Pokémon: A Blustery Santalune Gym Battle!

Our heroes have finally arrived in Santalune City, and Ash can’t wait to get on with his first Kalos region Gym battle! Clemont and Bonnie aren’t sure of the Gym’s location, but a photographer offers them directions after snapping a wonderful photo of Ash and Pikachu. Thanks to her, they quickly find the Santalune Gym, where they run into Alexa and Helioptile! Alexa figured they would be there to challenge her Gym Leader sister soon, so she waited for them. Then, the Gym Leader herself arrives: it’s Viola, the photographer they met earlier! After a tour of the Gym, which contains a gallery of some of Viola’s excellent photographs, it’s time for Ash’s challenge. Ash starts out with Pikachu, while Viola uses Surskit. And soon after the battle begins, someone else arrives to join Alexa, Clemont, and Bonnie on the sidelines...Serena! Viola uses Surskit’s Ice Beam to convert the Gym into a frozen battlefield. Pikachu has trouble moving on the slippery surface, and Surskit (who can skate nimbly across the ice) quickly gains the upper hand, leaving Ash with one Pokémon left: Fletchling. As a Flying type, Fletchling not only has a type advantage over Surskit, but can also avoid the icy battlefield completely. Fletchling defeats Surskit, and Viola brings out Vivillon, whose powerful Gust attack knocks Fletchling into a Sticky Web left behind from one of Surskit’s attacks. Fletchling can’t get away, and Vivillon quickly brings the challenge to an end. Ash and the others rush off to the Pokémon Center to get help for Pikachu and Fletchling, but Serena notices that Ash has forgotten his backpack and follows after them. Alexa offers to help Ash train for his rematch, since her Noivern also knows Gust. After several failed attempts to stand steady against the force of Noivern’s Gust, Pikachu, Fletching, and Ash are all exhausted and frustrated. Serena offers Ash her support...and a question: does he remember her?