Ash's Story (Part 5: Modern Sinnoh)

Chapter 45: Wake's Current

The next morning, Pastoria City woke under a sky the color of polished steel. Rain had passed sometime before dawn, leaving the streets wet and bright, and every puddle reflected the Gym like the whole city was pointing us toward it.

Buizel had been awake before anyone else. He stood near the Pokémon Center doors with his arms crossed, staring toward Crasher Wake's Gym as if he could make the doors open faster by glaring at them.

Pikachu sat beside him and watched quietly, his tail curled around his feet instead of twitching. He understood battle impatience better than almost anyone, but he also understood when impatience had something scared underneath it.

Buizel's meaning came restless and sharp. "Water Gym. Water opponent. My fight should not be borrowed."

Pikachu's meaning answered gently. "I can fight water. That does not mean I take your water."

I heard both of them before I reached the doors. Lillie joined me a second later, already watching Buizel with concern while Dawn and Lopunny slowed behind us.

"Buizel is still worried about Pikachu being the obvious choice," Lillie said softly, keeping her voice low enough that Buizel would not feel cornered.

"Yeah," I said, watching him stare toward the Gym. "He wants to prove he belongs in this Gym."

Tox stepped out behind us with Chansey and gave my shoulder one careful look. The bite and burn from Monferno's crisis were healing, but Tox still checked them like I might sprint into a wall if he blinked.

"No full-force shoulder strain today," Tox said in his calmest warning voice. "That means no dramatic catching, falling, or wrestling a Water-type into submission."

"I was not planning on wrestling anyone," I said, though I knew that did not make the warning useless.

Gladion looked at Buizel and raised one eyebrow, his expression making the answer obvious.

"Tell him that before the battle starts," Gladion said dryly from behind me.

Dawn smiled nervously, but Lopunny rested one paw on Buizel's shoulder. Buizel did not shrug her off. That was a good sign, even if his eyes stayed fixed on the Gym doors.

When the Gym finally opened, Crasher Wake's voice boomed out before we even stepped inside.

"Welcome, challengers!" Wake shouted, spreading both arms like the whole building was an arena stage. "Pastoria's waters are ready, and so am I!"

The Gym Guide waved from near the entrance, looking relieved the maintenance was finished.

"The Gym Leader Wake, uh, I mean Crasher Wake, is a master of Water-type Pokémon," the guide said. "You've got guts if you face him head-on, but the water level puzzle comes first."

Lillie took one steady breath and stepped forward before I could decide whether to challenge first.

"I will challenge first," Lillie said, her voice soft but certain.

Wake grinned broadly and pointed toward the platforms crossing the pool.

"Then show me how you swim through pressure before you reach me!" Wake declared, laughing loudly enough to shake the water.

The Pastoria Gym puzzle was more than a path. The water rose and lowered through switches on different platforms, changing which walkways appeared and which pools became too deep to cross. Lillie studied it quietly before moving, and I could tell she was treating the puzzle like a battle before the battle.

Her first opponent was a Tuber named Jacky, whose Buizel splashed into the low water with excitement. Lillie chose Plant Cloak Wormadam, and Razor Leaf cut through the spray without wasting movement.