25 Chapter no.24 The Battle Chateau

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Austin breathed a sigh of relief as he and his friends finally entered Cerulean City, the sunlight reflecting off the cobblestone streets and casting a warm glow over the trio. "Finally, Cerulean City!" he exclaimed with a tired grin, his legs feeling weak and weary from the long trek from Pewter City. The journey had taken them nearly two weeks, and each of them was in desperate need of a shower and a soft bed to sleep in.

'And tomorrow we begin another week of training,' Austin thought with a determined nod, his resolve unwavering.

Yellow, clad in her worn, yellow jacket and a straw hat, sighed deeply as she fell to her knees in exhaustion, her breath ragged. "I thought we would never get here."

Brock, his faded orange shirt and brown vest slightly rumpled from their journey, offered a tired smile. "I'm just happy we made it at all. I need to call home to see how my siblings are doing."

"I also need to call Uncle Wilton. That was one of the reasons he let me travel with you guys," Yellow said with a yawn, the words barely escaping her lips. "Although, I think I could do that tomorrow."

"And I need to call D-er-Mom." Austin winced as Brock gave him a curious look, his eyebrows raised in question.

'Damnit, I need to get used to calling her that by now.'

"Well, we better find the Pokémon Center, though," Austin said quickly, trying to change the subject. "...Does anyone happen to know where it is?"

"It shouldn't be too hard to find," Brock replied, attributing Austin's strange behavior to his exhaustion.

Thankfully, it wasn't. The Cerulean Pokémon Center might not have been as large as the ones in Viridian and Pewter City, but it was still recognizable, its signature red roof and bright white walls beckoning them inside.

Once within, the trio found that there were plenty of rooms available, and each chose one to allow them some much-needed privacy. However, their respite was quickly interrupted by an all-too-familiar scene.

"Nurse Joy!" Brock practically shouted as he dashed forward, his brown eyes wide with admiration. He took the Cerulean Nurse's hand in his, gushing, "How lovely it is to see you again! Is it fate?"

Nurse Joy, clad in her signature pink uniform, looked bewildered as Austin tried and failed to stifle his laughter. Yellow, however, appeared merely confused.

Sighing, Nurse Joy replied, "Hello, Brock," recalling the warning her sister in Pewter City had given her about him. "How are you doing?"

"Much better now that I'm in the presence of divine beauty—" Brock began, but was abruptly interrupted when his Zubat, clearly disapproving of his behavior, used Leech Life to bite his neck. Brock froze, and then fell backward, his eyes rolling back into his head. Zubat landed on the counter and slowly said, "But it wasn't meant to be."

Austin couldn't help but think, 'Man, Brock just has to be cockblocked by his Pokémon even in the real world.'

Deciding to break the awkward silence, Austin approached Nurse Joy, handing her their Poké Balls as Yellow attempted to wake Brock up. "Um, we'd like to heal our Pokémon and request some rooms," he said, his voice steady.

"Sure thing," Nurse Joy replied, her tone professional. The trio then turned their attention to the nearby video phones.

"I better call home," Brock said, suddenly fine, much to Yellow's surprise.

"Uh, yeah, me too," Yellow agreed, still slightly taken aback by the earlier spectacle.

As Brock and Yellow walked over to their respective video phones, Austin sighed, feeling the weight of his next task. He approached one of the video phones, fingers trembling slightly as he typed in the number.

"Hello?" Delia's voice came through the speaker.

"Hey, Mom," Austin said, doing his best to sound like Ash.

"Hi, honey." Delia's face appeared on the screen, a warm smile lighting up her features. "I haven't heard from you in two weeks. How are you doing?"

"Fine, we're in Cerulean City now," Austin said, attempting to maintain his façade. He held up the Boulder Badge, its metallic surface gleaming in the soft light. "Got our first badge as well."

"Honey, that's amazing," Delia said, her eyes shining with pride, causing Austin to look away for a moment. "How many Pokémon do you have?"

"Six," Austin replied. "We're going to be training for the Cerulean Gym this next week."

"I'm sure you'll do fine," Delia assured him, her smile unwavering. "Oh, my little boy is growing up."

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Austin emerged from the bathroom, feeling refreshed and revitalized. The warm steam still clung to his skin, and the bathroom mirror was fogged over with condensation. He wore a soft, white terrycloth robe which had been generously provided by the Pokémon Center, and was rubbing a plush towel through his damp hair.

"Man, I forgot what it felt like to be clean," he muttered with a small grin. The soft sound of snoring caught his attention, and he glanced towards the bed. There, nestled amongst the crisp, white sheets, lay Pikachu – already fast asleep. The sight of the content little Pokémon brought a chuckle to Austin's lips.

As he sat down on the edge of the bed, his thoughts turned towards the upcoming Gym battle. 'How should we train for this Gym? Hmm... let's focus on just using Pikachu and Pidgeotto. Of course, that depends on if Misty is here at all.' He couldn't help but recall Ash's previous Gym battle. 'Yeah, but I'm not just going to accept a badge from her sisters without battling them.' The thought of simply being handed a badge no longer sat well with him; he wanted to earn them fair and square.

As Austin continued pondering their training strategy, his eyes were drawn to a colorful poster on the nearby wall. The vibrant design featured a bold heading that read, 'Nugget Bridge Challenge: Beat Five Trainers in a Row and Win a Prize!'

Meanwhile, in the Pokémon Center's spacious lobby, Yellow approached Brock. The room was filled with the quiet murmur of conversation, punctuated by the occasional laughter or Pokémon cry. The sunlight streaming in through the large windows cast a warm glow over the bustling space.

"Ready to go to the mall?" Yellow asked, her voice light and eager.

Brock turned to face her, a smile playing on his lips. "Of course! What do you need?"

Yellow hesitated for a moment before making her request. "I saw this advertisement about something called the Battle Chateau. It was next to the poster for the Indigo League. I was hoping we could go there to see what it's like."

Brock's eyes lit up with interest. "No problem. Let me just get Ash."

But before he could take a step, Yellow stopped him. "Brock, let's let Ash have his rest. He and his Pokémon have been training hard."

Brock nodded in agreement. "Alright then, let's go."

Just as they were about to leave, Austin's voice called out to them. "Guys, wait up!"

Yellow's eyes widened with concern as she spotted Austin approaching them. "Oh! Ash, shouldn't you be resting?" She worried that he might be overdoing it and jeopardizing his health.

Austin, however, appeared to be full of energy. "Yeah, I was resting, but I saw this poster and I thought of getting the directions to this place from Nurse Joy." He held up the Nugget Bridge Challenge poster for them to see.

Brock and Yellow exchanged glances, and then Brock replied, "We were going to the mall to get some supplies, but Yellow wanted to check out this Battle Chateau."

Austin's eyebrow quirked with curiosity. "Then let's go."

Seeing him so lively, Yellow's concerns were temporarily assuaged. The trio waved their goodbyes to Nurse Joy, who wished them well with a warm smile.

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As Brock, Austin, and Yellow approached the Battle Chateau, Brock let out a triumphant exclamation. "Well, here it is!"

The magnificent structure loomed before them, its stone walls towering high into the sky, adorned with spiral towers and intricately carved stone bricks. The building was reminiscent of a grand castle, complete with its regal appearance and air of sophistication. Yellow's mouth hung open in awe as she gazed upon the breathtaking sight, while Austin's eyes widened in wonder.

"Wooooow," Yellow whispered in awe, her voice filled with reverence.

As they entered the Battle Chateau, the interior was just as grand and impressive as the exterior. A lush red carpet covered the floors, leading the way to the various doorways along the walls. The walls themselves were adorned with elaborate vases, placed atop beautifully carved pedestals that rose high into the air.

The group was greeted by a number of maids and butlers, dressed in crisp, black and white attire, who bustled about the halls with purpose.