Pokemon: A different Ash

Join my p@treon for more chapters

[email protected]/Tempest_29

While discussing the gym situation, the young lady led Ash into the depths of the botanical garden, soon revealing a battle field within the garden.

Dense flowers and trees surrounded the field, and on a high platform nearby, various experimental instruments were visible. A figure wearing a mask and gloves seemed to be engrossed in experiments.

"Erika, there is a challenger here!" the young lady called out to the figure by the experimental equipment.

"Hmm?"

Hearing the call, the girl turned her head to look. She appeared to be around eighteen or nineteen years old, younger than Sabrina. She wore a green short dress, had short blue hair, and a red-patterned headband.

"Wait a minute!"

This girl was Erika, the Gym Leader of the Celadon Gym and owner of the local perfume shop. All their perfumes were handmade and self-consumed.

Erika quickly tidied up the area, removed her mask and gloves, and stepped down from the platform to greet Ash.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting. I'm Erika, the Gym Leader of the Celadon Gym!" Erika smiled faintly, showing no surprise at Ash's presence.

"I'm Ash from Pallet Town. I hope you can accept my challenge," Ash stated confidently.

"As a Gym Leader, I am obligated to accept challenges," Erika replied without hesitation.

Unknown to Ash, Erika had been in the perfume shop when he and Misty visited earlier. She had observed Ash's actions and found them admirable.

The two soon took their positions on opposite sides of the battlefield, while the young lady who had led Ash took up the role of referee.

"The battle will consist of three Pokémon per side. The first to lose all three Pokémon will be defeated. Is that okay?" Erika explained.

"No problem!"

The rules were straightforward, and the number of Pokémon allowed was more than Ash had faced in other Gym battles. Unlike the Cerulean Gym, most previous matches had been limited to one or two Pokémon.

"All right! This official Pokémon League battle is between Pallet Town's Ash and Celadon Gym Leader Erika. Let the match begin!" declared the referee.

Both trainers became serious, and gym staff gathered to watch the match from the sidelines.

"Then I'm going all out, Ash. Don't blame me if you lose!"

As the Gym Leader, Erika sent out her first Pokémon—a Tangela. Wrapped in dense blue vines with only its big eyes visible, the Pokémon looked mysterious. The vines swayed messily, with only its bright red shoes peeking through, giving it a unique baby-like appearance.

Looking at Tangela, Ash couldn't help but recall some eerie urban legends about it being formed from aquatic plants and drowned souls. Shaking off the thoughts, he focused on the battle ahead.

Coupled with the promotional picture, her shoes are similar in color to Tangela's feet, which inspired various fan theories and derivative works.

One such story suggests that Leaf drowned in a region behind Pallet Town that requires Surf to access and transformed into a Tangela. In the game, Tangela can indeed be found in the grass accessible via Surf in this area. Fans have built upon this idea, imagining that Leaf's drowning explains her absence in the anime.

However, strange stories are just that—stories. Leaf was shown departing alongside the others on the starting day of their journey. She occasionally sends messages explaining her current situation, making the eerie tales more of an entertaining diversion than anything else.

"Come on, Charmander!" Ash called out, wasting no time as he sent his Pokémon into battle against Tangela.

"Charmander, use a Fire attack!" Ash commanded immediately after the Pokémon landed on the field with an excited growl.

"Suppress with Attribute advantage? Not so fast! Tangela, avoid it and use Vine Whip!" Erika countered sharply.

Fire is a well-known counter to Grass, and Erika, as an experienced Gym Leader specializing in Grass Pokémon, had strategies in place to combat Fire-types. Tangela nimbly hopped to the side, avoiding Charmander's Ember attack with ease.

After dodging, the vines on Tangela's body lashed out toward Charmander. These thin, abundant vines extended rapidly, targeting their fiery opponent.

"Use Smokescreen!" Ash shouted.

Charmander released a thick cloud of black smoke from its mouth, engulfing itself and the surrounding area. The Vine Whips disappeared into the smoke without finding their mark. Erika frowned slightly at the loss of visibility.

"In that case, Tangela, use Poison Powder!" Erika adjusted her strategy, opting for a wide-range attack.

Tangela let out a low cry, releasing a fine stream of purple powder from the gaps above its body. The powder spread in all directions, designed to cover the entire smoky area. Poison Powder, if inhaled or touched, could inflict a poisoning condition, steadily draining the opponent's energy and reducing its combat effectiveness.

The tension in the air heightened as Erika's strategy aimed to turn the battle in her favor, but Ash remained focused, ready to counter her next move.