The Cerulean Gym's outside battle arena was quickly flooded: sparkling, clear pools surrounding a few narrow floating platforms connected by sleek bridges. Daisy, Violet, and Lily stood lined up proudly at the far end, their Pokémon ready. Misty had retreated to the judges' booth, arms crossed, still grumbling under her breath.
Daisy was up first, flipping her hair with a gleam in her eye. "Get ready for a totally fabulous wipeout, Ash!"
She tossed her Pokéball high — with a flash of light, a sleek Seaking splashed into the water, ripples dancing around its horned head.
Ash adjusted his cap backward, then grinned. "Alright, Pikachu! You're up!"
Pikachu leapt from his shoulder and landed gracefully on the narrow central platform, cheeks sparking.
The Gym buzzer sounded.
"Battle... begin!" Misty called, resigned.
"Seaking, Water Pulse!" Daisy ordered.
Seaking launched a heavy blast of swirling water straight toward Pikachu — enough force to knock him clear into the pool.
Ash snapped his fingers. "Dodge and run the current!"
Without missing a beat, Pikachu jumped straight into the wave — letting it carry him like a surfer, riding the momentum instead of resisting it. The water tossed him across the pool at insane speed, and just as Seaking blinked in surprise—
"Quick Attack, now!"
Pikachu twisted mid-surf, blasted off the rolling water, and slammed headfirst into Seaking's side with a flash of silver energy.
Seaking spiraled through the water with a pained splash.
Daisy's jaw dropped. "No way!"
Seaking struggled back upright, shaking water from its fins.
"Double Edge, Seaking!" she shouted.
Ash pointed sharply. "Jump high, Pikachu!"
Pikachu launched off the surface again, springing higher than before — almost cartoonishly high — forcing Seaking's wild charge to miss completely and crash into the platform instead, sending debris flying.
Ash grinned. "Now finish it—Thunderbolt!"
High in the air, Pikachu unleashed a crackling blast of lightning straight down. Electricity lanced into the pool, lighting up the water like a disco show. Seaking let out a garbled noise before floating belly-up, stunned senseless.
"Seaking is unable to battle!" Misty called, slightly stunned herself. "Victory: Ash!"
Violet was already stepping forward, tossing her Pokéball with a flourish.
"You're up against me now, cutie! Let's see if you can swim with the big fish!"
"I think you'll find that my tenacity is electrifying!" Ash shoots back
Violet let out a dramatic gasp, placing a hand to her chest like she'd just been scandalized. "Oh my gosh, he has punchlines!" she said, laughing. "Alright, you're cute and cocky—this'll be fun."
She spun her Pokéball on her finger like a coin before flicking it skyward. "Let's dazzle, Lanturn!"
With a flash, the dual Water-Electric type emerged in a splash of foam and sparkles, its glowing antenna bobbing just above the water's surface.
Ash narrowed his eyes slightly. A Water/Electric type was risky. Thunderbolt wouldn't be as effective here—and Lanturn could probably take a hit better than Seaking.
Pikachu tensed, crouched and ready, cheeks flickering.
"Same rules as before!" Violet called sweetly. "Arena is open water. Hope your mouse can swim!"
Ash smirked. "He doesn't need to."
"Lanturn, Spark the whole field!"
Lanturn dove under, its glowing antenna pulsing with energy—before unleashing a web of crackling electricity through the water.
Ash laughed—a real, open laugh that made Pikachu puff out his chest with pride.
"Come on, Violet. You really thought you could zap Pikachu with electricity?" he grinned. "He's got Lightning Rod! That whole Spark thing? You just supercharged him."
Violet blinked. "Wait—what?!"
"THANKS FOR THE POWER UP!" Ash shouts as he starts dancing powering up a gigavolt Havoc.
Pikachu mirrored Ash's dance—lightning crackling around him in wild arcs as the absorbed energy from Lanturn's Spark began spiraling inward like a storm about to explode.
Ash pointed dramatically, eyes locked on the glimmering water where Lanturn hovered just beneath the surface.
"Pikachu! Gigavolt Punch—full charge!"
Pikachu's cheeks flared with an electric roar as he leapt into the air, lightning coiling down his arm like a thunder dragon. His little fist glowed like the heart of a storm.
"NOW!"
With a war cry that could rival a Machamp's, Pikachu shot down like a bolt from the heavens—fist-first—slamming into the water with enough force to send a geyser bursting skyward. The lightning ripped through the pool in an explosive surge of sound and fury.
The resulting shockwave blasted Lanturn clean out of the water in a limp, sparking arc—before it belly-flopped back down, unconscious and bobbing.
Misty's jaw dropped. Daisy clapped slowly in sheer disbelief.
"Lanturn is unable to battle!" Lily managed to call. "Victory goes to—Ash."
Pikachu floated back to the platform on a wave of steam and static, sparks still dancing off his fur as he struck a triumphant pose.
Ash gave a lazy two-finger salute. "Badge, please."
Violet muttered, "I'm never underestimating a rat again."
Daisy sighed. "I feel like we just got reverse-swamped."
Lily stepped forward, her usual dramatic flair replaced by a determined spark. She tossed her hair over one shoulder and pointed her Pokéball skyward.
"Well then," she purred, "if you're going to storm our Gym, Ash Ketchum, you'll have to weather my favorite Pokémon."
With a shimmer of light and a haunting echo of song, the massive form of Lapras appeared in the center of the pool. Its gentle eyes contrasted its sheer size and presence on the battlefield.
Ash narrowed his eyes. "A Lapras, huh? Ice and Water type. This might actually be tough…"
Pikachu flexed his tiny fists, still sizzling with static, clearly ready for round three.
Lily crossed her arms confidently. "Same rules: open water, one-on-one. And don't count on Lightning Rod to save you this time."
Ash smirked. "Wouldn't dream of it. You ready, Pikachu?"
"Pika!" he snapped, cheeks already sparking.
Misty raised her hand. "Final round—begin!"
"Lapras, Ice Shard!" Lily shouted.
"Zigzag and strafe it, Pikachu!" Ash commanded.
Instead of diving underwater, Pikachu stayed above it—dashing in rapid bursts along the floating platforms and patches of ice forming across the pool. He leapt from edge to edge like a spark, dodging the shards with pure agility.
"Ice Beam—freeze the whole surface!" Lily ordered.
Lapras loosed a chilling blast, skating across the water and locking most of the pool in glimmering, frozen sheets. The whole arena became a slick battlefield of ice and cold mist.
"Use Volt Tackle MEET THEM HEAD ON!" Ash called.
Pikachu didn't hesitate.
He launched forward like a living thunderbolt, his entire body erupting in golden energy. Electricity blazed around him, wild and uncontrolled, crackling with raw force as his paws skated across the ice in furious bursts of speed.
"Lapras, intercept with Body Slam!" Lily commanded.
The massive Pokémon surged forward, shattering the frozen field beneath it as it reared up for a crushing slam—intending to intercept Pikachu head-on.
The two Pokémon collided in a blinding explosion of light and sound—Volt Tackle crashing into Lapras' chest mid-slam. Ice shattered, water sprayed, and the platform Pikachu had been on disintegrated beneath the blast wave.
For a moment, no one could see.
Steam rose thick around the battlefield.
Then a golden shape shot free—Pikachu, panting and wobbling, skidded to a stop on a chunk of broken ice, fur smoking but still standing.
Lapras slumped backward into the water with a low groan, eyes swirling.
Misty hesitated for a beat, then raised her arm. "Lapras is unable to battle! The winner is Ash Ketchum!"
The Cerulean Gym fell silent for just a moment… before Violet, Daisy, and Lily all broke out laughing at once.
"Misty, Don't go too easy on this boy because you have a crush on him!" Violet shouts as Misty makes her way to the stand.
"So, The Tomboyish Mermaid comes out to play finally." Ash states
Misty froze mid-step, turning just enough to shoot Ash a glare that could have frozen the whole pool over again.
"Oh, you did not just call me that," she said flatly, cheeks darkening just enough to betray a blush.
Daisy snorted. "He totally did."
Violet leaned over to Lily. "Five Pokédollars says Misty roasts him and still gives him the badge."
Lily whispered back, "Ten says she tries to drown him first."
Ash shrugged, grinning as he pulled out a fresh Pokéball. "You're the last one standing. Unless that Lapras was actually your final boss?"
Misty stepped up to the battle stand, her serious expression sliding into a competitive smirk. "You wanted a challenge, Ketchum? You got one. Three-on-three. I'm using my actual team this time. No holding back."
Pikachu hopped down from Ash's shoulder, stretching and sparking, while Ash pulled his next Pokémon.
"Three-on-three, huh? Good. Because I've got more surprises." He gave a two-finger point. "Let's see if the so-called mermaid can swim with me."
Misty tossed her Pokéball first. "Go, Starmie!"
The familiar whirl of light and spin filled the air as Starmie landed gracefully on the remaining ice floes.
Ash grinned. "Alright then… Let's dance." He threw his Pokéball. "Bulbasaur, take the lead!"