356: Sky High Gym Battle
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359: Hiwadaki Zimu! Taikuu no tatakai!
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Yep, all the extra letters as well.
But Winona isn't through stacking the deck to her advantage just yet, she falls to her knees and calls on the dark magics of the pagan sky Gods, promising to bring glory in their name is they would but gift her with their corrupting influence. May is confused, as is Max, while Brock just up and tells it like it is, Winona thinks Sky Am God, and like a primitive native (that doesn't go topless, dammit!) is asking it for power to conquer her enemies and hear the lamentations of their women.
IT'S TIME FOR THE SIXTH GYM BATTLE, AND THIS ONE IS A....
Zachary kicks things off, explaining it is a three on three battle, with only Ash allowed to substitute. Winona calls on Altaria, the fluffy cotton-winged bird, and May checks it out with her Pokedex despite once having a baby Swablu of her own. Brock is concerned that Ash might mistake Altaria's grace and beauty for weakness, and not note that it is part Dragon-type. But Ash isn't one to under-estimate an opponent; rather he's more likely to overreact. How do you fight a graceful looking bird with a slender neck and soft cotton wings?
With Clint Eastwood, of course!
He sends in Grovyle, which is technically speaking weak against a Flying Type, but dramatically speaking unfuckingstoppable. Altaria dives in and Grovyle blasts at it with Bullet Seed, Altaria dodging and getting underneath Grovyle as it tries to dodge, smacking it about then diving down to try and hit a Peck.... and Grovyle dodges aside and RUNS VERTICALLY UP A PILLAR AND BACKFLIPS OFF OF IT!
AWESOME!
Meanwhile, Team Rocket have somehow gotten themselves lost inside the interior of the Fortree Gym, apparently lost after trying to track down Pikachu. Meowth isn't concerned though, despite Jesse and James being knackered and depressed. He tells them about the legend of treasure buried deep underneath the Fortree Gym, and whips out two Item Finders (bent coathangers) and declares that once they find the treasure, they'll be dancing!
Jesse and James take to the idea rather enthusiastically, if not quite how Meowth might have been expecting.
Meowth smashes them both in the head and screams at them that he meant they would dance to the treasure, saying they're like the water finders used to find underground streams, but these ones are itemfinders, and covered in gold, so they'll find treasure!
"They look like divining rods and those things are just a bunch of horsey-hooey," James points out, but Meowth - bless his little kitten heart - is convinced that these are the real deal; they're guaranteed to work, with a moneyback guarantee! They turn and point down the corridor, and suddenly Jesse is a convert.... a freaked out fanatical convert!
She grabs the itemfinders off of Meowth and she and James rush off down the corridor, leaving behind a frustrated Meowth and patiently pleased Wobbuffet.
Meanwhile things are going bad for Grovyle as it takes a direct hit of Dragon Breath, barely dodging another two attempts straight after. Altaria keeps trying but Grovyle keeps on dodging, and Winona is confused, how could it have taken a direct hit and still be standing?
How? By being Clint Fucking Eastwood, that's how!
It gets behind Altaria and blasts it with Bullet Seed, so Altaria flies high and comes back around with Dragon Breath, but Grovyle leaps up off of the pillar and into the air, getting back behind Altaria and.......
Altaria goes down, Grovyle overcomes type disadvantage and Ash puts Winona down 1-0!
Winona sends in Pelipper, and Ash recalls Grovyle and sends in Pikachu. Max points out that Pelipper is a Water-Type as well as a Flying Type, so Pikachu has a definite advantage, but Winona doesn't seem concerned.... perhaps because Pelipper has such a huge beak that it could swallow Pikachu whole?
Pikachu blasts Pelipper with Thunderbolt and Pelipper glows one wing white with Steelwing, taking a direct shot of Thunderbolt and..... shaking it off! This makes no sense, but as the twerps and Ash gape, the camera closes in to reveal that Pelipper has slapped its Steelwing into the dirt, grounding itself and letting the electricity pass pretty much painlessly through it into the ground below.
In fact, deep down inside of the Gym interior, Jesse, James and Meowth follow the itemfinders gleefully, seemingly not noticing the sparkling electricity of a pillar far above their heads. The Itemfinder notices though, suddenly pointing upwards, and they look up confused.... an electrical treasure?
Ouch, maybe not.
All three are shocked and sent blasting up through the ground, landing on their asses in pain, pain soon forgotten when they spot Pikachu still flooding electricity through Pelipper's body. That means it's time to return to Plan A - catch Pikachu!
"Prepare for trouble and our favourite rhyme!"
"Make it double we'll save some time !"
"To protect the world from devastation."
"To unite all peoples within our nation."
"To denounce the evils of truth and love."
"To extend our reach to the stars above."
"Jesse."
"James."
"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light."
"Surrender now or prepare to fight, fight and fight!"
"Meowth! Dat's right!"
"WOBBUFFET!'
"Chime Chime!"
They rush forward singing that they're going to capture Pikachu.... until they realise that charging at a fired up electric rodent flooding the area with electricity isn't such a great idea, as they're sent blasting off again, much to Jesse's..... delight!
She declares that the Itemfinders were trying to tell them that Pikachu was the treasure, and James mutters they were worth their weight in gold then, Meowth declaring it was fool's gold.... and then they disappear in a twinkle, gone unnoticed by everyone but May who thinks she maybe saw a shooting star.
Ash can't figure out how Pelipper can keep taking all that electricity, and Pikachu seems to be wearing itself out pouring on the energy. Winona has been waiting for this, and orders Pelipper to use Quick Attack, smashing into Pikachu and knocking it aside. Finally Brock figures out what is going on, Ash getting the information second-hand. He yells at Pikachu to move in with Quick Attack, but it gets blasted with Hydropump for its trouble. Ash tells Pikachu to stand its ground and it fights back against the Hydropump, causing Pelipper to turn up the blast.... which in turn causes it to lose contact with the ground, and Ash orders an immediate Thunder. Pelipper is blasted and sent reeling, but the Hydropump has done its damage as well and both Pokemon fall.
It's 2-1 to Ash!
HEY TRAINERS! WHICH ONE OF THESE POKEMON IS THE BEST TO FIGHT BALTOY!?! LEDIAN, MEGANIUM OR LAPRAS!?!!? THE ANSWER IS.... LAPRAS, BECAUSE IT'S ANNOYING VOICE WILL MAKE ITS OPPONENT COMMIT SUICIDE!
A sandstorm seems to be kicking up down on the battlefield beneath Ash and Winona on their platforms, and primitive sky-fanatic Winona talks up how on days with perfect conditions her Pokemon fight better than in less desirable conditions, which only serves to confuse Ash - the sky can love you?
Winona calls out her final Pokemon..... Swellow!
It's bizarre though, green instead of the dark blue of Ash's Swellow, almost as if it was a palette swap for an eventual Swellow on Swellow confrontation! Ash figures the best thing to do is match Swellow with speed and sends Grovyle back out.... with immediate results!
Winona's Swellow is knocked back but then twists and circles in preparation for Aerial Ace, and Ash is confused, how can Swellow use Aerial Ace, a move that his own Swellow knows how to use!?!?! He yells at Grovyle not to be confused by the circling and just get high to use Leaf Blade..... but Swellow dodges, then comes back with Aerial Ace and smashes hard into its belly, lifted it up, turns it around and drives it down hard into the ground at full force, knocking Grovyle out.
It's 2-2!
Ash calls back Grovyle and sends out his last Pokemon - Swellow!
Be honest now, Gentle Dodgers, was that exclamation point really necessary? You all knew what was coming.
Brock points out that Winona's Swellow is used to fighting aerial battles against other Flying Pokemon, but Ash's isn't. Ash remains confident though (too stupid to be otherwise) and their platforms rise even higher to the very top of the pillars above the Gym. Brock points out that the wind plays a big part in these battles, at that height the wind affects all moves AND gets in the face of the Trainer, meaning even the trainers can be affected by the conditions. Ash tells Swellow to use Wing Attack much to Brock's horror, screaming that Ash is making the wrong choice. The two Swellows crash together, and then Ash's goes plummeting down towards the Battlefield ground.
Ash is confused, Brock explaining that Wing Attack at that height and with that force caused Swellow to lose its balance. Winona's Swellow follows after and drills into Swellow's back with Peck Attacks, but as Ash's Swellow comes close to hitting the ground, Ash tells at it to pull up and it does, lifting into the air and dodging Hyper-beam after Hyper-Beam, but finally getting winged. As it falls back towards the ground, Winona's Swellow flies down behind it and blasts at it with Hyperbeam, but Ash's Swellow dodges and charges with Quick Attack.... and gets hit with Aerial Ace!
May is shocked, how can Aerial Ace have been used for Defence? Brock says that Ash can't win if he can't find a way to combat Aerial Ace, but it may not even be as simple as that, as Ash's Swellow falls through the air vulnerable again to an Aerial Ace or a Hyperbeam or Peck or ANYTHING! Ash screams at it to go to full speed and dodge clear of Winona's Swellow, but the bigger green Pokemon can't be shaken, and it seems Ash is completely fuc.....
And then he makes a mental connection and gets an idea!
A confident Winona compliments Ash on doing so well but says it's all over now, and orders a Hyperbeam, and the twerps know that it's all over, and they can't watch!
But Ash has his "idea", ordering Swellow to use Quick Attack and then dive. Swellow dodges the Hyperbeams from Winona's Swellow and dives straight for the ground just as it did at the very start of the battle. It keeps flying down with Winona's Swellow right after it, which means both could smash straight into the ground and knock themselves out. But Winona isn't going to let that happen, ordering an Aerial Ace. Ash was hoping for that though, and tells his Swellow to use Wing Attack, driving it's wing into the ground and kicking up dust and sand much like it did at the start of the battle when it simply flew close to the ground. Now that it is ATTACKING the ground, the dust and sand kicked up is far more, obscuring it from Winona and her Swellow's sight, and letting it come bursting up through the dust and smashing Winona's Swellow a direct shot to the chin with Wing Attack!
Swellow goes down, Swellow goes down! It's 3-2 to Ash, he just defeated Winona and her Sky God right on her own turf in perfect conditions.... WHERE IS HER GOD NOW!!?!
And thus, with the sun going down over the ancient temple/pyramid gym of the Sky God at Fortree City, Ash stands on the ground in front of Winona and is presented with his Feather Badge, the sixth of the Hoenn League Gym Badges.
ASH JUST WON HIS SIXTH GODDAMN BADGE!
The twerps congratulate him on his strategy, as he proved once again he is a savant when it comes to fighting, if nothing else. Winona also congratulates him on proving himself able to adapt to the new situation he found himself in.
Tonight, one of the village children will be sacrificed on the pyramid steps to appease the fury of the Sky God.
| BEST QUOTES |
 "They look like divining rods and those things are just a bunch of horsey-hooey." "Now Groyvle's on top!"  "WE'RE BLASTING OFF AGAIN!" "Was that a shooting star?" ".....wha?" "Wow, I didn't know the sky could love you."
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