The morning after, everyone had a late-night dinner at this nice diner, and then immediately left to get some sleep, except for maybe Phoebe. Honestly, Ash isn't really sure if she sleeps; she's way too energetic.
Anyway, that's how we got here, with Ash walking, looking completely normal. After all, it's not the first time he's gone past midnight doing side quests
Brock was fine, he was used to it too, but May and Max were half-asleep, walking next to them, both yawning into their juice cups.
"Ugh… remind me never to ghost hunt again," May mumbled, dragging her feet. "My hair still smells like museum dust."
Max blinked slowly, clutching his cup. "I… dreamed about that coffin thing chasing me… but it was holding pancakes."
Ash laughed. "Sounds like a nightmare with a happy ending."
"Easy for you to say," May muttered, shooting him a tired look. "You looked excited the whole time. Do scary things just… not bother you?"
Ash shrugged. "Not really. Kinda desensitized to it."
"Only you can say something like that…" May muttered.
"I don't know whether to think that's the coolest thing ever, or creepy."
"Why not both?" Ash said, casually putting his arms behind his head. "Anyway, Brock, where do you think we should go after I beat Roxanne?"
Brock opened a pamphlet like he's used to this. "Okay, so we could always head to this nice restaurant at the-" but he was cut off.
"Wait, wait, wait! What are you talking about like you already won? You're seriously talking about this like it's nothing?" May asked.
"I mean, yeah. It's just a Gym battle," Ash said casually, with a smirk, knowing full well what he was doing to May and Max.
"W-wha-Ash, I know you're super cool and strong, but are you sure you can beat Roxanne?" Max asked.
"I mean sure, can't be too hard," Ash said, making Brock roll his eyes. But he's used to Ash being way too casual about fighting Gyms, and for some reason, he always comes out on top, even when he's as unserious as possible.
Brock sighed with a small smile, closing the pamphlet. "You always say that, Ash. Then next thing I know, you're pulling off some BS that doesn't make sense. Like, remember when you used the water sprinkler in my Gym to beat Onix?"
Ash laughed. "Hey, it worked, didn't it? And besides, it's your own fault for having a water sprinkler in there. I mean, your Gym is made of rocks, why do you need a sprinkler?"
Brock crossed his arms with an exasperated sigh. "It was for safety, not for trainers to exploit during battles!"
Ash smirked. "Still sounds like a skill issue to me."
"Skill issue?!" Brock threw his hands up, muttering something under his breath.
Ash got a smug smirk. "You know, if you want to prove me wrong…" Ash went to his belt and grabbed Dragonite's Poké Ball. "I'm always down for a rematch What's our record now, 15 wins for me, 5 for you?"
Brock scoffed but smirked. "Oh yeah? Well, maybe it's time I show you how much special training I've been putting in myself," he said, going to his belt and grabbing Tyranitar's Poké Ball.
Ash got closer. "Oh yeah? I'll have you know we're a hundred times stronger than we were two years ago," Ash grinned.
Brock also smirked. "You're not the only one that got stronger."
May's sleepy eyes snapped wide open the instant she heard that. "W-wait…are you seriously gonna battle right here? In the middle of the street?!"
Ash and Brock were already locked in the classic pre-battle stare-down, grinning like kids who'd just been told to "act mature."
"Of course we are," Ash said, stepping back to give himself space. "C'mon, Brock, what's the worst that could happen?"
"City-wide earthquake," Max muttered, sipping his juice.
"Collateral damage," May added flatly.
"Overconfidence," a cheerful voice chimed from behind them. None of them had noticed Phoebe approaching, still impossibly energetic, even after the late night. "Also, good morning~!"
Ash turned. "Morning, Phoebe. You're way too chipper for someone who was up till two talking about ghosts."
She winked. "Maybe the ghosts kept me company~ Besides, this sounds way more fun than breakfast."
Brock immediately perked up, straightening his vest. "Well, hey, Phoebe, if you want something fun and charming, you could always-"
Before he could finish, Bonsly popped out of his Poké Ball and rammed straight into Brock's stomach. "Guh-! Bonsly, why?!" Brock wheezed, doubling over.
Phoebe laughed. "Aww, looks like your Pokémon's jealous~"
Brock groaned, straightening up while trying (and failing) to look composed as his ribs hurt. "It's… a work in progress."
"I'm surprised you're still here. I thought you would've left by now," Ash said.
"Nah," Phoebe said. "Don't really wanna. If I go back, they're just gonna give me some more work, and I don't really feel like it. Besides, I've got till the end of today, so I've got plenty of time."
"Fair," Ash and Brock said in unison, as Pikachu and Vee nodded, like this was completely normal.
"Wait, wait!" May pushed them apart. "Are you guys really acting so normal about this? What's wrong with you?!"
"Are you really gonna fight right here, in the middle of town?" Max said, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't secretly holding himself back from jumping for joy.
Ash looked at them and sighed, putting his ball back on his waist. "Nope, you guys ruined it."
"Yeah, kinda a mood killer," Brock said, putting his back on his belt too.
"Wanna try this again some other time?" Ash asked.
"Of course. Beat you later," Brock said, punching Ash lightly on the shoulder.
Phoebe giggled. "You guys are adorable when you argue. Like one big, sleep-deprived sitcom family."
"That's… honestly not wrong," Brock muttered, rubbing his stomach as Bonsly clung to his leg.
Ash stretched his arms over his head, his grin returning, "Anyway, if I'm gonna get my Gym battle, better go now before Roxanne starts her classes."
"Oh, right, she's a teacher, isn't she? That explains a lot," May muttered.
Phoebe chuckled. "Aww, this is gonna be fun. Mind if I tag along for the battle? I could use the entertainment, and maybe I'll see if you're as good as the rumors say." She said it with a glint in her eye; after all, as an Elite Four member, she had to keep track of winners from other regions for potential future powerhouses. And Ash, having won two tournaments in a row, was at the top of everyone's list.
Heck, Ash doesn't really talk about it, because he hates being famous, but his DMs are always filled with all kinds of offers: battle challenges, sponsorships, the occasional fangirl, etc. So he just kind of muted everything and left it out of mind.
"Sure, I don't mind. But you sure you're not worried about being recognized?" Ash asked, pointing at her. You know, as an Elite Four member she was extremely famous in Hoenn, so just existing in public could be annoying. Right now it was fine, it was early and not a lot of people were around, but they were going to a school, and students seeing their idol? Yeah, take a guess how that'd go.
Phoebe waved her hand dismissively. "Pshhh, don't worry about it, I've got the perfect disguise." She reached behind her back, pulled out a pair of sunglasses, and put them on. "Ta-da!"
Ash blinked. "That's… your disguise?"
Phoebe grinned. "Yup! Nobody ever recognizes someone in sunglasses."
May raised an eyebrow. "You're literally still wearing your Elite Four uniform."
"Details, details." Phoebe waved her hand dramatically. "Besides, confidence is ninety percent of a disguise."
Max whispered to May, "Is the other ten percent denial?"
"Probably," May whispered back.
With that, they quickly went off to the Pokémon School, and for some reason, on Arceus' green earth, none of the students recognized Phoebe. Even one preschooler who had a Phoebe doll walked right past her without noticing.
When they got to the Gym room, Ash went his own way, obviously. When he went inside, while everyone else went to the side, he handed over Pikachu and Vee, since those two were way too strong.
He saw that the "Gym" field wasn't a field at all. It looked like the bleachers had been moved into the center and turned into desks. People were sitting there frantically studying, but there was no Roxanne at the front.
Just then, a teacher holding a stack of papers walked out from the side and cleared his throat. "I apologize, Roxanne is running a little late, but we can still start the exam," he said as he began passing around papers. Some of the male students looked disappointed.
Ash raised an eyebrow, and the teacher noticed him. "Excuse me, what are you here for?"
"Uh… a Gym battle. If you ask Ro-" but Ash was cut off before he could finish.
"Oh, okay, yeah, you and everyone here, take a seat and take this test," the teacher said, placing a paper in Ash's hand and directing him to a chair.
Ash blinked as he was pushed to the desk, and the teacher explained, "Since Roxanne has her duties as a Gym Leader along with all the other things she does, every day she holds a test. Whoever gets the highest score can battle her, and she only does one battle a day."
"Okay, that's neat and all, but if you just a-" Ash was stopped again.
"Now be quiet and please take your test. Don't disturb the class," the teacher said, walking away.
Ash sighed, rolling his eyes as he looked down at the paper. He raised an eyebrow, it was way too easy. How did people not get 100% every time? Ash decided not to think about it, grabbed a pencil, and worked through it real quick.
–
A while later, once the tests were collected, Roxanne ran into the room, breathing heavily and looking embarrassed. "I'm here! I apologize, I slept in."
Some of the students who had looked disappointed immediately perked up, goofy smiles and blushes spreading across their faces now that they saw Roxanne.
The teacher nodded. "It's understandable. You're still quite young," he said. "And you've been working quite hard for a relatively new Gym Leader."
The teacher was about to continue when another staff member burst through the door, clutching a single sheet of paper like it was a legendary artifact. "Miss Roxanne! You need to see this!"
Roxanne blinked, brushing a few stray strands of hair from her face. "Ah! What's wrong?"
"It's the test!" the second teacher said, nearly tripping as she rushed forward. "For the first time in this exam's history, someone actually scored a perfect hundred!"
The whole class froze. Pens stopped scribbling. Chairs creaked as every head turned. Even the Pokémon sitting in their trainers' laps seemed to sense the shift in atmosphere.
Roxanne's eyes widened. "A perfect score? Are you certain?"
He nodded furiously. "Triple-checked it myself! No errors, no smudges, not even one erased answer. It's like they knew the entire textbook front to back!"
A chorus of whispers filled the room.
"No way…"
"Who could it be?"
"Did someone actually study for this?"
Roxanne looked both surprised and delighted. "This… I have to see. Who was it?"
She held the paper up, looked at the name, and froze. Then she slowly looked up.
Everyone followed her gaze. And there, sitting cross-legged in the very first seat like he'd been waiting, just spinning a pencil between his fingers, was Ash.
He waved lazily, pencil still spinning. "Yo. Guess I passed, huh?"
Roxanne blinked. "…Ash… you-you took the test?" she stammered, still processing it. "I told you I'd make an exception for you! Why didn't you just ask for me?"
Ash shrugged. "I did try, but I didn't really have a choice. The teacher just kinda shoved it at me and didn't listen when I asked for you."
Roxanne blinked and slowly looked over at the teacher in question. He scratched his cheek sheepishly. "Well, in my defense, a lot of students try to pull that to avoid taking the test. I apologize."
"I mean, it's fine, I don't really care," Ash leaned back in his chair. "But hey, can't say I mind being your star student."
Roxanne sighed, half in relief and half in disbelief, pressing a hand to her forehead. "Of course it would be you…" she muttered under her breath.
Ash grinned, resting his chin on his hand. "What, you sound surprised. Don't tell me you thought I couldn't handle a pop quiz."
Roxanne crossed her arms, trying to keep her composure, but a faint flush crept up her neck. "Ash, this wasn't a pop quiz. This was a full theoretical assessment covering Pokémon biology, battle theory, geologic typing, and ethics. Most people study for weeks before attempting it."
"Oh wow… anyway," Ash said casually, "Could have at least had some more complicated stuff, like 'Name one Pokémon that can counter Nosepass effectively.' Like, come on, that's your signature Pokémon, Roxanne. You could at least make it a little harder for me."
A few students gasped. Roxanne blinked, flustered. "I-I'll have you know that's a perfectly reasonable question for students, not for someone who's-" She caught herself before finishing the thought, biting her lip.
Ash raised an eyebrow, leaning forward slightly with that teasing smirk that always spelled trouble. "Someone who's what?~"
Roxanne turned red instantly, realizing she'd nearly said 'not for someone who's won two regional championships.' She cleared her throat sharply. "Ahem. Not for… someone with your experience, I suppose."
"Surrrreee," Ash said, getting up and walking down the steps toward her. "Anyway, I believe you owe me a battle."
Roxanne blinked, covering her face with one hand, then smiled, straightening her posture and slipping back into Gym Leader mode. "Right. Of course." She went to her desk and pressed a button.
Then the desks around the field suddenly started to move, moving back with the students in them, as the classroom transformed into a battlefield. As Ash looked around, he finally saw May, Brock, Max, and Phoebe taking seats at one of the desks in the back.
Roxanne smiled and looked at Ash. "I hope it's not too much of a problem. I prefer to use all my battles as lectures for the students, and with a trainer with your experience, I'd be honored if you'd let everyone learn from you."
Ash put his arms behind his head. "Yeah, sure, I don't mind."
"You know, you sound a little too confident," Roxanne said, crossing her arms.
Ash chuckled. "Yeah, sure. By the way, how's Runerigus?"
Roxanne immediately lit up. "Oh, she's great! She's going off and I sent her. Apparently, the stone tablets on her have ancient drawings about-" Roxanne kept going on her rant for a few good seconds.
Then she stopped and looked away, embarrassed. "Ok… that was cheap… but fair."
Ash shrugged with a smirk. "Not my fault. Anyway, where am I standing? Mind if I stand there?" Ash said, pointing at the south side.
"Uh, no," Roxanne said quickly, clearing her throat and pointing to the north side. "Challengers stand over there."
"Right," Ash said, smiling. After all, he had already watched a few of the videos from Roxanne's battles, so he was perfectly prepared.
Roxanne took her side and cleared her throat, as the teacher from earlier quickly ran to the center and raised his voice. "Both the challenger and the Gym Leader may use three Pokémon each, and whoever defeats their opponent's Pokémon first will be the victor. Only the challenger is allowed substitutions."
Roxanne raised the Poké Ball in her hand and threw it high. "Lileep, I choose you!"
With a burst of light, the fossil Pokémon appeared, its tendrils swaying gently like seaweed in a soft current, eyes glowing faintly beneath its petals.
Ash whistled. "Fun, the fossils! Always wanted to see how they look." He smiled, balancing a Poké Ball on his finger, and looked over at the stands. "Hey May, how about you pay attention and see if you can learn a thing or two. Come on out, Torchic."
A small orange blur burst from his Poké Ball, and on the field, Ash's Torchic rumped from one foot to the other, stretching its legs, ready for the fight.
"Huh, bold move," Roxanne said, tilting her head. Ash could hear the murmurs from the students.
Ash just shrugged. "I believe you said it yourself in one of your lectures, type advantage isn't everything. So, let's dance, Mademoiselle~" Ash said in perfect Kalosian