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Pulling back on the string of his bow, Ash stared ahead at the target within his sights. Sweat dripped down his chin slightly as he attempted to keep the aim steady and correct. Feeling as if he finally had it, he went to release the arrow. As he did, however, his thumb slipped slightly, causing the projectile to tilt and go off tract. The young blond watched helplessly as the arrow just tumbled as soon as the string was released, hitting the ground and coming to a stop.

Pikachu picked up the arrow and held it up to Ash, but his trainer just let out a sound of frustration and sat back. Rubbing his eyes to try and relax them and chase away the stress, he gave a minute sigh. “Archery is dumb. Standing so still and staring at one small area for too long is so dumb.” He didn't have the patience for this kind of thing.

Setting the bow down, he stretched. Erika had started to teach him in Kyudo, the way of the bow. As such, his outfit currently consisted of a keiko-gi – a white, short-sleeved kimono-like top, an obi, dark blue hakama skirt, and finally a pair of tabi socks to cover his feet.

The bow, he found, was larger than he anticipated it would be. He would never have foreseen that he would be using an actual yumi long bow that was as tall as he was. Thankfully, it wasn't really all that heavy, and he didn't have too much trouble with pulling back the string. It was just holding it in place while aiming and not messing up that he had trouble with.

Letting out a small yawn, Ash watched as Budew explored the area of Erika's property. The tiny newborn rose bud Pokemon was rather curious, though would often become shy when coming across another Pokemon in the area, and constantly ran back to him to hide behind his legs. Though it would quickly go back to exploring. Currently Budew sipped a bit of water from the pond, letting out a startled yelp when a koi splashed it. Pikachu quickly ran over to make sure it was okay.

Erika's voice popped up. “You're putting too much emphasis on forcing it, Ashley.” She walked on over to the young trainer and handed him mug of tea. “You can take a nice rest for now.” She proceeded to sit down next to him and take a sip of her own tea. “As I have told you, one of the main disciplines of learning how to use the bow is to relax your mind and not think too hard on what you are trying to do.”

A frown played across Ash's lips as he sipped his beverage. “Yeah, but how do I do that? I mean, just standing there in place and holding a position? You told me that I gotta be able to reach some kind of state where I push away all thoughts and become one with my spirit and the target, but I don't get it.” He didn't even think this kind of thing was for him, and trying to figure it out frustrated him.

“I understand how frustrating it can be at first, Ashley.” Erika reached out and rested her hand on the back of her pupil's, giving it a small squeeze. “But I am certain you will eventually understand and be able to conquer your issue. You just need to learn to find your center and what relaxes you. Once you do that, it will come easier and easier.”

“I suppose.” Ash muttered in annoyance. “You've told me how this will help me with Pokemon training and battles, and I do wanna learn it. I'm just not good at doing it. I'll figure it out, though.” He definitely wasn't a quitter by any means, especially when it means getting better at dealing with Pokemon. Oh, and he guessed life lessons as well, but he wasn't as interested with that.

“I know you will, Ashley. Though perhaps you can also ask Sabrina to help you with meditation and calming your mind. I'm sure she would have some wonderful tips.” Smiling, she proceeded to get to her feet. “Ashley, I had some plans scheduled for today, and I was wondering if you would like to accompany me.”

He looked up at her. “Some plans? We're not going to train some more? I was planning on training a little more with my Pokemon as well.”

“We can do that later. For now, though, I think it would be nice to spend a bit of time together, as well as allow you to see a few things that a Gym Leader needs to deal with from time to time.” She considers, tapping her chin a little. “I suppose you could call it a girls day out of sorts?”

A 'girls day out'? Ash wasn't really a stranger to that term, considering it was used by the other girls at the gym when they took him to the salon to spend some time together. However, he was certain that a salon trip wouldn't be on Erika's mind, and he was curious what other Gym Leaders typically did from time to time. It would be kinda neat.

“Sure, I'd like to join you.”

**********

Ash walked alongside Erika as they made their way down the streets of Celadon. Erika was dressed in one of her more formal kimono. Ash, likewise, was also currently in a kimono of his own and dressed much like the day that the girls at the gym gave him that 'princess makeover'. Granted, after all the stuff that happened since then, it wasn't as unnerving as it had been, and he was able to deal with it without having an outright crisis of feelings. That didn't mean he didn't feel a tiny amount of embarrassment, though.

On his shoulder was Pikachu, comfortable as he typically was in that spot. Also on his person, however, was Budew. The infant Grass Pokemon was carefully snug inside of a makeshift baby carrier pouch that rested right in front of the young trainer's chest, as if Ash were acting as a parent carrying a young child.

Said Budew was looking around in wonder at the sights, retracting shyly whenever someone approached and got close to it, and that was something that happened quite a bit as they made their way through the city. It would relax whenever Ash placed a comforting hand onto its head.

“So where are we going, Erika?” Ash looked up at the woman with a curious look. “And why are we dressed like this?”

“Well, Ashley, I'm actually meeting with someone rather important.” At the glance he continued giving her, she continued. “You see, every so often, a Gym Leader has to meet with a Pokemon League Inspection Agency official, mainly to report how things are going with the gym, as well as if they are doing their duties right as a Gym Leader.”

“Pokemon League Inspection Agency?”

Erika nods. “It's a branch of the Pokemon League itself, which in turn is a separate branch of the government that oversees everything that involves Pokemon and trainers. Inspectors not only check to see how Gym Leaders and gyms are doing, but also inspect Pokemon Centers, Pokemon Marts, Trainer Schools, and many other institutions in order to see if they are up to proper standards. The Inspector had already visited me a little earlier at the gym while you were working on practicing. She was making sure that the renovation efforts made to the gym were sound.”

“Wow...” Ash had to admit that being a PLIA sounded like a big job, and a real important one. “But if you already met with her, then what else do you need to speak with her for?”

They neared a small restaurant with a few umbrella tables sitting outside of it. There weren't that many people at the tables right now. There was a young couple with a Nidoran male and female, and the only other person was what appeared to be a Nurse Joy dressed in casual wear.

“She is interested in meeting with you, Ashley.” Erika answered, causing the young trainer to blink in confusion as she walks over to the Joy sitting at the table. “It's a pleasure to meet you again, inspector.”

“... Inspector? Her?” Ash asked in surprise as he stared at the pink-haired woman. “She's a Nurse Joy, isn't she?”

The Joy gave a smile to the boy before laughing a bit. “You wouldn't believe just how surprised people tend to get when they first realize that. The Inspection Agency has a handful of us of the Joy family that work for them. This is mainly due to the fact that seeing a Nurse Joy tends to cause people to relax, and allows us to see things at their most candid.”

At Ash's slow nod, she stands up and holds out a hand to him. “PLIA Official Willia Joy. A pleasure to meet you, Ashley.” She paused, speaking in a quieter voice. “Or should I say Ash?”

The young trainer went to shake the hand, but paused right then and there, blanching in surprise. “Wh-- you know about that?” How did they even know?

“Pi?” Pikachu was surprised as well by this. Though the young Budew had fallen asleep at this point.

Willia nods in response. “The Pokemon League received a request from Professor Samuel Oak in regards to a change in identification. To allow one Ash Ketchum to be re-registered as Ashley Ketchum to accommodate for some changes that have occurred recently. Is that correct?” At Ash's slow nod, she continued. “This request was put to an inquiry to figure out why it had occurred. The PLIA discovered that it was due to events centering around the Celadon Gym.”

“I-- yeah.” He felt rather nervous by now.

“What we know is that during the night of the fire that was caused by Team Rocket, you disguised yourself as an Ashley Ketchum before entering the gym. Even after you had been discovered by Erika, you still continued to live as Ashley Ketchum.”

Another nod from Ash. He felt really embarrassed now that this was being brought up. A number of people high up knew about this. How did he even look to them? “I-- erm, didn't expect Erika to want to help train me so much before I disguised myself?”

The Joy gave Ash a comforting smile as she placed a hand on his shoulder. “It's perfectly okay, Ash. There is no need to be so embarrassed and nervous, because we of the league understand full well what is going on, and it isn't the first case that we've had to deal with of this variety.”

He blinked a bit, feeling confused. Why didn't he need to be embarrassed or nervous? Does she mean that the League has had to deal with trainers being initially forced into something under the guise of a punishment? “You do?”

“Absolutely!” Willia answered. “You are not the first child who has left home on their journey, and discovered that they felt more comfortable dressing and living as the opposite gender. The League gets these occasional requests for identity changes all the time.”

Ash just blinked. “... say what?”

“I, of course, had to speak to your fellow gym trainer members in order to investigate further on this subject and see if our assumptions were correct. They, while knowing about your physical state, appear to accept you as one of them, and vouch for the legitimacy of your willingness and desire to explore these budding feelings of yours. You've managed to make quite a lot of friends who appreciate you dearly.” She lifts Ash's chin to look directly into his eyes. “I understand that you are still nervous and unsure, but don't let that scare you away, especially with the friends you have that desire to help you.”

Ash could only nod numbly, unsure how to process this at all.

“One of the many aspects of a Pokemon journey is to allow trainers to find themselves not only as a Pokemon trainer, but also as a person. A journey of self discovery on the road to maturity, if you will.” She gently grabbed Ash by the hand. “The Pokemon League accepts all kinds, and tries its best to not discriminate based on these things. If you have discovered this new you, and wish to live and be registered as a girl, we'll allow it.”

“I... wh...” Ash was honestly speechless at this turn of events. This kind of thing happened on occasion? They allowed the re-registration just like that? It was this simple? They thought his initial disguise was because he started to 'discover' himself?! “I... thanks.” He felt rather overwhelmed by this, not to mention still embarrassed. He could have told the inspector that she was wrong about his reasons and wasn't doing this to 'discover' himself, but at the same time it provided an excellent excuse to continue what he was doing for training. A small part of his brain was also rather thankful to the girls at the gym, and there was a feeling of warmth building over the fact that they seemed to appreciate him so much.

“It's fine, Ashley Ketchum. There is no need for thanks. You make for a rather lovely young lady, and I couldn't think of bringing myself to stand in the way of your feelings.” This just caused the 11-year-old's cheeks to redden even more in embarrassment. “From now on, you'll be registered as Ashley in the trainer registry and rankings. Your battle records will be converted over, and I wish you luck in your attempts to continue climbing up the Top Ten Thousand Kanto Trainer Rankings, young lady.”

Willia scritched Pikachu's chin gently. “And you have such a cute Pikachu and Budew as well. I can tell by how healthy they look that you are a good trainer.” She turns to Erika and bows. After which, she proceeds to walk away, leaving a somewhat flustered Ash behind.

As soon as she was out of view, Ash collapsed to his knees, looking thoroughly exhausted despite having not done much to cause that. “What... just happened?” he asked, overwhelmed and a bit confused.

“It appears as if being 'Ashley' has just gotten a bit easier.” Erika answered, actually looking somewhat befuddled herself. Out of everything she could have expected from this, it wasn't the League itself reaching the conclusion that it did. This did provide a wonderful benefit and cover for her student to continue being seen as Ashley, but...

“I'm Ashley for absolute real now!” Ash whined out.

“Pikapi, chu pika.” Pikachu gave his trainer a comforting pat on the head, as if saying 'It'll be alright'.

********

After a quick stop to get Ash some ice cream to cheer him up – something that the young trainer realized was becoming a rather strange and worrying habit, – they continued on their way. Pikachu had actually gotten a cone of his own, and Ash held out a specially made tomato berry ice cream out for Budew to enjoy. “I can't believe it ended up like this.”

“I'm really sorry that it all ended up coming to this large of an extreme, Ashley.” Erika held her hands together under her chin apologetically. “You could have explained the truth to the inspector and managed to get out of it, though.”

“Yeah, well... I could have. Though I didn't want you to get in trouble, and I'm still intending to stick to my promise of beating the league, Elite 4, and Champion.” He muttered, looking to the side. Though he wasn't sure just how easy it would be to just return to being 'Ash' after that. He actually grew to like Erika, and didn't want to know what would happen if the inspector found out about Erika's initial... method of getting him to become Ashley.

“And besides, maybe some of the people I've met won't remember me, or even think about looking up my rankings.” Maybe they'd also just assume that 'Ashley Ketchum' was his sister. Though if 'Ashley' continued climbing the ranks, it would seem like 'Ash' failed. Then again, it didn't matter since it was still him improving, right? Though the bigger question was, as always, Gary.

“Thank you, Ashley.” Erika was both relieved and touched that the child next to her was worried about what would have possibly happened to her. She really would have to try to make it up to him sometime.

It was then that a thought occurred to her. “That reminds me, have you taken the time to read up on the Elite 4 in order to know just who you would be up against in the event that you do manage to face them?” Her student had mentioned his interest in trying to learn a bit more of what he could on the subject.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. It was easier than I thought it would be.” He just had to log onto the Indigo Pokemon League official web site. The League itself generally kept records of nearly all of the Pokemon Trainers that were registered, though looking for some trainers would be impossible if they managed to dodge registering with the League. “Lorelei, Agatha, Bruno, and Lance. Though Lance seems to also act as the regional champion as well.”

“Very good, you're learning how to search out information and prepare yourself for the future.” Erika smiled, placing a hand on Ash's head. “This is something that is important if one wishes to work on advancing to becoming a top trainer and be ready for what comes your way. I'm proud of you for taking these steps.”

Ash couldn't keep himself from smiling at the praise, feeling as if it was something that he needed at the moment to help him feel a little better. “So where is it that we're going now?” By that point, he, Pikachu, and Budew had finished their ice cream, with Budew falling back asleep.

“Another responsibility of a Gym Leader is to occasionally stop by schools around their city and speak to some of the younger children about some aspects of Pokemon training.” Not all kids grew up to become trainers, though Gym Leaders and other influential trainers providing occasional lectures and visits helped to prepare them for later. “The school we'll be stopping at today is Celadon University.”

“Celadon University?”

“It's an escalator school that provides education from primary school all the way to university level. Its main focus is on teaching children to become Pokemon trainers, though the children who don't start their journey after finishing primary school are able to stay on and continue their education.” She pauses. “Your Professor Oak taught at Celadon University years ago, and was even awarded the rank of Emeritus.”

“Emer-wha?”

“Emeritus, Ashley. It's a one of the highest titles and ranks given to a professor of outstanding merit who has accomplished a great deal in their time, and is recognized for having done so.”

Ash just blinked, soaking the information in. “Prof. Oak is really that amazing?” He shared a disbelieving look with Pikachu. It was hard to imagine, with how... eccentric the man was every time he saw the guy. He certainly didn't act like someone who was incredibly influential.

It wasn't long before they arrived at Celadon University, and Ash was surprised by how large the place was. He was only used to the very small school building in Pallet, and so seeing a giant place such as this was overwhelming to him.

“This place is amazing.”

“Pikaaaaaaa”

After walking through the large campus courtyard, they entered the building and made their way on through the halls. The inside was clean, and their shoes clicked on the tiling as they walked along the path. Eventually, Erika came to a stop at one of the rooms, and Ash took a small peek inside. He saw a nicely sized classroom filled with children who looked to be around six-years-old, and the blond figured that they must have been first-graders.

“--and so this is why in addition to the native language everybody speaks in their home region and country around the world, it was decided that a secondary, unified language would be taught to allow for people to talk to each other and communicate. This is especially helpful for trainers who travel and visit different parts of the world, so that they aren't left lost and confused.” It was the tail end of the teacher's speech.

Once the teacher realized that they were standing outside the door, he let them in and introduced them to the class. The kids were, as likely to be expected, impressed to be able to meet their city's Gym Leader. Each of them began lobbing questions to the woman, but soon quieted down thanks to the efforts from the teacher.

Erika giggled at this. “Now now, children, I'm certain that we can get all of your questions answered. As your teacher said, I am Erika of the Celadon Gym.” She motions towards her companion to speak.

“Ah, um, I'm Ashley Ketchum. This is my partner Pikachu.”

“Pika!” The electric mouse waved, causing some of the kids to belt out about how they haven't seen a Pikachu in person, and were excited.

“And this is Budew. It just hatched from an egg.” He motioned to the tiny rose bud Pokemon, which drawled a collective 'awwww' and 'so cute' from a few of the girls.

A boy raised a hand. “So who are you really? You important or something?” He asked Ash in a manner that annoyed the trainer.

“Ashley is my personal student.” Erika answered. “I believe she can become an amazing trainer, so I have taken her under my wing and started to train her.”

“Wow!”

“Training with a Gym Leader!”

“She's really beautiful”

“I like her name.”

Ash found himself blushing at the compliments to his looks and name, which mainly came from a majority of the young girls.

The same boy from earlier scoffed a bit. “She doesn't look all that great. I mean, look at her. She's all dressed up like that and doesn't look tough at all.” This caused some of the other kids to mumble and feel he could be right.

“Pika...” Pikachu glared at the kid for the insult to his trainer.

Ash puffed up his cheeks in annoyance. He didn't look strong just because of how he was dressed? He was plenty amazing! He opened his mouth to say something, but was beaten to the punch by Erika.

“Ashley has already managed to obtain four badges.” She thinks for a spell before continuing. “However, if that doesn't convince you, then perhaps the two of us can show off our skill in a Pokemon battle?” She looks towards her student. “Well, Ashley, what do you say? Would you like to show these children your skill in a one vs one match with me?”

Ash blinked at Erika. A battle against her? Right now? Well, he was really interested in seeing how well he could do against Erika. It wasn't a gym battle, but he did want to show these kids he wasn't weak. He gave a bright smile. “Sure!”

After a change of scenery, Erika and Ash stared at each other from the opposite ends of a battle field in the campus yard. The class of young students was gathered around the field to watch. Even a few older students that were mulling about stopped to see what was going on.

“Let's show these children the beauty of Grass types, Ashley.”

“So you want me to use Bulbasaur?”

“I do, and it would be a good learning moment for your Budew to watch Bulbasaur in action.” Erika held up a Pokeball and gave it a toss. From out of the ball popped Weepinbell.

“Bell!” It spun around for a second.

Ash nodded and looked over at Budew, who was sitting next to Pikachu on the sidelines and accompanied by the students. “Watch this, Budew, and maybe you'll get inspired.” He smirked before pulling out his Pokeball and summoning Bulbasaur from it. He realized that since both Pokemon were Poison and Grass types, neither really had an advantage over the other.

“Bul!” He stomped a foot against the ground, glad to finally be in another battle.

“Weepinbell, let's start this off with your Razor Leaf.” Erika held out a hand, seemingly sparkling within the light.

Weepinbell held up its leaf arms and gained some momentum before spinning around rapidly, launching a volley of super fast spinning leaves.

“Quick, Bulbasaur, use your Vine Whip to knock them away, then counter with sleep powder!”

“Bul!” Vines shot out from the Seed Pokemon and intercepted the leaves, slapping them aside in quick succession before a cloud of green powder exploded out from the bulb on its back, shooting at his opponent.

As the spores careened towards the Flycatcher Pokemon, Erika commanded it to spin even quicker. As it did, it managed to whip up a swirling wind that caused the spores to disperse into the air once it hit the vortex. “Now, use your own vines to grab onto Bulbasaur and pull it close!” Weepinbell stopped spinning and lashed out with its vines.

Bulbasaur, for his part, attempted to dodge in and out of the vines as they whipped at him, watching each one as they came. Ash knew that he couldn't keep this up for long, and so he had to think of something. As one of the vines zoomed to the side of his Pokemon, he realized what that something was. It was dumb, but it just might work.

“Bulbasaur, that vine! Grab it and pull Weepinbell in close!”

Bulbasaur, obliging, chomped down hard on the vine, causing his opponent to let out a shout of surprise. With one good yank, he pulled his fellow Grass type towards him.

“Now tackle it as it is flying towards you!”

Stomping its back foot and bending at his knees for momentum, Bulbasaur launched directly at Weepinbell, hitting it head on as it rushed towards him.

After being hit, it went flying backwards and landing on the ground, skidding to a halt where it got up and shook the cobwebs from its mind.

“I'm impressed, Ashley. That was some quick thinking and strategy on your part.” Erika praised. “To pull Weepinbell in close and use the momentum of it coming to land a hit for more damage.”

“Thanks Erika!” Ash responded, feeling incredibly elated. He was having a lot of fun right now, and was happy to have been able to impress her with what he thought was just a random occurrence that just worked.

“Pikapi, chu, pikapi, chu!” Pikachu shouted on the sidelines, waving a pair of miniature flags as he cheered for Ash. Budew, meanwhile, watched with a look of amazement. It looked at Pikachu for a moment before standing up and cheering along with him.

“Ashley really is good!” One of the younger kids shouted amongst the murmur of voices.

“She's not bad.” The boy from earlier muttered, not wanting to admit he was more wrong than he needed.

“And she really is cute.” A girl piped up.

“I like her hair.”

“That Kimono is cute.”

“I love her nails.”

“Look at those earrings!”

“And she's really kick butt and brave!”

Ash blush as he rubbed the back of his neck, laughing with a little embarrassment. He was getting a lot of praise, though most of it was about his look. Still, praise was praise, and he honestly liked that they were talking about him and looking up to him; even if it was as a girl and dressed how he was.

“My my, someone is getting some fans it seems.” Erika wagged a finger. “But don't think that this is over just yet, Ashley.” She motioned over to Weepinbell, and then looked towards the children. “Kids, this is an integral part of each Pokemon species. Each Pokemon possesses a special unique ability. In Weepinbell's case, it has Chlorophyll, which allows its speed to increase in direct sunlight. What do you see above our heads right now, children?”

“Sunlight!” They all shouted.

“That's right. Now, Weepinbell, get in close and use Slam!”

“Bell!” It was definitely fast, and was on Bulbasaur in no time, lashing out with a heavy hit via its leaf arm that sent Bulbasaur skidding towards Ash.

“Bulbasaur!” Ash yelled in surprise, not having expected the Flycatcher Pokemon to be so quick. “Catch it with a Vine Whip!”

Bulbasaur, standing back onto his feet, lashed out with his vines. However, as a repeat from earlier but in reverse, Weepinbell easily dodged in and out of them, with much better ease and speed.

Ash growled to himself as he tried to figure out a way to counter this. If it was this fast, and now on the move, then hitting it would be a lot harder. 'Think, think... how do I deal with this?'

“If you allow yourself to panic, Ashley, you'll lose sight of your goal.” Erika interrupted his thoughts. “Like I told you during Kyudo practice, you must allow yourself to be calm and not worry about the target in front of you. Can you do that and figure out how to deal with this problem?”

'This is a test?' Ash frowned at that and took in a deep breath, calming down. 'That's right... letting myself get impatient won't help a thing. I need observe what's going on. The Sun is making-- the Sun!' Looking up into the sky, Ash realized the key to this whole problem. “Bulbasaur! Let loose your sleep powder into the air above you!”

Doing as he was told, the Pokemon's bulb spewed out the dust into the air, which covered the area above them like a cloud, and obscuring some of the sunlight from reaching the field.

“B-- Bell!” Weepinbell, due to the sudden change in speed, fell face first onto ground, which left it wide open to be grabbed by Bulbasaur's vines and lifted up and into the cloud of sleep powder. It struggled and flailed before falling fast asleep asleep.

“Now slam it!”

Bulbasaur did just that, and slammed his opponent directly into the ground, where it laid there unconscious.

“Weepinbell is unable to battle!” The teacher from earlier, who acted as a referee for the match, raised his arm. “Ashley is the winner!”

“I did it!” Ash hoped up and down as best he could while in a kimono, and proceeded to grab Bulbasaur in a hug. “You did great, Bulbasaur!”

“Bulba.” It grinned at the praise.

Pikachu ran up to congratulate him, while Budew waddled over and looked at Bulbasaur in amazement, and then back to Ashley. It was then picked up by its trainer, who it nuzzled into.

A few of the kids ran over and crowded around Ash, clamoring for his attention.

“You're amazing!”

“I wanna be a trainer like you when I turn 10!” A girl said, punching the air. “Be all kinds of kick butt!”

A girl with messy, scraggly hair and thick glasses tugged on Ash's Kimono. “Um... do you think I could be as cute as you when I get older?”

Ash blinked and knelt down before her. “I don't see why you couldn't. Besides, you're cute already.” He smirks and gives her hair a ruffle. “Your glasses are neat.”

Erika recalled her Weepinbell and walked over, unable to keep a smile from being present on her features. 'She's definitely gaining some admirers.' Maybe her student didn't think much of it at the moment, but influencing a bunch of young kids was just one step to realizing that dream of his.

“You're going to have to defeat me someday if you want to become the best.” Ash reached out and ruffled the hair of one of the boys, who blushed in embarrassment at the attention. “Until then, do your best to learn about Pokemon and training, alright?”

The day started out rather lackluster, but by now, things definitely seemed to be looking up, and he was feeling a lot more confident. Whatever came next definitely wasn't going to get him down.

**********

“Shopping trip?” Ash asked incredulously as he looked up at Erika. After they had finished with the visit to Celadon University, they made a stop at a restaurant and had a much needed meal where they conversed about various subjects and generally got to know a little more about each other. It was afterward that Erika had dropped the idea of doing some shopping.

The woman nodded. “I felt that it would be a good activity for a little bonding. In part to help help you out a little with obtaining some more clothing. While you do have quite a few outfits thanks to your mother, they aren't cloths that you obtained yourself. It's a bit more enjoyable to appreciate clothing that you were around to acquire from shopping instead of just getting hand-me-downs.”

“Hand-me-downs are the worst!” They turned around to see Misty, who had somehow snuck up behind them as they walked. “I have three older sisters, so I understand the problem with that.”

“Pikachu-Pi!” Pikachu waved excitedly to Misty, who waved back.

“And what's this I hear about a shopping trip?” She got that mischievous look in her eye as she stared at Ash.

Recognizing said look, the blond tried to wave her away. “Nothing; you heard nothing.” He soon found the girl's arm resting on his shoulder.

“Oh c'mon Ashley! Remember how we agreed the other day that we were going to go on a shopping trip sometime? I mean, of course I've been visiting the shops, but we never got the chance to do it together.”

“What we? I never agreed to that. Erika, tell her that this is just a thing between me and you.” Ash whined, looking at the Grass leader for assistance.

Erika appeared to consider this. “It's never a good thing to leave a friend behind, Ashley. Think of it as a chance to allow the both of you to bond some more as well.”

“Erikaaaaaaa!”

*********

“You're having fun, aren't you, Ashley?” Misty asked in amusement as she watched the blond examine himself in the mirror.

Ash decided to dodge the question. “I don't have to answer that.” He gave another turn as he looked himself over. His outfit consisted of a white shirt that left the shoulders bare, with the sleeves ending just at his elbows. Over this was a pair of light blue overalls that ended as a pair of shorts. On the front of the overalls was the image of a Luvdisc, and similar imagery was visible on the shorts. Attached to the right shoulder strap was a pink bow.

His legs were covered by a pair of pink and white striped stockings, with a pair of blue and white boots upon his feet. On top of his head was a pink puffy hat that had a light blue belt stripe and black buckle. Attached to the hat was a dark purple flower accessory.
All in all, it was girly, but at the same time boyish, causing him to look like a cute tomboy. He... actually liked it, though it made him realize that even if he wore something boyish, he'd only come off as just that... a tomboy. Still, he was rather fond of it, and liked that it was something a little less feminine.

“You're right. You DON'T have to answer.” Misty knew that she was definitely having fun herself. Even if her friend was reluctant and embarrassed, he wasn't as stubborn and difficult about doing this that she had initially figured he would be. Sure, he tried to deny having fun, but it was really easy to see through.

“Okay, alright, so maybe I am having a LITTLE fun, but only when it's normal clothing.” He motioned towards the one he currently wore, and to a few others that had been picked out. Some of them were other outfits that were a bit boyish in appearance, though there were some simple dresses mixed in. “But not when it's something really silly and ridiculous.”

Erika tilted her head, yawning slightly. “I thought you looked rather lovely in the evening dress.”

Pikachu nodded along with Budew

“When would I even NEED something like that?”

“Just to wear when you want to look fancy?”At Ash's flustered look, she laughed. “Oh calm down, Ashley, you know that this is all just in good fun, right?”

After a moment of silence, Ash gave a sigh and nodded. “I do realize that.” It was just something that he still had trouble with whenever it was specifically brought to his attention, not to mention the confrontation earlier with the League official and actually being registered as a girl weighing slightly on his mind. Shaking his head to push the thoughts away, he crossed his arms. He was not letting this day turn around to be a horrible one. “Fine, but I want to pick out some more stuff myself.” A smirk spread across his lips. “And since you picked out some stuff for me, Misty, I think it's time I find something for you to try on.”

Misty blanched, feeling as if the tables were turning on her. “No way, Ashley. You do not want to try and go there! You'll so regret it if you even try to put me into something silly!” She tried to back away, but the blond grabbed onto her hand and pulled her close.

“C'mon Misty. As you said, this is all in good fun, right? Isn't it unfair that you get to dress me up, but you don't get any of the same?” That smirk was even wider now, causing Misty some obvious dread as to what was potentially to come.

“Perhaps Misty would look lovely in a ballerina outfit?” Erika asked innocently. There was no reason why she should be kept out of the fun. Even she had her own... sense of humor at times. “I believe that one she managed to stuff you into is still here.”

“Nononono!” Misty waved her arms in panic. Someone have mercy upon her sweet and innocent soul and help her.

“Psy-ay.” Psyduck was sporting a rather spiffy top hat and monocle that he somehow managed to find.

Nope, she was doomed.

*********

Hisae bowed as Erika and Ash returned home. “Welcome home, Miss Erika, Miss Ashley.”

“Thank you, Hisae.” Erika smiled as she sat down. “Could you please bring us some tea?”

Ash flopped down onto the sofa, Pikachu hopping up onto the back of it, and Budew held within the blond's arms. He was exhausted from the shopping, if the various bags of clothing were of any indication. Not only had they gone to the iconic department store that Celadon was known for, but they had also stopped at a few more places in the shopping district. He really wasn't sure why he needed so many kinds of clothing, but he was certain he'd never need to buy anything else again.

“So all in all, how would you rate the day we had together, Ashley?”

“... exhausting.” He answered, sitting up. “Though I guess I kind of had a lot of fun, especially at the university. Getting back at Misty was really satisfying as well!” He SO had material to tease the redhead with for a good while. If she brought up her bike any time soon, he'd casually mention how nice she looked in the ballerina and maid outfits. He even took some photos with his phone.

“I'm glad you were able to have some fun.” Erika accepted the mug of tea from Hisae and gave a sip, sighing. “So nice to relax after a long day.” She glanced at Ash. “Though you look like you would definitely be too exhausted to get some more training in for the night.”

At the mention of more training, Ash was on his feet in an instant. “Exhausted? Who said that? I'm full of energy and pep!”

“Well then, tonight we can get back to your Kyudo training. I'm feeling positive that you can make some amount of breakthrough tonight. Tomorrow you can work on training your own Pokemon, in order to get a better hand on their strengths, weaknesses, attacks, and abilities.”

Ash nodded in response. He was ready to actually work with his Pokemon and train them. There was no way he was going to end up being behind the others any more. “You ready to get down to some training, Pikachu?”

“Chu-pika!” His companion nodded, clenching his tiny fists with a determined look on his face. Budew attempted to mimic this.

“We should also also get to work on your flower arranging and tea ceremony training.” That caused the blond to deflate a little. “I would also like you to get in touch with Sabrina and have her help you out with meditative exercises. I'm sure she would know of a few that could help you.” She holds up a finger. “Oh, yes, also, I know that one of the girls that attends the gym can help you learn to cook. She works at one of the nearby restaurants.”

“Why do I need to learn to cook?”

“For in case you are traveling by yourself. You have mentioned that Brock cooks meals for your group. What if he isn't around? What will you eat? Also, don't you think that it would be a good idea to be able to help him once in a while? Learning to cook is an important life skill that more people should learn.”

“Can you cook?”

Erika blinks. “Erm, well, I know some basics.” She tapped her fingers together, looking to the side with some clear discomfort. “However, I'm not someone who frequently intends to be on the road. You are definitely in need of some more survival skills to help you.”

“... I guess you're right.”

“We'll work on this routine for the next few days. After which, you can head off to get your fifth badge. After your fifth badge, we can have our rematch for your sixth.”

“Where should I go to get my next badge?”

Erika hums to herself as she sips her tea. There were quite a few potential gyms around that the young trainer could go after and challenge, but which one should he go for. After running the gyms that she knew of through her mind, she came to her conclusion. “I think that the Fuchsia Gym would be a good option.”

“Fuchsia Gym?”

“It's a gym located on the outskirts of Fuchsia City, and doubles as a ninja training ground for the Gym Leader Koga and his family.” If Ash could manage to work his magic on Koga, then maybe it could turn into a good learning experience. The man was hard to impress, but considering that her student had managed to help Sabrina turn around, who knew?

Ash perked up at the mention of ninja. “Really? The Gym Leader is a ninja? That's amazing! I wanna go there and see for myself!” He had always been interested in seeing an actual ninja, and now it was his chance.

“Well then, it looks like after these few days of training, your next destination has been decided. Now, let's go work on some more Kyudo lessons.”

“Sure!”

*********

Author's Notes: I'm aware that in the English dub, Lorelei's name was changed to Prima in order to match the mouth flaps. However, I'm honestly not fond of the name. It may be silly of me, but I'll be calling her Lorelei.

In regards to the whole secondary unified language thing. It potentially does help explain how the anime doesn't really have any issue with language. I can see each region/country having its own laguage, but also speaking a secondary 'worldwide' language as well.

As for the Pokemon League Inspection Agency and its inspection of the safety of various gyms, one can only imagine just how much dodging Blaine probably did in order to keep his friggin volcano gym operational. That place sure isn't PLIA friendly.

Finally, the next chapter will have Ash making his way to Fuchsia!

Description
Pulling back on the string of his bow, Ash stared ahead at the target within his sights. Sweat dripped down his chin slightly as he attempted to keep the aim steady and correct. Feeling as if he finally had it, he went to release the arrow. As he did, however, his thumb slipped slightly, causing the projectile to tilt and go off tract. The young blond watched helplessly as the arrow just tumbled as soon as the string was released, hitting the ground and coming to a stop.

Pikachu picked up the arrow and held it up to Ash, but his trainer just let out a sound of frustration and sat back. Rubbing his eyes to try and relax them and chase away the stress, he gave a minute sigh. “Archery is dumb. Standing so still and staring at one small area for too long is so dumb.” He didn't have the patience for this kind of thing.

Setting the bow down, he stretched. Erika had started to teach him in Kyudo, the way of the bow. As such, his outfit currently consisted of a keiko-gi – a white, short-sleeved kimono-like top, an obi, dark blue hakama skirt, and finally a pair of tabi socks to cover his feet.

The bow, he found, was larger than he anticipated it would be. He would never have foreseen that he would be using an actual yumi long bow that was as tall as he was. Thankfully, it wasn't really all that heavy, and he didn't have too much trouble with pulling back the string. It was just holding it in place while aiming and not messing up that he had trouble with.

Letting out a small yawn, Ash watched as Budew explored the area of Erika's property. The tiny newborn rose bud Pokemon was rather curious, though would often become shy when coming across another Pokemon in the area, and constantly ran back to him to hide behind his legs. Though it would quickly go back to exploring. Currently Budew sipped a bit of water from the pond, letting out a startled yelp when a koi splashed it. Pikachu quickly ran over to make sure it was okay.

Erika's voice popped up. “You're putting too much emphasis on forcing it, Ashley.” She walked on over to the young trainer and handed him mug of tea. “You can take a nice rest for now.” She proceeded to sit down next to him and take a sip of her own tea. “As I have told you, one of the main disciplines of learning how to use the bow is to relax your mind and not think too hard on what you are trying to do.”

A frown played across Ash's lips as he sipped his beverage. “Yeah, but how do I do that? I mean, just standing there in place and holding a position? You told me that I gotta be able to reach some kind of state where I push away all thoughts and become one with my spirit and the target, but I don't get it.” He didn't even think this kind of thing was for him, and trying to figure it out frustrated him.

“I understand how frustrating it can be at first, Ashley.” Erika reached out and rested her hand on the back of her pupil's, giving it a small squeeze. “But I am certain you will eventually understand and be able to conquer your issue. You just need to learn to find your center and what relaxes you. Once you do that, it will come easier and easier.”

“I suppose.” Ash muttered in annoyance. “You've told me how this will help me with Pokemon training and battles, and I do wanna learn it. I'm just not good at doing it. I'll figure it out, though.” He definitely wasn't a quitter by any means, especially when it means getting better at dealing with Pokemon. Oh, and he guessed life lessons as well, but he wasn't as interested with that.

“I know you will, Ashley. Though perhaps you can also ask Sabrina to help you with meditation and calming your mind. I'm sure she would have some wonderful tips.” Smiling, she proceeded to get to her feet. “Ashley, I had some plans scheduled for today, and I was wondering if you would like to accompany me.”

He looked up at her. “Some plans? We're not going to train some more? I was planning on training a little more with my Pokemon as well.”

“We can do that later. For now, though, I think it would be nice to spend a bit of time together, as well as allow you to see a few things that a Gym Leader needs to deal with from time to time.” She considers, tapping her chin a little. “I suppose you could call it a girls day out of sorts?”

A 'girls day out'? Ash wasn't really a stranger to that term, considering it was used by the other girls at the gym when they took him to the salon to spend some time together. However, he was certain that a salon trip wouldn't be on Erika's mind, and he was curious what other Gym Leaders typically did from time to time. It would be kinda neat.

“Sure, I'd like to join you.”

**********

Ash walked alongside Erika as they made their way down the streets of Celadon. Erika was dressed in one of her more formal kimono. Ash, likewise, was also currently in a kimono of his own and dressed much like the day that the girls at the gym gave him that 'princess makeover'. Granted, after all the stuff that happened since then, it wasn't as unnerving as it had been, and he was able to deal with it without having an outright crisis of feelings. That didn't mean he didn't feel a tiny amount of embarrassment, though.

On his shoulder was Pikachu, comfortable as he typically was in that spot. Also on his person, however, was Budew. The infant Grass Pokemon was carefully snug inside of a makeshift baby carrier pouch that rested right in front of the young trainer's chest, as if Ash were acting as a parent carrying a young child.

Said Budew was looking around in wonder at the sights, retracting shyly whenever someone approached and got close to it, and that was something that happened quite a bit as they made their way through the city. It would relax whenever Ash placed a comforting hand onto its head.

“So where are we going, Erika?” Ash looked up at the woman with a curious look. “And why are we dressed like this?”

“Well, Ashley, I'm actually meeting with someone rather important.” At the glance he continued giving her, she continued. “You see, every so often, a Gym Leader has to meet with a Pokemon League Inspection Agency official, mainly to report how things are going with the gym, as well as if they are doing their duties right as a Gym Leader.”

“Pokemon League Inspection Agency?”

Erika nods. “It's a branch of the Pokemon League itself, which in turn is a separate branch of the government that oversees everything that involves Pokemon and trainers. Inspectors not only check to see how Gym Leaders and gyms are doing, but also inspect Pokemon Centers, Pokemon Marts, Trainer Schools, and many other institutions in order to see if they are up to proper standards. The Inspector had already visited me a little earlier at the gym while you were working on practicing. She was making sure that the renovation efforts made to the gym were sound.”

“Wow...” Ash had to admit that being a PLIA sounded like a big job, and a real important one. “But if you already met with her, then what else do you need to speak with her for?”

They neared a small restaurant with a few umbrella tables sitting outside of it. There weren't that many people at the tables right now. There was a young couple with a Nidoran male and female, and the only other person was what appeared to be a Nurse Joy dressed in casual wear.

“She is interested in meeting with you, Ashley.” Erika answered, causing the young trainer to blink in confusion as she walks over to the Joy sitting at the table. “It's a pleasure to meet you again, inspector.”

“... Inspector? Her?” Ash asked in surprise as he stared at the pink-haired woman. “She's a Nurse Joy, isn't she?”

The Joy gave a smile to the boy before laughing a bit. “You wouldn't believe just how surprised people tend to get when they first realize that. The Inspection Agency has a handful of us of the Joy family that work for them. This is mainly due to the fact that seeing a Nurse Joy tends to cause people to relax, and allows us to see things at their most candid.”

At Ash's slow nod, she stands up and holds out a hand to him. “PLIA Official Willia Joy. A pleasure to meet you, Ashley.” She paused, speaking in a quieter voice. “Or should I say Ash?”

The young trainer went to shake the hand, but paused right then and there, blanching in surprise. “Wh-- you know about that?” How did they even know?

“Pi?” Pikachu was surprised as well by this. Though the young Budew had fallen asleep at this point.

Willia nods in response. “The Pokemon League received a request from Professor Samuel Oak in regards to a change in identification. To allow one Ash Ketchum to be re-registered as Ashley Ketchum to accommodate for some changes that have occurred recently. Is that correct?” At Ash's slow nod, she continued. “This request was put to an inquiry to figure out why it had occurred. The PLIA discovered that it was due to events centering around the Celadon Gym.”

“I-- yeah.” He felt rather nervous by now.

“What we know is that during the night of the fire that was caused by Team Rocket, you disguised yourself as an Ashley Ketchum before entering the gym. Even after you had been discovered by Erika, you still continued to live as Ashley Ketchum.”

Another nod from Ash. He felt really embarrassed now that this was being brought up. A number of people high up knew about this. How did he even look to them? “I-- erm, didn't expect Erika to want to help train me so much before I disguised myself?”

The Joy gave Ash a comforting smile as she placed a hand on his shoulder. “It's perfectly okay, Ash. There is no need to be so embarrassed and nervous, because we of the league understand full well what is going on, and it isn't the first case that we've had to deal with of this variety.”

He blinked a bit, feeling confused. Why didn't he need to be embarrassed or nervous? Does she mean that the League has had to deal with trainers being initially forced into something under the guise of a punishment? “You do?”

“Absolutely!” Willia answered. “You are not the first child who has left home on their journey, and discovered that they felt more comfortable dressing and living as the opposite gender. The League gets these occasional requests for identity changes all the time.”

Ash just blinked. “... say what?”

“I, of course, had to speak to your fellow gym trainer members in order to investigate further on this subject and see if our assumptions were correct. They, while knowing about your physical state, appear to accept you as one of them, and vouch for the legitimacy of your willingness and desire to explore these budding feelings of yours. You've managed to make quite a lot of friends who appreciate you dearly.” She lifts Ash's chin to look directly into his eyes. “I understand that you are still nervous and unsure, but don't let that scare you away, especially with the friends you have that desire to help you.”

Ash could only nod numbly, unsure how to process this at all.

“One of the many aspects of a Pokemon journey is to allow trainers to find themselves not only as a Pokemon trainer, but also as a person. A journey of self discovery on the road to maturity, if you will.” She gently grabbed Ash by the hand. “The Pokemon League accepts all kinds, and tries its best to not discriminate based on these things. If you have discovered this new you, and wish to live and be registered as a girl, we'll allow it.”

“I... wh...” Ash was honestly speechless at this turn of events. This kind of thing happened on occasion? They allowed the re-registration just like that? It was this simple? They thought his initial disguise was because he started to 'discover' himself?! “I... thanks.” He felt rather overwhelmed by this, not to mention still embarrassed. He could have told the inspector that she was wrong about his reasons and wasn't doing this to 'discover' himself, but at the same time it provided an excellent excuse to continue what he was doing for training. A small part of his brain was also rather thankful to the girls at the gym, and there was a feeling of warmth building over the fact that they seemed to appreciate him so much.

“It's fine, Ashley Ketchum. There is no need for thanks. You make for a rather lovely young lady, and I couldn't think of bringing myself to stand in the way of your feelings.” This just caused the 11-year-old's cheeks to redden even more in embarrassment. “From now on, you'll be registered as Ashley in the trainer registry and rankings. Your battle records will be converted over, and I wish you luck in your attempts to continue climbing up the Top Ten Thousand Kanto Trainer Rankings, young lady.”

Willia scritched Pikachu's chin gently. “And you have such a cute Pikachu and Budew as well. I can tell by how healthy they look that you are a good trainer.” She turns to Erika and bows. After which, she proceeds to walk away, leaving a somewhat flustered Ash behind.

As soon as she was out of view, Ash collapsed to his knees, looking thoroughly exhausted despite having not done much to cause that. “What... just happened?” he asked, overwhelmed and a bit confused.

“It appears as if being 'Ashley' has just gotten a bit easier.” Erika answered, actually looking somewhat befuddled herself. Out of everything she could have expected from this, it wasn't the League itself reaching the conclusion that it did. This did provide a wonderful benefit and cover for her student to continue being seen as Ashley, but...

“I'm Ashley for absolute real now!” Ash whined out.

“Pikapi, chu pika.” Pikachu gave his trainer a comforting pat on the head, as if saying 'It'll be alright'.

********

After a quick stop to get Ash some ice cream to cheer him up – something that the young trainer realized was becoming a rather strange and worrying habit, – they continued on their way. Pikachu had actually gotten a cone of his own, and Ash held out a specially made tomato berry ice cream out for Budew to enjoy. “I can't believe it ended up like this.”

“I'm really sorry that it all ended up coming to this large of an extreme, Ashley.” Erika held her hands together under her chin apologetically. “You could have explained the truth to the inspector and managed to get out of it, though.”

“Yeah, well... I could have. Though I didn't want you to get in trouble, and I'm still intending to stick to my promise of beating the league, Elite 4, and Champion.” He muttered, looking to the side. Though he wasn't sure just how easy it would be to just return to being 'Ash' after that. He actually grew to like Erika, and didn't want to know what would happen if the inspector found out about Erika's initial... method of getting him to become Ashley.

“And besides, maybe some of the people I've met won't remember me, or even think about looking up my rankings.” Maybe they'd also just assume that 'Ashley Ketchum' was his sister. Though if 'Ashley' continued climbing the ranks, it would seem like 'Ash' failed. Then again, it didn't matter since it was still him improving, right? Though the bigger question was, as always, Gary.

“Thank you, Ashley.” Erika was both relieved and touched that the child next to her was worried about what would have possibly happened to her. She really would have to try to make it up to him sometime.

It was then that a thought occurred to her. “That reminds me, have you taken the time to read up on the Elite 4 in order to know just who you would be up against in the event that you do manage to face them?” Her student had mentioned his interest in trying to learn a bit more of what he could on the subject.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. It was easier than I thought it would be.” He just had to log onto the Indigo Pokemon League official web site. The League itself generally kept records of nearly all of the Pokemon Trainers that were registered, though looking for some trainers would be impossible if they managed to dodge registering with the League. “Lorelei, Agatha, Bruno, and Lance. Though Lance seems to also act as the regional champion as well.”

“Very good, you're learning how to search out information and prepare yourself for the future.” Erika smiled, placing a hand on Ash's head. “This is something that is important if one wishes to work on advancing to becoming a top trainer and be ready for what comes your way. I'm proud of you for taking these steps.”

Ash couldn't keep himself from smiling at the praise, feeling as if it was something that he needed at the moment to help him feel a little better. “So where is it that we're going now?” By that point, he, Pikachu, and Budew had finished their ice cream, with Budew falling back asleep.

“Another responsibility of a Gym Leader is to occasionally stop by schools around their city and speak to some of the younger children about some aspects of Pokemon training.” Not all kids grew up to become trainers, though Gym Leaders and other influential trainers providing occasional lectures and visits helped to prepare them for later. “The school we'll be stopping at today is Celadon University.”

“Celadon University?”

“It's an escalator school that provides education from primary school all the way to university level. Its main focus is on teaching children to become Pokemon trainers, though the children who don't start their journey after finishing primary school are able to stay on and continue their education.” She pauses. “Your Professor Oak taught at Celadon University years ago, and was even awarded the rank of Emeritus.”

“Emer-wha?”

“Emeritus, Ashley. It's a one of the highest titles and ranks given to a professor of outstanding merit who has accomplished a great deal in their time, and is recognized for having done so.”

Ash just blinked, soaking the information in. “Prof. Oak is really that amazing?” He shared a disbelieving look with Pikachu. It was hard to imagine, with how... eccentric the man was every time he saw the guy. He certainly didn't act like someone who was incredibly influential.

It wasn't long before they arrived at Celadon University, and Ash was surprised by how large the place was. He was only used to the very small school building in Pallet, and so seeing a giant place such as this was overwhelming to him.

“This place is amazing.”

“Pikaaaaaaa”

After walking through the large campus courtyard, they entered the building and made their way on through the halls. The inside was clean, and their shoes clicked on the tiling as they walked along the path. Eventually, Erika came to a stop at one of the rooms, and Ash took a small peek inside. He saw a nicely sized classroom filled with children who looked to be around six-years-old, and the blond figured that they must have been first-graders.

“--and so this is why in addition to the native language everybody speaks in their home region and country around the world, it was decided that a secondary, unified language would be taught to allow for people to talk to each other and communicate. This is especially helpful for trainers who travel and visit different parts of the world, so that they aren't left lost and confused.” It was the tail end of the teacher's speech.

Once the teacher realized that they were standing outside the door, he let them in and introduced them to the class. The kids were, as likely to be expected, impressed to be able to meet their city's Gym Leader. Each of them began lobbing questions to the woman, but soon quieted down thanks to the efforts from the teacher.

Erika giggled at this. “Now now, children, I'm certain that we can get all of your questions answered. As your teacher said, I am Erika of the Celadon Gym.” She motions towards her companion to speak.

“Ah, um, I'm Ashley Ketchum. This is my partner Pikachu.”

“Pika!” The electric mouse waved, causing some of the kids to belt out about how they haven't seen a Pikachu in person, and were excited.

“And this is Budew. It just hatched from an egg.” He motioned to the tiny rose bud Pokemon, which drawled a collective 'awwww' and 'so cute' from a few of the girls.

A boy raised a hand. “So who are you really? You important or something?” He asked Ash in a manner that annoyed the trainer.

“Ashley is my personal student.” Erika answered. “I believe she can become an amazing trainer, so I have taken her under my wing and started to train her.”

“Wow!”

“Training with a Gym Leader!”

“She's really beautiful”

“I like her name.”

Ash found himself blushing at the compliments to his looks and name, which mainly came from a majority of the young girls.

The same boy from earlier scoffed a bit. “She doesn't look all that great. I mean, look at her. She's all dressed up like that and doesn't look tough at all.” This caused some of the other kids to mumble and feel he could be right.

“Pika...” Pikachu glared at the kid for the insult to his trainer.

Ash puffed up his cheeks in annoyance. He didn't look strong just because of how he was dressed? He was plenty amazing! He opened his mouth to say something, but was beaten to the punch by Erika.

“Ashley has already managed to obtain four badges.” She thinks for a spell before continuing. “However, if that doesn't convince you, then perhaps the two of us can show off our skill in a Pokemon battle?” She looks towards her student. “Well, Ashley, what do you say? Would you like to show these children your skill in a one vs one match with me?”

Ash blinked at Erika. A battle against her? Right now? Well, he was really interested in seeing how well he could do against Erika. It wasn't a gym battle, but he did want to show these kids he wasn't weak. He gave a bright smile. “Sure!”

After a change of scenery, Erika and Ash stared at each other from the opposite ends of a battle field in the campus yard. The class of young students was gathered around the field to watch. Even a few older students that were mulling about stopped to see what was going on.

“Let's show these children the beauty of Grass types, Ashley.”

“So you want me to use Bulbasaur?”

“I do, and it would be a good learning moment for your Budew to watch Bulbasaur in action.” Erika held up a Pokeball and gave it a toss. From out of the ball popped Weepinbell.

“Bell!” It spun around for a second.

Ash nodded and looked over at Budew, who was sitting next to Pikachu on the sidelines and accompanied by the students. “Watch this, Budew, and maybe you'll get inspired.” He smirked before pulling out his Pokeball and summoning Bulbasaur from it. He realized that since both Pokemon were Poison and Grass types, neither really had an advantage over the other.

“Bul!” He stomped a foot against the ground, glad to finally be in another battle.

“Weepinbell, let's start this off with your Razor Leaf.” Erika held out a hand, seemingly sparkling within the light.

Weepinbell held up its leaf arms and gained some momentum before spinning around rapidly, launching a volley of super fast spinning leaves.

“Quick, Bulbasaur, use your Vine Whip to knock them away, then counter with sleep powder!”

“Bul!” Vines shot out from the Seed Pokemon and intercepted the leaves, slapping them aside in quick succession before a cloud of green powder exploded out from the bulb on its back, shooting at his opponent.

As the spores careened towards the Flycatcher Pokemon, Erika commanded it to spin even quicker. As it did, it managed to whip up a swirling wind that caused the spores to disperse into the air once it hit the vortex. “Now, use your own vines to grab onto Bulbasaur and pull it close!” Weepinbell stopped spinning and lashed out with its vines.

Bulbasaur, for his part, attempted to dodge in and out of the vines as they whipped at him, watching each one as they came. Ash knew that he couldn't keep this up for long, and so he had to think of something. As one of the vines zoomed to the side of his Pokemon, he realized what that something was. It was dumb, but it just might work.

“Bulbasaur, that vine! Grab it and pull Weepinbell in close!”

Bulbasaur, obliging, chomped down hard on the vine, causing his opponent to let out a shout of surprise. With one good yank, he pulled his fellow Grass type towards him.

“Now tackle it as it is flying towards you!”

Stomping its back foot and bending at his knees for momentum, Bulbasaur launched directly at Weepinbell, hitting it head on as it rushed towards him.

After being hit, it went flying backwards and landing on the ground, skidding to a halt where it got up and shook the cobwebs from its mind.

“I'm impressed, Ashley. That was some quick thinking and strategy on your part.” Erika praised. “To pull Weepinbell in close and use the momentum of it coming to land a hit for more damage.”

“Thanks Erika!” Ash responded, feeling incredibly elated. He was having a lot of fun right now, and was happy to have been able to impress her with what he thought was just a random occurrence that just worked.

“Pikapi, chu, pikapi, chu!” Pikachu shouted on the sidelines, waving a pair of miniature flags as he cheered for Ash. Budew, meanwhile, watched with a look of amazement. It looked at Pikachu for a moment before standing up and cheering along with him.

“Ashley really is good!” One of the younger kids shouted amongst the murmur of voices.

“She's not bad.” The boy from earlier muttered, not wanting to admit he was more wrong than he needed.

“And she really is cute.” A girl piped up.

“I like her hair.”

“That Kimono is cute.”

“I love her nails.”

“Look at those earrings!”

“And she's really kick butt and brave!”

Ash blush as he rubbed the back of his neck, laughing with a little embarrassment. He was getting a lot of praise, though most of it was about his look. Still, praise was praise, and he honestly liked that they were talking about him and looking up to him; even if it was as a girl and dressed how he was.

“My my, someone is getting some fans it seems.” Erika wagged a finger. “But don't think that this is over just yet, Ashley.” She motioned over to Weepinbell, and then looked towards the children. “Kids, this is an integral part of each Pokemon species. Each Pokemon possesses a special unique ability. In Weepinbell's case, it has Chlorophyll, which allows its speed to increase in direct sunlight. What do you see above our heads right now, children?”

“Sunlight!” They all shouted.

“That's right. Now, Weepinbell, get in close and use Slam!”

“Bell!” It was definitely fast, and was on Bulbasaur in no time, lashing out with a heavy hit via its leaf arm that sent Bulbasaur skidding towards Ash.

“Bulbasaur!” Ash yelled in surprise, not having expected the Flycatcher Pokemon to be so quick. “Catch it with a Vine Whip!”

Bulbasaur, standing back onto his feet, lashed out with his vines. However, as a repeat from earlier but in reverse, Weepinbell easily dodged in and out of them, with much better ease and speed.

Ash growled to himself as he tried to figure out a way to counter this. If it was this fast, and now on the move, then hitting it would be a lot harder. 'Think, think... how do I deal with this?'

“If you allow yourself to panic, Ashley, you'll lose sight of your goal.” Erika interrupted his thoughts. “Like I told you during Kyudo practice, you must allow yourself to be calm and not worry about the target in front of you. Can you do that and figure out how to deal with this problem?”

'This is a test?' Ash frowned at that and took in a deep breath, calming down. 'That's right... letting myself get impatient won't help a thing. I need observe what's going on. The Sun is making-- the Sun!' Looking up into the sky, Ash realized the key to this whole problem. “Bulbasaur! Let loose your sleep powder into the air above you!”

Doing as he was told, the Pokemon's bulb spewed out the dust into the air, which covered the area above them like a cloud, and obscuring some of the sunlight from reaching the field.

“B-- Bell!” Weepinbell, due to the sudden change in speed, fell face first onto ground, which left it wide open to be grabbed by Bulbasaur's vines and lifted up and into the cloud of sleep powder. It struggled and flailed before falling fast asleep asleep.

“Now slam it!”

Bulbasaur did just that, and slammed his opponent directly into the ground, where it laid there unconscious.

“Weepinbell is unable to battle!” The teacher from earlier, who acted as a referee for the match, raised his arm. “Ashley is the winner!”

“I did it!” Ash hoped up and down as best he could while in a kimono, and proceeded to grab Bulbasaur in a hug. “You did great, Bulbasaur!”

“Bulba.” It grinned at the praise.

Pikachu ran up to congratulate him, while Budew waddled over and looked at Bulbasaur in amazement, and then back to Ashley. It was then picked up by its trainer, who it nuzzled into.

A few of the kids ran over and crowded around Ash, clamoring for his attention.

“You're amazing!”

“I wanna be a trainer like you when I turn 10!” A girl said, punching the air. “Be all kinds of kick butt!”

A girl with messy, scraggly hair and thick glasses tugged on Ash's Kimono. “Um... do you think I could be as cute as you when I get older?”

Ash blinked and knelt down before her. “I don't see why you couldn't. Besides, you're cute already.” He smirks and gives her hair a ruffle. “Your glasses are neat.”

Erika recalled her Weepinbell and walked over, unable to keep a smile from being present on her features. 'She's definitely gaining some admirers.' Maybe her student didn't think much of it at the moment, but influencing a bunch of young kids was just one step to realizing that dream of his.

“You're going to have to defeat me someday if you want to become the best.” Ash reached out and ruffled the hair of one of the boys, who blushed in embarrassment at the attention. “Until then, do your best to learn about Pokemon and training, alright?”

The day started out rather lackluster, but by now, things definitely seemed to be looking up, and he was feeling a lot more confident. Whatever came next definitely wasn't going to get him down.

**********

“Shopping trip?” Ash asked incredulously as he looked up at Erika. After they had finished with the visit to Celadon University, they made a stop at a restaurant and had a much needed meal where they conversed about various subjects and generally got to know a little more about each other. It was afterward that Erika had dropped the idea of doing some shopping.

The woman nodded. “I felt that it would be a good activity for a little bonding. In part to help help you out a little with obtaining some more clothing. While you do have quite a few outfits thanks to your mother, they aren't cloths that you obtained yourself. It's a bit more enjoyable to appreciate clothing that you were around to acquire from shopping instead of just getting hand-me-downs.”

“Hand-me-downs are the worst!” They turned around to see Misty, who had somehow snuck up behind them as they walked. “I have three older sisters, so I understand the problem with that.”

“Pikachu-Pi!” Pikachu waved excitedly to Misty, who waved back.

“And what's this I hear about a shopping trip?” She got that mischievous look in her eye as she stared at Ash.

Recognizing said look, the blond tried to wave her away. “Nothing; you heard nothing.” He soon found the girl's arm resting on his shoulder.

“Oh c'mon Ashley! Remember how we agreed the other day that we were going to go on a shopping trip sometime? I mean, of course I've been visiting the shops, but we never got the chance to do it together.”

“What we? I never agreed to that. Erika, tell her that this is just a thing between me and you.” Ash whined, looking at the Grass leader for assistance.

Erika appeared to consider this. “It's never a good thing to leave a friend behind, Ashley. Think of it as a chance to allow the both of you to bond some more as well.”

“Erikaaaaaaa!”

*********

“You're having fun, aren't you, Ashley?” Misty asked in amusement as she watched the blond examine himself in the mirror.

Ash decided to dodge the question. “I don't have to answer that.” He gave another turn as he looked himself over. His outfit consisted of a white shirt that left the shoulders bare, with the sleeves ending just at his elbows. Over this was a pair of light blue overalls that ended as a pair of shorts. On the front of the overalls was the image of a Luvdisc, and similar imagery was visible on the shorts. Attached to the right shoulder strap was a pink bow.

His legs were covered by a pair of pink and white striped stockings, with a pair of blue and white boots upon his feet. On top of his head was a pink puffy hat that had a light blue belt stripe and black buckle. Attached to the hat was a dark purple flower accessory.
All in all, it was girly, but at the same time boyish, causing him to look like a cute tomboy. He... actually liked it, though it made him realize that even if he wore something boyish, he'd only come off as just that... a tomboy. Still, he was rather fond of it, and liked that it was something a little less feminine.

“You're right. You DON'T have to answer.” Misty knew that she was definitely having fun herself. Even if her friend was reluctant and embarrassed, he wasn't as stubborn and difficult about doing this that she had initially figured he would be. Sure, he tried to deny having fun, but it was really easy to see through.

“Okay, alright, so maybe I am having a LITTLE fun, but only when it's normal clothing.” He motioned towards the one he currently wore, and to a few others that had been picked out. Some of them were other outfits that were a bit boyish in appearance, though there were some simple dresses mixed in. “But not when it's something really silly and ridiculous.”

Erika tilted her head, yawning slightly. “I thought you looked rather lovely in the evening dress.”

Pikachu nodded along with Budew

“When would I even NEED something like that?”

“Just to wear when you want to look fancy?”At Ash's flustered look, she laughed. “Oh calm down, Ashley, you know that this is all just in good fun, right?”

After a moment of silence, Ash gave a sigh and nodded. “I do realize that.” It was just something that he still had trouble with whenever it was specifically brought to his attention, not to mention the confrontation earlier with the League official and actually being registered as a girl weighing slightly on his mind. Shaking his head to push the thoughts away, he crossed his arms. He was not letting this day turn around to be a horrible one. “Fine, but I want to pick out some more stuff myself.” A smirk spread across his lips. “And since you picked out some stuff for me, Misty, I think it's time I find something for you to try on.”

Misty blanched, feeling as if the tables were turning on her. “No way, Ashley. You do not want to try and go there! You'll so regret it if you even try to put me into something silly!” She tried to back away, but the blond grabbed onto her hand and pulled her close.

“C'mon Misty. As you said, this is all in good fun, right? Isn't it unfair that you get to dress me up, but you don't get any of the same?” That smirk was even wider now, causing Misty some obvious dread as to what was potentially to come.

“Perhaps Misty would look lovely in a ballerina outfit?” Erika asked innocently. There was no reason why she should be kept out of the fun. Even she had her own... sense of humor at times. “I believe that one she managed to stuff you into is still here.”

“Nononono!” Misty waved her arms in panic. Someone have mercy upon her sweet and innocent soul and help her.

“Psy-ay.” Psyduck was sporting a rather spiffy top hat and monocle that he somehow managed to find.

Nope, she was doomed.

*********

Hisae bowed as Erika and Ash returned home. “Welcome home, Miss Erika, Miss Ashley.”

“Thank you, Hisae.” Erika smiled as she sat down. “Could you please bring us some tea?”

Ash flopped down onto the sofa, Pikachu hopping up onto the back of it, and Budew held within the blond's arms. He was exhausted from the shopping, if the various bags of clothing were of any indication. Not only had they gone to the iconic department store that Celadon was known for, but they had also stopped at a few more places in the shopping district. He really wasn't sure why he needed so many kinds of clothing, but he was certain he'd never need to buy anything else again.

“So all in all, how would you rate the day we had together, Ashley?”

“... exhausting.” He answered, sitting up. “Though I guess I kind of had a lot of fun, especially at the university. Getting back at Misty was really satisfying as well!” He SO had material to tease the redhead with for a good while. If she brought up her bike any time soon, he'd casually mention how nice she looked in the ballerina and maid outfits. He even took some photos with his phone.

“I'm glad you were able to have some fun.” Erika accepted the mug of tea from Hisae and gave a sip, sighing. “So nice to relax after a long day.” She glanced at Ash. “Though you look like you would definitely be too exhausted to get some more training in for the night.”

At the mention of more training, Ash was on his feet in an instant. “Exhausted? Who said that? I'm full of energy and pep!”

“Well then, tonight we can get back to your Kyudo training. I'm feeling positive that you can make some amount of breakthrough tonight. Tomorrow you can work on training your own Pokemon, in order to get a better hand on their strengths, weaknesses, attacks, and abilities.”

Ash nodded in response. He was ready to actually work with his Pokemon and train them. There was no way he was going to end up being behind the others any more. “You ready to get down to some training, Pikachu?”

“Chu-pika!” His companion nodded, clenching his tiny fists with a determined look on his face. Budew attempted to mimic this.

“We should also also get to work on your flower arranging and tea ceremony training.” That caused the blond to deflate a little. “I would also like you to get in touch with Sabrina and have her help you out with meditative exercises. I'm sure she would know of a few that could help you.” She holds up a finger. “Oh, yes, also, I know that one of the girls that attends the gym can help you learn to cook. She works at one of the nearby restaurants.”

“Why do I need to learn to cook?”

“For in case you are traveling by yourself. You have mentioned that Brock cooks meals for your group. What if he isn't around? What will you eat? Also, don't you think that it would be a good idea to be able to help him once in a while? Learning to cook is an important life skill that more people should learn.”

“Can you cook?”

Erika blinks. “Erm, well, I know some basics.” She tapped her fingers together, looking to the side with some clear discomfort. “However, I'm not someone who frequently intends to be on the road. You are definitely in need of some more survival skills to help you.”

“... I guess you're right.”

“We'll work on this routine for the next few days. After which, you can head off to get your fifth badge. After your fifth badge, we can have our rematch for your sixth.”

“Where should I go to get my next badge?”

Erika hums to herself as she sips her tea. There were quite a few potential gyms around that the young trainer could go after and challenge, but which one should he go for. After running the gyms that she knew of through her mind, she came to her conclusion. “I think that the Fuchsia Gym would be a good option.”

“Fuchsia Gym?”

“It's a gym located on the outskirts of Fuchsia City, and doubles as a ninja training ground for the Gym Leader Koga and his family.” If Ash could manage to work his magic on Koga, then maybe it could turn into a good learning experience. The man was hard to impress, but considering that her student had managed to help Sabrina turn around, who knew?

Ash perked up at the mention of ninja. “Really? The Gym Leader is a ninja? That's amazing! I wanna go there and see for myself!” He had always been interested in seeing an actual ninja, and now it was his chance.

“Well then, it looks like after these few days of training, your next destination has been decided. Now, let's go work on some more Kyudo lessons.”

“Sure!”

*********

Author's Notes: I'm aware that in the English dub, Lorelei's name was changed to Prima in order to match the mouth flaps. However, I'm honestly not fond of the name. It may be silly of me, but I'll be calling her Lorelei.

In regards to the whole secondary unified language thing. It potentially does help explain how the anime doesn't really have any issue with language. I can see each region/country having its own laguage, but also speaking a secondary 'worldwide' language as well.

As for the Pokemon League Inspection Agency and its inspection of the safety of various gyms, one can only imagine just how much dodging Blaine probably did in order to keep his friggin volcano gym operational. That place sure isn't PLIA friendly.

Finally, the next chapter will have Ash making his way to Fuchsia!