Ash stood at the edge of the Cerulean Gym pool, the sound of water echoing softly through the wide room. Reflections rippled across the walls, shifting with every movement beneath the surface.
Misty faced him from the opposite platform, arms crossed. Calm. Ready.
"Cerulean Gym rules," she said. "Three Pokémon each. One at a time."
Ash nodded. "Understood."
Maya stood a step behind him, eyes on the water. "Flying types don't have much room to maneuver here," she said quietly. "But height still matters."
Ash reached for a Poké Ball. "Pidgey. You're first."
Pidgey burst into the air, wings beating hard as it hovered above the platform, still careful with its recently healed wing.
Misty wasted no time. "Staryu, go!"
A sharp flash, and Staryu emerged, spinning as it rose above the pool, its red gem catching the light.
"Staryu, Water Gun!"
A pressurized stream shot upward.
"Dodge and keep moving!" Ash called.
Pidgey veered aside, the water slicing past its tail feathers. It climbed, then swooped lower.
"Gust!"
Wind swept across the pool, pushing waves toward Staryu. The star-shaped Pokémon spun faster to stabilize itself.
"Rapid Spin!" Misty countered.
Staryu cut through the wind, spraying water back toward the platform. Pidgey faltered midair, wings beating unevenly.
Maya's voice was steady. "It's forcing Pidgey to fight the air and the water."
Another Water Gun struck before Pidgey could recover, slamming it onto the stone platform. It skidded dangerously close to the pool's edge.
"Pidgey!" Ash stepped forward instinctively.
The bird struggled, wings shaking as it tried to lift off again.
Ash clenched his jaw. "That's enough. Come back."
Pidgey vanished in red light.
The first point was Misty's.
Ash straightened, already reaching for his next Poké Ball as Staryu continued spinning calmly over the water.
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T/N:
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