𝒳
"Shalour City— Say hello to Ash Ketchum!"
"Pika!"
Ash and Pikachu burst through a wall of thick foliage, skidding to a stop after the forest had come to an end. After days of traveling, and a few detours along the way, their destination was finally in sight: Shalour City.
The path the group was on had led to a cliff, giving Ash and Pikachu a perfect view of the whole city. Tall buildings stretched far down the coastline, with a web of greenery between it all. Yet, none of that drew Ash's attention. Through the hustle and bustle of the town, past all the distractions, his gaze was attached to just one thing.
He could spot the Tower of Mastery, and the setting sun hanging above it.
"Here we go!"
𝒳
"...How do we go?" Ash came to a sudden stop, realizing all at once that the Tower of Mastery wasn't at the edge of town, but in fact, beyond the town. A stretch of ocean separated him and his destination, with a thick stone railing and his impulse control being all that kept him from diving straight in.
"Pika?"
"Yeah, I don't see a boat either!" Ash answered, looking down the coast for a ferry, or some other path to the Gym. "Ah, what the heck!"
"Ash, slow down." Soon after Ash and Pikachu had arrived, Serena and the rest of the group joined them. Clemont was exhausted from all the running the group had been doing, and his sister was only a bit better. Serena in comparison didn't seem as tired, though that did little to ease her annoyance. "I was trying to tell you, the Shalour City Gym is on an island outside of the city. You can't just run straight in!"
"Awww, but I wanted to battle nooow!"
"Pika, pikachu!" Pikachu called in agreement, as he and Ash turned to look out onto the sea again. The sun would set below the horizon soon, and Korrina might not take their challenge that late!
"How do we get into the Gym?" Clemont asked then, turning to Serena after having caught his breath. She was reading through a guide of Shalour City on her PDA.
"Sorry guys. I don't have a clue," she confessed after a moment, sending Ash into theatrics once more. He buried his head into the stone railing.
"Well, now what are we gonna do?" Grumbling, Ash crossed his arms and looked out to the tower. For a moment he considered swimming again, though his brain managed to keep that idea under lockdown. That just left the painful option of waiting till tomorrow to borrow a boat.
Man, why didn't he get Korrina's number for situations like these.
"You who strives for great power!"
That call rang through the air like a thunderclap, turning heads and sending Ash whipping around. Shock and surprise came from the rest of the group, but not him. All he had was his goofy grin.
He recognized the voice.
Bursting from around a nearby corner, the familiar form of Korrina appeared, a smirk across her face. She immediately sprinted forward, picking up speed and getting low. Then, all at once, she leapt! She was going in for a jump kick—!
"Oh man!"
—Straight towards Ash!
Launching off his partner's shoulder, Pikachu fired off an Iron Tail, steel meeting rollerblade as he expertly blocked Korrina's kick. The clashing blows fought against each other until— it all canceled out. With that, Pikachu and Korrina bounced off one another, landing on opposite sides of Ash.
STAI LEGGENDO
Pokémon XY: Trying Something New
AvventuraAsh has tried again and again. Serena hasn't tried anything yet. He's certain of his dreams. She doesn't know where to start. He'll lose it all if he doesn't change. She'll never become anything if she doesn't choose. Perhaps, in Kalos, they can bot...
