A/N: The last element, thanks to the fine group on Facebook, is Grass.
Shipping: TurtwigShipping

One-Shot 12: Prickly Minds

Ash and Pikachu have dealt with Team Rocket and their Pokémon for sometime but in a sense, they've helped the Pallet Town trainer overcome plenty of obstacles. Let's face it, without Team Rocket, Ash wouldn't be as far as he has been. While traveling with Dawn and Brock on their way to Dawn's next Pokémon Contest, they were passing through a thick wooded area. Without warning, an Oran Berry fell from above, nailing Ash in the head. "OW!" he yelped as he clasped his head in pain.

"You okay, Ash?" Dawn wondered. Brock spotted the "weapon" as Ash collected himself.

"Yeah, just something hit my head."

"Which is funny since Oran Berries are meant to heal, not hurt," Brock joked. No one laughed, even Brock who realized it was a bad gag. Apparently, the Oran Berry fell for an excuse.

"Ash, is that you?!" someone spoke up...or down. The group with Pikachu and Piplup looked up, eying Gardenia and James' Cacnea in the trees. "Sorry about that! The berry got away from me!" How, it didn't have feet. What would the Eterna City Gym Leader be doing up in the trees near her home?

"Are you stuck up there?!" Ash questioned. Gardenia sensed his concern for her well-being but wasn't worried.

"Nah, we can get down easy! Watch!" Gardenia and Cacnea leaped down from branch to branch on the scaling down. A minute later, they touched down on the earth. "Ta da!" Nothing to worry about. That's when Gardenia removed his visor and saw a tiny bump on his head. That's no doubt where the Oran Berry hit him.

"Gardenia, what are you doing up there in the trees?" Dawn asked the obvious.

"Easy. I was teaching Cacnea about using gravity if it got knocked into the air during battle." Can't say she wasn't working on practice with one of Ash's enemies' Pokémon. "And it's a pleasure to announce that Cacnea has completely learned Drain Punch." Cacnea flexed its cactus-like "muscle," trying to intimidate those it fought against.

"We'll see about that!" grinned a stoic Ash. "How about a battle to see Drain Punch in action?" If there's a new move discovered, Ash was more that willing to try it for himself. Cacnea felt the confidence billowing from Ash and turned to her new trainer about going along with it.

"You're always asking for trouble, aren't you Ash?" At least Gardenia's not a part of the Rockets. No need to embarrass yourself any further than that. The group found a clearing once Gardenia accepted the request and both took different sides.

"This is a one-on-one Pokémon battle between Ash of Pallet Town and the Eterna City Gym Leader, Gardenia," Brock announced. "There is no time limit. Let the battle begin!" Gardenia's choice was obviously Cacnea. It should feel weird for Ash battling a former Rocket's Pokémon. It didn't.

"Okay, Cacnea! Let's show off for Ash what you can do!" Cacnea stepped forth. Who was Ash sending.

"Pikachu, I choose you!" he called out. Pikachu was more that wanting to fight someone who he's beaten over and over. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Pikachu fired that powerful Thunderbolt attack despite knowing that Electric attacks aren't effective on Grass-Type Pokémon.

"Cacnea, use Needle Arm on the ground!" Obeying, Cacnea slammed its arm on the earth just as Thunderbolt struck. Cacnea absorbed the attack and broke free, astonishing Pikachu. Normally with James, Cacnea was gone after an attack or two. With Gardenia, it was a new ballgame.

"It's about time Cacnea learned to absorb electric attacks!" Hearing the compliment would make the cactus Pokémon happy but this was just the beginning as Gardenia readied a command.

"Wait until you see what else I taught this cutie! Cacnea, use Pin Missile!" Cacnea fired volleys of pins at Pikachu. It didn't phase Ash.

"You think you're the only one? Pikachu, spin and use Iron Tail!" Pikachu twisted his body and the tail glowing brightly where the pins reached. The pins were like baseballs and the Iron Tail was more of an aluminum bat as each pins was swatted back at Cacnea who scrambled to avoid its attack reverted at it. Ash was just warming up. "That was perfect! Let's follow-up with Quick Attack!" Straightening out, Ash raced right at Cacnea, thankful no Pin Missile tagged it.

"Right into our trap! Okay, use Drain Punch!" The moment Ash was waiting for as a small green swirling orb appeared on Cacnea's arm. Within reach, Cacnea swung, nailing Pikachu in the cheek. Pikachu flew right back at Ash who caught it. Pikachu was hurt but he still wanted more action.

"Way to go, Cacnea! That was a perfect Drain Punch!" Cacnea cheered at the compliment. "But we're not done... Volt Tackle!" Pikachu leaped down from Ash and raced at Cacnea with more speed, electricity beaming behind like a comet. Gardenia felt Ash wanted another Drain Punch knuckle sandwich.

"We can take it and we can dish it! Cacnea, one more Drain Punch!" Cacnea set itself up for another Drain Punch and Ash saw his opportunity.

"Duck, now!" Cacnea fired the Drain Punch but by nearly an inch, Pikachu avoided the attack that sailed over. With one spring, Pikachu struck Cacnea so hard that it couldn't hold its ground. Pikachu landed on his feet before the recoil damage took shape. The Volt Tackle was too much for either Pokémon as Pikachu fell on his stomach, drained. Cacnea was out like a wilted flower. Brock made the ruling.

"Pikachu and Cacnea are both unable to continue!" he determined. "This battle is a draw!" Cacnea learned enough to take Pikachu's attacks but not enough to overcome it. Ash and Gardenia raced to their respective Pokémon and checked on their conditions.

"That was a great battle, Pikachu. Cacnea's a lot stronger with Gardenia." Pikachu realized it, sensing the strength from his one-time enemy. Gardenia couldn't agree more as she comforted the prickly creature.

"Did you hear that?" she awed. "You're getting stronger!" Cacnea cheered gratefully to the comment. In fact, the shine on its smile grew brighter...then the body. Everyone saw it and knew Cacnea was changing.

"Is Cacnea...evolving?" Dawn gasped as Cacnea grew up. It grew arms and legs and when the glow stopped, Cacnea became a cross between a cactus and a scarecrow.

"Cacnea's evolved into a Cacturne!" Brock identified. Dawn had her Dex to make sure.

"Cacturne, the Scarecrow Pokémon and the evolved form of Cacnea," the hand-held computed. "Cacturne move more freely at night and the temperature's colder than during the day." Wouldn't James be happy about his former Pokémon partner all grown up.

"And it's better to note that Cacturne's now a Grass and Dark-Type Pokémon," Brock added. Gardenia didn't care about the details. She simply adored Cacturne's evolution.

"Who cares!" she cheered. "I love the new Cacturne look!" She's crazy for Grass-type Pokémon, it's not her fault she's grown addicted to them. Evening set in and Brock shared some special Pokémon food to the new Cacturne. Gardenia rejoined the higher branches and Ash chose to join them as they picked more berries from the trees above. "What a day!" Mentally, it was a draining day for her. Still, she sounded upbeat.

"I know!" Ash acknowledged. "Cacnea evolving to Cacturne and that Drain Punch looked so awesome when you did it. I can only imagine what Drain Punch looks like with Cacturne." Gardenia's laugh told Ash that she wanted to experience it herself.

"By the way, how did you do that Iron Tail when I used Pin Missile?"

"Some of that came from Dawn's training for her contests. I first used it against Fantina in the Hearthome Gym. She also gave it the name 'Counter Shield.'" Gardenia looked proud of Ash's training and how he uses attacks in different styles.

"You gotta give me some pointers. If I can use it to my Pokémon, we may do the same about more challengers." Ash thought about what Pokémon Gardenia had. He's managed to teach it with his Chimchar, Pikachu and Buizel. Certainly, Grass-type Pokémon can't be too far behind with what could work along Counter Shield.

"If Cacturne didn't evolve, it would make a Needle Arm Counter Shield easier, or maybe Drain Punch." The concept of teaching a technique like Counter Shield sounded easy on paper, but transitioning it to Pokémon was an entirely different story. That's when a thought struck Ash. "Hey, how about combining Cacturne's Drain Punch with Pin Missile? That way, the Pin Missile will have extra spin when fired." Two attacks as one? That did sound interesting.

"Pin Missile would be Drill Missile!" In a sense, it did sound like shooting drills.

"I'm sure there are ways to use attacks as defensive use. You just need to imagine what attacks would look good to block your opponents' attacks." Interesting words. Gardenia tossed Ash a banana for a snack.

"I'll keep that in mind." That's when she looked to the wayside. "Say, you wanna crash on my hammock?" Why would he need Gardenia's hammock? Where could she keep a hammock?

"Can't I sleep on the earth like the rest?"

"Don't worry. Up here, you can see the stars and I heard tonight a possible shooting star." Who can resist that?

"Well, when you put it that way..." Ash climbed through the trees and both reached a hammock suspended halfway up the trees. As the two relaxed in the net-like bed, they saw the stars shimmer.

"Beautiful night, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is." That's when something came out of the corner of Ash's eyes and he looked up. A shooting star streaking across the night sky caught his desire. "Hey, you called it! A shooting star!"

"And a big one at that!" It's so mesmerizing, it almost looked too close to the top of the trees. "Hey, you know what to do when you see a shooting star, right?"

"You don't mean a wish, do you?" Gardenia's nod told him to close his eyes and imagine his dream, the greatest Pokémon Master. The day was long for Gardenia as well, her arm hooking Ash unconsciously. It doesn't necessarily help that the hammock wasn't really big enough for more than one person. Both occupants slept soundly from the admired shooting star. However, that doesn't mean one isn't still. Gardenia's arms reached around Ash's head and softly pulled the body part to her. The cozy feel of Ash's cheek wasn't like a Pokémon's but Gardenia stayed attached regardless. The morning rose where Brock and Dawn viewed the hammock couple.

"Isn't Gardenia getting a little too comfy for Ash?" Dawn wondered. Maybe but let a Gym Leader have that moment. Ash opened his eyes, seeing Gardenia's face and not the sky. Worse, he couldn't move his lips. Ash remained perfectly still, not trying to aggravate Gardenia's good nature...or move the hammock that would cause it to turn over. It's a pretty far drop.

"If Ash and Gardenia do lose their balance, we might need a safety net," Brock suggested. Dawn nodded, releasing her Mamoswine. That's when Gardenia's eyes opened, realizing her lips smothering Ash's. She rose up away from Ash's face.

"Whoa, what am I doing?" she gasped. "I'm supposed to love Grass-type Pokémon, not other humans!" Nothing wrong with other humans, right?

"Well, you are the Gym Leader with Grass-type Pokémon," he reminded. "It's natural for that." Huffing a chuckle, Gardenia pushed off Ash which wasn't a smart move. The hammock tilted enough for it to spin the two off, a long fall imminent. Mamoswine lied under the falling trainer and Gym Leader so the landing should be soft despite Cacturne's concern. WHAM! The impact of landing on Mamoswine knocked the wind out of the two. That had to hurt. It would take a moment for the two to breathe normally again.

"So!" snapped the blue-haired from Twinleaf. "How was that midair sleepover?" Her face read the wish to see Ash's enjoyment.

"Why do you wanna know so much?" The traveling companion from the region looked over to the Pokémon Breeder who looked really jealous. Even Gardenia believed Brock was overreacting.

"Wow, Brock!" she teased. "When did you have feelings for me?" This startled the former Pewter Gym Leader in thinking she harbored feelings for him and not Ash despite the visual evidence. "Well, Brock? If you show me a Grass-type Pokémon, I may consider." Hearing that invite, Brock dashed out to the forest in search of a Grass-type Pokémon that Gardenia would like. Seeing his departure had the rest gawking in disbelief. "He should know that only Bug-type Pokémon are in this forest, none that are part Grass to note." He'll be occupied in that forest for a long time while the others laughed at his misfortune.

END of GRASS, VOLUME 3

(Thank you all for your support in this. I'm sorry it took this long but when you have less than a month after Thanksgiving to Christmas and some females very thin in their respective elements, it made it that much harder. So now, I'll be back to my regular projects. Also, welcome 2014!)