The sight of Ash using it felt like an insult.
"Don't be so quick to judge. Let's see if you can defeat it first," Ash replied calmly. He knew Magikarp would be underestimated, but he didn't mind. This Magikarp had been training with him for a while, and now it was time to see the results.
"Ash sent out Magikarp, no problem!"
Misty and Brock watched from the sidelines. Despite this being their own gym, and the situation being one of their own making, Misty found herself more worried about Ash.
"If it's Ash, he must have a plan. Just watch closely," Brock said, remaining calm. He had battled Ash before and knew the strength behind his choices.
"Darn it, how dare you underestimate me! Horsea, use Bubble Beam!"
Lily, now fired up by Ash's confidence, forgot her earlier nervousness and gave the order. She momentarily forgot she was a Gym Leader—usually, it was the challenger who attacked first.
Puff, puff, puff!!!
Following Lily's command, Horsea quickly launched its attack. Its round snout, resembling the muzzle of a cannon, shot out a series of crystal-blue bubbles, forming a Bubble Beam that surged toward Magikarp across the water.
"Magikarp, use Splash!" Ash commanded as he watched Horsea's attack.
"Hmph! What's the point of using Splash?" Lily shouted, unconvinced by Ash's strategy.
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3 reviews=1bonus chapter( 1 more!!!! Come on!!!)
Next Bonus chapter at 500k views