Kanto - Saffron City

Ash could not bring himself to calm down even after three days of arriving at Saffron city. He knew it was not healthy and he was worrying his Pokemon who had noticed his jumpiness but he couldn't help it. He should not be feeling like this and he should be focusing on coming up with an idea for the contest which was in three days but he was unable to. He was able to come up with a strategy for his Butterfree and Beedrill in fact lately he was only able to focus on getting stronger not on the moves itself and he was starting to get frustrated with himself.

Lucario grabbed him and made him sit after a while, -How about we do the gym battle first this time?-

Ash, "Huh? Wha...?"

Milotic, -I agree, we have been working on our strengths but not on fancy movements.-

Ash sighed, "I'm sorry everyone, I guess I am still jumpy."

Primape pat his shoulder, "Ape ape."

Squirtle sat in front of him, "Squi squirtle."

Butterfree nuzzled him from the sides, "Cree!"

Beedrill hovered worried, "Bzzzzz."

Lucario, -Well according to the others, Misty and Brock are no different, but they are distracting themselves with the new, poke eggs. Jessilina and Jameson are calmer, of course but they are also quite tense.-

Ash, "I can't help what I'm feeling like we need to get stronger and more powerful but, I know quite well strength is useless without any strategy or speed. I don't know what is going on with me, it was not so bad last time."

Phantump tilted his head, "Phaaa?"

Lucario, -We ran into trouble makers before little one.-

Banette nodded, "Ne."

Ash turned to Milotic, "Maybe I'll take your advice on challenging the gym first Lucario, perhaps if I battle the gym leader and let myself go loose on battlefield, my jumpiness will disappear? Maybe? Besides I promised Squirtle his first gym battle."

Squirtle grinned, "Squir squirtle!"

A little girl giggled, "You want to challenge the gym?"

Ash looked surprised at that, "Kiddo? What are you doing here? I'm pretty sure I booked this field for at least one more hour today."

The girl laughed, "I have my ways. Shhhhh! My name is Sabra and if you want I can schedule your match for the gym."

Ash chuckled, "Of course, a lady must keep her secrets and I would appreciate it. I was thinking tomorrow morning around ten perhaps?"

Sabra grinned, "You got it."

Ash blinked and the next thing he knew she had disappeared, "Huh! She's a psychic, I didn't expect that."

Milotic •_•, -None of us did!-

Squirtle, :O, "Squirtle!"

Primape •_•, "Ape ape."

Lucario -_-||, -I guess the gym leader expected us to battle her first.-

Ash hmmmed, "Well, she is a very powerful human psychic, so I wouldn't be surprised if she was able to glimpse into the future, even if it's just a little bit. Alright then, let's get to work everyone, if battling is what is necessary to get back to normal then we are gonna battle first."

Sabra watched them train from her position among the trees, tomorrow would be an interesting day. If the others were surprised by Ash's sudden decision to battle first, they didn't show it. If anything they looked at him in commiseration and told him they would cheer him on the next day. Jessie and James were planning on going to the secret base on the fourth day of their arrival here and Jessie had her match in the evening.

Ash grinned, "It'll be fun, and hopefully I will stop feeling like I need to watch over my shoulder."

Misty, "I was hoping this little one would hatch first before I battle. In fact I'm hoping the excitement of the battle will be enough to tempt them to hatch."

Brock, "It is said the more energetic the environment the faster the egg hatches. I hope I'll be a good parent."

Misty, "Me too."

Ash smiled, "Don't worry you guys. You will be great. We are here to help."

Jessilina, "He's right you know?"

Jameson, "I remember my first baby Pokemon that hatched from an egg. It was the happiest moment of my life."

Ash grinned as Jameson talked about his Arcanine, who he called Growly as that was what he did whenever a stranger came nearer them. It was one of the rare moments when the blue haired man would look content and happy. Jessilina talked about her Dustox that was born from an egg and how in the beginning she didn't have a clue as to what she was doing but she did her best. Now Dustox was one of her strongest Pokemon that she had and one of the more special ones too. Ash told them about Lucario and how he found him in the first place to how they practically grew up together. Misty and Brock started to relax as they chatted and talked and looked forward to their own baby Pokemon to care about. The next day they went to the gym for the gym battles and the group was greeted by a man, who in Ash's personal opinion looked more like a crazy scientist.

The man, "My name is William and I can't believe you actually have the gall to challenge Sabrina."

Jessilina snarked back, "I can't believe you have the balls to decide who she'll battle with."

Ash decided to voice his opinion at the rude man →_→, "Are you really a psychic? You look more like a psycho!"

Misty (｡ŏ_ŏ), "That's a good point."

Brock →_→, "He does look suspicious."

William, "How rude!"

Jameson, "You are the one being rude here, in the first place."

Sabra, "What are you doing here? Sabrina is waiting you know."

Ash, "Sabra, hi! We were about to enter but this guy is blocking our path."

Sabra smiled a sickly sweet smile, "Is that so~"

William started to grovel, "I'm sorry young Miss Sabra, I just didn't believe some upstart would have the gall to challenge Sabrina."

Sabra's voice was cold, "Who are you to decide that? You are not even a gym trainee, you are stripped from senior to junior. Get out of my sight."

Sabra turned to Ash and smiled, "This way, we are waiting."

Ash nodded, "Yeah, thanks!"

Sabrina looked Ash over, "Welcome challenger, you are disturbed and hope after battling you will calm down."

Ash nodded, "Yeah, I guess I am more shaken then I had first thought. I have considered having a counselor but the problem is that I'm always on the move. In fact having I was advised by a counselor it is difficult to counsel when you are always moving, so I decided to try out other methods."

Sabrina looked at him in consideration, "Well you are not going stab happy yet. So I can say it is working. Shall we begin? Harvey play referee."

Harvey walked in from another door, "This is a four on four gym battle between challenger Ash and gym leader Sabrina. The first one to win three battles wins. Battlers choose your first Pokemon."

Sabrina, "Let's go Drowzee!"

Drowzee, "Zeeee!"

Ash, "Let's go Squirtle!"

Squirtle stood up with his glasses on, "Squi squirtle!"

Harvey, "Let the battle begin!"

Ash, "Squirtle, water gun!"

Sabrina, "Reflect!"

The water gun was deflected away.

Sabrina, "Confusion!"

Squirtle simply tilted his head, "Squi?"

Ash grinned, "Skull bash!"

Drowzee was taken aback by the lack of reaction to his move and was hit by the attack.

Sabrina, "Those dark glasses, they neutralised the move. Smart!"

Ash, "Thanks, now bubble sphere!"

Sabrina, "Light screen!"

While the light screen stopped the bubble attack, it was not enough to stop the aura sphere and it hit Drowzee knocking him out.

Harvey, "Drowzee is unable to battle, Squirtle wins the first round."

Misty, "Awesome job Squirtle!"

Jessilina, "That was very inspiring."

Sabrina, "You caught me off guard. Not bad!"

Ash who was hugging a happy Squirtle, "I was not sure it would work to be honest. I mean even though they are dark shades they are still glasses. Congratulations on your first official battle bud, you were amazing."

Squirtle, "Squi squirtle."

Ash, "Do you want to watch the other battle or get some rest?"

Squirtle sat beside Lucario, "Squi!"

Ash grinned releasing Butterfree, "Cheer us on bud!"

Butterfree, "Cree!"

Sabrina, "Let's go Exeggutor!"

Harvey, "Let the second match begin."

Sabrina, "Psyshock!"

Ash, "Psybeam!"

The two attacks collided and the grass, psychic type and bug, flying type looked at each other.

Sabrina, "Leech seed!"

Ash, "Fly out of its range and harden string shot."

Butterfree flew away from the leech seed and started to wrap the plant psychic type in string shots while flying around it.

Sabrina, "Hyperbeam!"

Ash, "Answer with hyperbeam."

The two beams hit each other and caused smoke to cover the two.

Ash, "Rage powder!"

Sabrina, "Exeggutor, get out of there!"

Exeggutor came out shaking his head, "Exe!"

Ash, "Bug bite!"

Sabrina, "Magical leaf!"

Exeggutor used magical leaf only for the leaves to hit him.

Sabrina's eyes glowed, "Snap out of it Exeggutor!"

Ash, "Sleep!"

Exeggutor blinked out of his trance but before he could do anything else, Butterfree hit him with a strong sleep powder directly on his face. He didn't wake up after that but instead snored soundly.

Harvey, "Exeggutor is unable to battle, Butterfree wins the match. Choose your next Pokemon."

Sabrina looked at Exeggutor and sighed returning him, "You have one very powerful Butterfree."

Butterfree smiled as he nuzzled Ash, "Thank you Sabrina, we have been training hard, haven't we buddy?"

Butterfree nodded, "Cree!"

Sabrina, "Let's go Hypno!"

Ash, "Beedrill, your turn."

Harvey, "Begin!"

Sabrina, "Poison gas!"

Ash, "Agility followed by pin missile."

Beedrill flew out of the range of poison gas before shooting with pin missile. Hypno dodged the pins coming towards her.

Sabrina, "Shadow ball."

Ash, "Hyper beam, ready solar."

The dark type attack hit the hyperbeam and the two formed a light and dark ball which grew bigger till it exploded pushing both Hypno and Beedrill back. Sabrina frowned, she couldn't read Beedrill's mind, she was a bug and their minds were headache inducing complicated. Nor could she read Ash's mind, something or rather two things around his neck was protecting him. She half wondered if Ash realized whatever item he had was a powerful protection against psychics, it doesn't seem like he did. She would have to talk to him later, other psychics would notice it too if they were powerful enough and they wouldn't be nice about it.

Sabrina, "Thunder punch!"

Ash, "Solar beam!"

Sabrina's eyes widened as the thunder punch and solar beam hit the Pokemon straight on knocking them out.

Harvey, "Beedrill and Hypno are unable to battle. Choose your next Pokemon."

Sabrina, "Return Hypno thank you!"

Ash held Beedrill who was starting to wake up, "You did great girl, now none of that, you know you can't win every battle out there, this just shows we still have a lot room for improvement."

Beedrill slowly nodded, she did not like this feeling of not winning, "Bzzzz!"

Ash, "Do you want to watch or rest?"

Beedrill pointed at Squirtle and her mate, "Bzz!"

Ash nodded before he helped her sit next to the others, "Here we go, take it easy okay big girl."

Misty, "We'll take care of her Ash."

Brock nodded, "Yeah!"

Ash, "Thanks guys, you are not scared of Beedrill anymore, Misty."

Misty ducked her head, "Only her, if there was a swarm though.... I would be running the other way."

Jessilina sweatdropped, "I think we all would Misty."

Jameson shuddered, "Yeah!"

Ash, "Lucario ready?"

Lucario nodded, -Ready as ever.-

Sabrina, "Alakazam, let's play."

Harvey, "Let the last match begin."

Ash, "Aura sphere!"

Sabrina, "Hyper beam!"

The two attacks cancelled each other and Sabrina frowned wondering what Ash was up to.

Sabrina, "Confusion!"

Ash, "Aura coat like we practiced."

Ash grinned as the psychic move was disabled thanks to the aura move that Lucario used. It was something they had realized Lucario could do two days ago, which is covered himself in a coat of aura negating any psychic moves.

Sabrina, "So that's why, alright then, thunder punch."

Ash, "Shadow claw!"

The shadow claw and the thunder punch hit each other and the two Pokemon glared. They were not young they realized and Lucario grinned, he could go all out again and started to circulate aura around his body. Alakazam also realized this was no beginner Pokemon although it was his first journey and looked at his trainer who looked back at him with a raised eyebrow.

Sabrina, "Very well. Teleport! Psybeam! Reflect!"

Ash grinned, "Aura sight, shadow ball, claw and drain punch."

They watched as the two Pokemon, a fully evolved Psychic type and aura Pokemon went at it with no holds barred. Lucario would not admit it but he had been getting frustrated and angry at himself for being unable to help his Meema. His parent who had taken care of him since he was born, Ash always helped others out but they were unable to help him and that made him angry. Being able to let go of his anger like this without having to worry about hurting anyone felt very therapeutic to him. The Alakazam looked at the aura Pokemon with respect, the Lucario was younger than him and yet so powerful, he would enjoy this fight.

Sabrina, "Future sight! Mega punch, kick, fire, ice and thunder punch. Go."

Ash grinned, "Aura sight! Laser focus, bone rush, close combat and dragon pulse!"

Lucario and Alakazam both used their own abilities to punch, kick and combat. Laser focus helped Lucario land his hits more getting the older Psychic Pokemon's health to go down. Alakazam's mega kick and punch were answered with bone rush, while fire and ice punch were dodged and answered by close combat. As Alakazam used thunder punch Lucario released dragon pulse which hit Alakazam in close range making him fly back and land on the ground unconscious.

Harvey gaped before he shook himself, "A.. Alakazam is unable to battle. Lucario wins."

Lucario howled as he released the aura coat around him and he felt Ash hug him from behind, -I did it.-

Ash laughed, "You did and I feel much better too now. No more jitters look."

Lucario held Ash, -You are not shaking anymore. Meema you are okay now right?-

Ash nodded, "I guess, I just needed to assure myself I'm not helpless."

Sabrina, "I'm happy to see you are not questioning yourself anymore. As proof of your victory, Ash, I present to you the Marsh badge as well as the prize money for winning, this is your fifth badge correct? You are now allowed to carry seven Pokemon."

Ash's eyes widened, "You are right, I can carry seven pokeballs now. You hear that Lucario?"

Lucario nodded, -Yes, we can travel with more teammates.-

Misty, "Congratulations Ash."

Jameson, "Well done, of course if you find it difficult to carry more than six you may still stick to six Pokemon."

Brock nodded, "There is no rush and that was amazing."

Jessilina, "I didn't know Lucario could do that, very impressive. Congratulations on your win."

Ash thanked Sabrina before leaving the gym and going to the Pokemon centre, he was no longer jumpy after the battle. Unknown to them they were seen by another trainer who recognized them, well at least Ash anyway and despite the surprise did not bother talking to them, thinking one of his friends were doing the gym circuit. He had a badge to win and entered the gym, maybe later he'll challenge them later for a battle, considering how they were a mix group they should have some interesting strategies.